For Entrepreneurs who are only just starting up, they are not only the idea generators, but also managers who have to take key decisions for improving the efficiency of their business process. Lean methodology goes a long way in making these decisions easier.

It is the age of the startup.

Entrepreneurs are everywhere, as businesses big and small are birthing around the clock. Not all of these businesses survive. Most businesses either fail to live up to the competition or sustain a steady path of growth. The exceptional cases, where newborn businesses, not only survive, but make giant leaps and bounds are down to the entrepreneurial brains behind the business. These brains have put their trust in the Lean methodology of work for their offices.

Productive Lean office environment is in principle a waste little and produce more concept, by way of which entrepreneurs look to gain synergy and force that will ensure their product reaches the customer in time. Startups often open with little in terms of planning ahead, with only the idea of the product in mind, but no clear path upon which to deliver this product. Then there are the office environmental issues, like delays or unnecessary roadblocks that can mar the development of the product in general. Lean methodology aims at bringing these levels of wastefulness down, and thereby significantly improving upon the efficiency.

Lean engineering works with a customer oriented approach, which makes it one-directional, and therefore more forceful than many other approaches.

The waste that Lean environment aims at eliminating can be identified as:

Defects– Unnecessary reproduction of a product.

Over-processing– Unnecessary reruns or processing.

Overproduction– Generating more than the demand.

Excess– Excess of resources, supplies or inventory.

Waiting– Loopholes, in-office environment, social politics

Unreserved movement– People moving between teams, offices etc

Once these sources of wastefulness have been identified, entrepreneurs can work towards implementing a Lean working environment in their offices. The basic aim for every entrepreneur in working towards implementing Lean techniques is to work smarter and not harder. As part of the management scenarios entrepreneurs have to decide upon, the following factors have to be considered.

Specification of value– Value of every product is defined by the customer, and with him alone should rest the power to dictate that value.

Knowing values– There are a plethora of streams that work side by side in an office environment. An entrepreneur has to know the importance of each.

Regulation/Communication– Sometimes something as simple as communication between two people in the same office, but working in different domains can affect the way the final product comes out. This is where communication in a clear manner and by a conducive channel is mandatory.

Making on demand– There is no need to manufacture, or create without any demand in the pipeline. Invest time and money only when there is guaranteed returns.

Finally, Aim for perfection– This has to be the ultimate goal and one that the Lean structure strives to achieve by eliminating all road-bumps whatever it might be that threatens to halt progress.

Six Sigma, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Theory of Constraints, are just some of the tools that fall under the Lean methodology, and can help entrepreneurs on way to adopting the Lean structure. Entrepreneurs have to think like managers as well, as once their product has been realized, there is also the question of getting the product made quicker, and streamlining the whole process from front to the end, which will eventually lead the company and the business into a positive direction.