Peer to Peer Magazine

WWW.ILTANET.ORG 9 OVERPRODUCTION: Completing more than is needed or working ahead of deadlines. Examples include: • Creating extra copies • Drafting a long memo when a short summary was requested • Excess time spent on matters • Scope creep not initiated by the client • Starting work before clearing conflicts OVERPROCESSING: Doing more than a client requests. Examples include: • Conducting too much research • Confirming the same details in multiple ways (phone/email/letter) • Duplicative data or case management systems • Excessive document reviews • Overstaffing a matter • Triple-checking work • Training on unnecessary features or functions DEFECTS: Any work that does not meet the client's satisfaction. Examples include: • Data entry or calculation errors • Document corruption • Ineffective communication with the client • Missing a filing deadline • Providing incorrect incident resolution • Rework • Time recorded incorrectly The TIMWOOD list of seven deadly wastes has helped organizations discover activities that are not adding value to the client or business for many years. Recently, an eighth waste was added as another potential form of non-value-added activity. SKILLS: Not fully leveraging the gifts and talents of employees. Examples include: • External counsel doing work best done by the client • Low technical competence • Not using the lowest cost resource capable of performing the task • Partners doing associate-level work ELIMINATE WASTE Several firms that have begun their Lean Six Sigma journey have reported amazing results internally and, more important, for their clients. Waste surely exists within law firms, and it could take a shift in thinking to learn how to identify it in all its different forms. If you can find the TIMWOOD, you can eliminate waste. Help on Your Lean Six Sigma Journey Here are a few practical tips to start you on your Lean journey: • Learn To See Waste: Read books like "Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation," "Lean Six Sigma for Law Firms," or "Lean Six Sigma for Service: How To Use Lean Speed and Six Sigma Quality To Improve Services and Transactions." • Change Your Language: Lean Six Sigma uses language that may or may not resonate within your firm. Consider using softer language like process improvement, process optimization, process management or continuous improvement. • Start with Repetitive Processes: It can be difficult to look at cases requiring specialized, individual work and think of it in process terms. Start with things that occur with some frequency; these are usually easier to see as processes with specific steps. • Channel the Voice of the Client: Learn about client expectations and the services the firm provides. If you are delivering a service internally, contact your internal clients to find out their needs and how they define value. • Choose Training Wisely: If you engage a consulting firm specializing in Lean for law firms to do training, make sure they understand the difference between Lean Six Sigma for production and for service. While the fundamentals are the same, the examples presented need to be relevant for a law firm. Expect to have a ramp-up period of skills practice where you learn the tools through a mentor (this is what the belts are for). • Use a Pilot: Start small, identifying and eliminating waste in one area. Look for small forms of waste no one seems to notice. • Measure Success: Keep track of the before and after states of processes. Firms have seen dramatic business results from waste reduction. • Remember That Change Requires People: Lean thinking requires a significant paradigm shift in people's mental models, so expect some resistance. Lean leadership is not about layoffs and aggressive cost-cutting, it is about creating engagement and effective communication to achieve results. Using change management methodologies, you can support your people on this journey. O O D S

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