If not lean, then what?
Lean is just one method of continuous improvement and there are a range of others that are commonly used in higher education (HE). We close our lean series with three viewpoints from HE professionals and consultants on different ways of applying lean and its alternatives.
Lean and research support systems: lessons learned
Lean is used in many institutions to improve processes in professional services from improving exam logistics to the running of counselling services. At Northumbria University, they are also applying lean techniques to research management processes, as David Young explains.
What lean could mean for you
Do you develop a cold sweat whenever you hear the term “lean”? Our series of blogposts about lean methodology aims to change all, that starting with an introduction to the philosophy of lean by Edinburgh Napier’s Steve Yorkstone.
Demystifying lean
To the unfamiliar, lean with its glossary of Japanese terms can appear daunting. But in the second part of our series on lean methods, consultant Christine Stewart argues that lean is actually relatively simple - and using fancy stationery can help with understanding.
How lean is making a counselling service work better for students
The Process Improvement Unit at the University of Sheffield was established in June 2012 to help the university improve its business processes. Rachel McAssey describes one of the unit’s big success, which is having a real impact on the student experience - and winning awards.
How to convince the process mapping sceptics
Encouraging people to try different ways of working is a big problem for many HE institutions. While taking advantage of a powerful resource, the continuous improvement team at the University of Winchester also learned some valuable lessons about bringing reluctant staff on board.
Fin Miller: making St Andrews leaner and fitter
Developed to cut out waste in car production in post-war Japan, the Lean method has been used at the University of St Andrews for more than a decade. We caught up with St Andrew’s change manager Fin Miller to find out how it works in practice.
Overcoming barriers to LEAN change in higher education
Cutting through the jargon and putting people at the centre of process improvement were two key themes of this month’s LEAN HE Hub Seminar at the University of Manchester. Paul Oates reflects on some of the lessons from the day.
How a smaller institution can make a worldwide impact using lean
An institution’s size does not have to limit its ambition, as the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is proving. The college, ranked in the top 250 of the Times Higher Education (THE) world rankings, is using Lean to help it achieve its goals in a complicated environment, as Doreen Gilfedder explains.
Making campus safety more efficient
A government code regulating CCTV stimulated Aston University to take a fresh look at their surveillance technology. Mark Sutton explains how complying with the surveillance commissioner's code has resulted in efficiencies and savings.
