Lean Teams

[MadMango]

While conducting Lean processes like Value Stream Mapping, cross functional teams are usually created. It has been my experience that these teams become involved full-time with the task at hand. This impacts daily work in each affected department, some more than others depending on the make-up of the team.

Is it common for teams like this to be full-time? What have you done to fill the created void?

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

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[DKirkham]

Yes, this is common. To fill in the gaps we actually created "specialist floater" workers who could fill in when others were called off to other areas. Our specialists are highly skilled in many areas and thus make more money than other workers--they have a highly coveted job.

If you ask anyone at our shop what their job is, they will all answer the same thing, "My job is to eliminate my job." Think about it...if they are smart enough to eliminate their job then I have a million others for them to work on when they have accomplished their goal.