[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” link_text_color=”#0C71C3″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
In a Lean approach, added value is any activity that actually transforms a product, service, or piece of information in a way that the customer recognizes and is willing to pay for. Conversely, waiting, rework, unnecessary travel, double validations or excessive checks consume time without creating direct value. <\/span><\/p>\n For an SME, this distinction is often revealing. A company can have competent employees, a full order book and a good reputation, while losing important hours every week in steps that do not improve the result delivered to the customer. Understanding the added value then becomes the starting point for concrete, accessible and measurable continuous improvement in SMEs. <\/span><\/p>\n Lean has its roots in the Toyota Production System, developed in Japan after World War II. The approach has been popularized in North America, notably by the work of MIT and the book The Machine That Changed the World. Today, it applies to manufacturing SMEs as well as service companies, professional firms, administrative teams and technology organizations. <\/span><\/p>\n Lean distinguishes three main categories of activities. This distinction helps leaders take an objective look at operations rather than limiting themselves to the company’s historical habits. <\/span><\/p>\n The objective is therefore not to eliminate everything that is not immediately billable. Some steps are necessary. The real challenge is to distinguish between what protects the company or the customer and what simply slows down the workflow. Tracking the right SME performance indicators<\/a> makes it possible to objectify this distinction and measure progress over time. <\/span><\/p>\n The eight wastes of Lean, often referred to as TIMWOODS, help identify invisible losses in everyday processes.<\/span><\/p>\n In a manufacturing SME, a value stream map can reveal that the time actually spent transforming the product represents a small portion of the total time. The rest is sometimes absorbed by waiting between two shifts, looking for tools, reworking or moving parts. <\/span><\/p>\n In a professional services firm, waste takes another form: meetings without an agenda, redundant emails, multiple validations for minor decisions, lack of templates, information scattered across several tools. The customer does not pay for these items. He pays for an expertise delivered clearly, on time, with the right level of quality. SME operational performance<\/a> support makes it possible to identify and eliminate these frictions. <\/span><\/p>\n In a technology SME, the added value can be found in solving a product problem or improving a user flow. Waste, on the other hand, can come from misprioritized requests, repeated corrections, a lack of documentation, or an incomplete handover between sales, product, and support teams. <\/span><\/p>\n This approach works because it focuses on one step at a time. An SME doesn’t need to transform its entire organization at once. It needs to make losses visible, choose a starting point, and measure gains. <\/span><\/p>\n Added value is one of the most powerful concepts in Lean because it forces the company to look at its operations from the customer’s point of view. For an SME, this perspective often allows for quick wins without major investment in technology or labour. <\/span><\/p>\n Progr\u00e8s Consulting supports Quebec and Canadian SMEs in analyzing their processes, identifying waste and implementing Lean approaches adapted to their reality. Our team<\/a> puts its expertise at the service of your operational context. To start, hire an operational performance consultant<\/a> \u2014 a targeted analysis of a key process can already reveal several opportunities for improvement. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_accordion _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Does Lean apply to service SMEs?” open=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Yes. Lean principles apply to any repetitive process, whether physical, administrative, or informational. Service firms, clinics, technology companies, and professional practices can all identify value-added activities and waste. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”What is the difference between Lean and Six Sigma?” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” open=”off”]<\/p>\n Lean mainly aims to improve flow and reduce waste. Six Sigma is more focused on reducing variability and defects using statistical tools. The two approaches are complementary, but Lean principles are often more accessible as a first step for an SME. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Where to start a Lean approach?” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” open=”off”]<\/p>\n The best place to start is often a single, visible, frequent, and painful process. It must be mapped with the people who perform it, identify the losses, and then test a simple improvement before expanding the approach. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][\/et_pb_accordion][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a Lean approach, added value is any activity that actually transforms a product, service, or piece of information in a way that the customer recognizes and is willing to pay for. Conversely, waiting, rework, unnecessary travel, double validations or excessive checks consume time without creating direct value. For an SME, this distinction is often […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1501,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sme"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progres.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progres.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progres.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progres.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progres.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1502"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/progres.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1502\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1536,"href":"https:\/\/progres.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1502\/revisions\/1536"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progres.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progres.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progres.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progres.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}1. Value-adding, non-value-adding, and waste<\/b><\/h2>\n
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2. The eight wastes of Lean<\/b><\/h2>\n
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3. Concrete examples in SMEs<\/b><\/h2>\n
4. How to get started without complicating the organization<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Added value, one of the most powerful concepts of lean <\/b><\/h2>\n