FAQ
Q. What does TPS stand for?
A. TPS originally stood for "Toyota Production System", a system of organizational and process problem solving techniques initiated by Henry Ford and perfected by Toyota which, when applied, reduce unnecessary wastes thereby reducing unnecessary costs and increasing efficiency. Also referred to as "Lean", TPS has been utilized extensively in the manufacturing sector. TPS principles have recently been adapted with equal success to service industries such as law enforcement, the legal system, healthcare, and general office. Le2's iteration of TPS -- "The Problem Solving Approach" -- utilizes the same principles but has modified them to meet the unique challenges inherent to the education industry. Educating a child, after all, is a much more complex operation than building a car.
Q. What is waste?
A. Waste is considered to be any activity which unnecessarily consumes resources, one that adds cost but does not create value AS PERCEIVED BY THE END USER.
Q. Are Lean Principles theoretical or practical?
A. Practical. The people who originally developed Lean principles and practices were businessmen, not academics. They were spurred to seek resolutions to everyday business problems by applying traditional scientific methodologies in new and creative ways. The resulting approaches they developed are simple yet very effective, and have been successfully applied to production and non-production activities in a broad range of industries. While training in the approach is important, Lean is learned and mastered by DOING!
Q. Why select Le2 for Lean Education implementation?
A. First, Le2 is the industry leader in adapting Toyota Production System (TPS) or Lean principles to the Education industry, an industry with a product unlike that of any other industry. Second, Le2's program was developed collaboratively by a licensed, practicing Education professional and a practicing, certified Lean Enterprise professional, not theoreticians with no practical experience in the field. The experiences in their respective industries ensure their focus on meeting the practical needs of education managers as well as field staff. Those same professionals will be your Le2 consultants. Third, Lean Education is a journey of discovery. As part of our Mission, Le2's work with client schools will include research on the ever evolving set of Best Practices in Lean Education and the dissemination of this information within the Education community.
Q. I've heard the TPS process referred to as 'Lean'. This same term has been applied to businesses that are trimming personnel to cut costs. Are layoffs an inherent part of the Le2 TPS Approach?
A. Absolutely not! One of the basic tenets of TPS is to protect the employment of existing personnel. While the TPS process itself focuses on eliminating waste which could, conceivably, include a certain job, the system advocates taking the worker who was just freed up and utilize him/her in another way to build more capability with an existing resource. Remember, the goal is to maximize the USE of available resources, not eliminate them. As an example, an office worker might be freed up to serve as an Education Assistant.
Q. Change is very difficult for some staff members to handle and accept. How does TPS deal with the challenges of change?
A. Change is more difficult to handle and accept when it is imposed by others. One of the powers of TPS is that changes brought about through the system are designed and self-imposed by the very people affected by the change and at the level closest to the change. Since the change is designed and owned by the workers affected by it, these people are motivated to make the change since the change itself makes their own jobs easier. Key factors in the success of TPS are change ownership and support. In addition, employees feel a heightened sense of fulfillment both from facilitating the changes that affect them and contributing to the overall betterment of the organization?s mission.
Q. How long does the TPS process take?
A. TPS is a journey of continuous improvement. It has a start but it never ends because its destination is perfection. The TPS process shows instant results, but TPS Practitioners continually re-assess their accomplishments to see if there are additional ways to improve.