What we do

We’re here to help the University run the most efficient processes it can, so that more of its resources can be spent on learning, teaching and research.

We do this by using an approach, usually called ‘Lean’, which helps you to find and eliminate unnecessary waste, to improve the ‘flow’ of the work, and ultimately to provide a better service for your customers, whoever they may be.

What is Lean?

Lean is a way of thinking about processes which concentrates on improving their flow and eliminating waste. In practical terms this means that Lean prefers a process which does not

batch work up to deal with it all at once, but which smooths out the peaks and troughs
rely on the supplier pushing the work through the system, but allows its customer (however defined) to pull the work

and where all the following types of waste have been eliminated or reduced to a minimum:

Overproduction - e.g. creating 6,000 student computer accounts when only 4,000 students will actually register
Waiting for things to happen - e.g. for someone to get round to signing a purchase order
Unnecessary movement of materials and paper e.g. carrying a box of expense claims from one office to another
Having too much stock on hand - e.g. buying 500 reams of headed paper because it’s cheaper relatively than 100
People moving around unnecessarily to do their work - i.e. that person carrying the box of forms is wasting their time as well as process time
Correction of errors - e.g. sending a form back to the originator because they didn’t fill in their NI Number

Lean recognises that respect for people is fundamental to process improvement, and that processes themselves must be continuously improved.

There's more information on the 'How we do it' page

Take a look at our ‘case studies’ to see some of the projects we’ve already completed.

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