Planning

Lean project management begins with planning, which encompasses identifying problems and devising ways to enhance processes. Managers should also take this time to understand their teams’ work processes. Once this phase has concluded, developing solutions is the next step using the PDCA cycle as a problem-solving and change management technique consisting of four steps – plan, do, check, act.

This project management approach requires teams to examine their workflow from the customer’s point of view and continually make improvements, helping businesses reduce waste while providing value to their customers.

Starting by creating a value stream map – an image depicting all the steps required to complete a Task – managers can identify steps or materials that do not add any real value to their final product, then eliminating waste so as to focus on activities which create actual value for clients.

Execution

Lean project management principles require setting up and conducting regular project reviews to assess success and efficiency, so as to meet project expectations while giving team members time and space to identify root causes of any issues should any arise, rather than simply trying to repair them.

Project reviews offer an invaluable opportunity to optimize processes and reduce any unnecessary work activities, such as repetitive rework processes that don’t add any tangible value. Value stream mapping can be used to visualize the entire manufacturing cycle and spot any flaws or wastefulness in its entirety.

Kanban boards provide another tool for optimizing workflow, using cards to represent tasks’ statuses and enable team members to monitor work processes from beginning to end, as well as spot any bottlenecks that might impact delivery dates.

Monitoring

Once a plan has been implemented, it must be monitored. This entails Analyzing data and making necessary changes as needed, encouraging open communication and gathering feedback; helping identify waste and improve workflow while encouraging continuous improvement efforts. It should be seen as an iterative process focused on continual progress and refinement.

The fifth principle of lean is “Strive for Perfection,” which implies that you should constantly search for ways to enhance your workflow and seek ways to do this more efficiently. You can do this by creating a value stream map and performing root cause analysis to pinpoint any issues.

Implementing the principles of lean project management will allow you to reduce waste and increase customer value. This is accomplished by understanding your product’s value to customers, along with their individual needs; this enables you to create marketing campaigns targeted towards specific audiences. Using pull signals reduce waste further while guaranteeing that production occurs only when there is demand.

Closing

As the last phase in a project, its closing stage ensures all loose ends are wrapped up. This includes wrapping up documentation, verifying that the project delivered its promised outcomes, and returning any assets or resources back or archiving them as per agreement. Furthermore, finalizing budget accounts, reconciling expenses, issuing invoices, paying invoices promptly, reviewing Financial records for accuracy are among many tasks undertaken during this phase.

Stakeholders also play an essential part in this phase, providing feedback and approval through formal signing off on deliverables or by verifying scope, schedule, and budget were met through email or in-system manual confirmation.

This creates a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction among project team members and stakeholders, as well as improved resource availability and increased work efficiency within a company – leading to more projects being taken on quickly while simultaneously producing higher-quality work on those projects.