ABSTRACT
As I have emphasized in earlier chapters, application of key Lean concepts must always take place within the context of overall value streams. Remember, most value streams involve multiple departments. However, we do need to recognize that most companies are still not organized by value stream, and that most people still think functionally or departmentally. If this sounds similar to your organization, do not despair, because in this chapter, we will review common functions and how to apply Lean to them. Obviously, we cannot cover all of the possible functions across the wide variety of existing companies and industries. Instead, we will stick to the most common functions, including
◾ Sales and Marketing ◾ Purchasing ◾ Accounting ◾ Customer Service ◾ Human Resources
Our focus will be to reduce the time and effort required to perform the various activities required within each function. But you will also need to ask yourself what you will do with your newly available capacity. To get there, you need to ask yourself another question: “When is the [insert function here] department truly adding value to the internal or external customer?”
