Project management is the art of organising and managing resources in order to successfully complete a project on time, within budget, and to an agreed standard.
Lean project management is a project management technique that puts the emphasis on efficient and effective use of resources to get the maximum value out of a project. It has become increasingly popular in recent years, and is seen as an effective way to manage projects and increase productivity.
In this guide, we’ll look at what lean project management is, the key principles that underpin it, and how to implement it in your organisation.
What is Lean Project Management?
Lean project management is a project management methodology that focuses on reducing waste and increasing efficiency. It is based on the principles of the Toyota Production System, which was developed in the 1950s and popularised by the book, ‘The Toyota Way’. The key principles of lean project management include eliminating wasteful activities, focusing on customer value, continuously improving processes, and working collaboratively.
The aim of lean project management is to reduce the amount of time, effort, and money that is wasted on activities that don’t add value to the project. This includes activities such as unnecessary meetings, rework, over-processing, and delays. By eliminating these activities, projects can be completed faster and with fewer resources.
Key Principles of Lean Project Management
The key principles of lean project management are:
- Eliminating Waste: The aim is to eliminate any activities that don’t add value to the project. This includes activities such as unnecessary meetings, rework, over-processing, and delays.
- Focusing on Customer Value: The focus should be on delivering value to the customer. The customer should be involved in the project from the outset and their needs should be taken into account.
- Continuous Improvement: Processes should be continually improved in order to reduce waste and increase efficiency.
- Working Collaboratively: Team members should work together to ensure the project is successful.
- Embracing Change: Projects should be flexible and able to adapt to changing conditions and customer needs.
How to Implement Lean Project Management
Implementing lean project management involves a number of steps. Here are some of the key steps you should take:
- Assess your current project management processes: Take the time to look at your current processes and identify areas where waste can be eliminated.
- Develop a customer-focused approach: Involve the customer in the project from the outset and ensure their needs are taken into account.
- Set clear goals and objectives: Establish clear objectives for the project and ensure everyone involved is aware of them.
- Establish a collaborative team: Create an environment where team members can work together and share ideas.
- Monitor progress and review results: Monitor the progress of the project and review the results to identify areas of improvement.
Lean project management is a project management technique that focuses on reducing waste and increasing efficiency. It is based on the principles of the Toyota Production System, and involves eliminating wasteful activities, focusing on customer value, continuously improving processes, and working collaboratively.
Implementing lean project management can be done by assessing the current project management processes, developing a customer-focused approach, setting clear goals and objectives, establishing a collaborative team, and monitoring progress and reviewing results.