Customer Lean

Moving Beyond Customer Engagement

Unleashing the power of customer knowledge and creativity

developed by Eric O Olsen, PhD

The concept of "Customer Lean" builds upon the foundation of customer engagement, proposing a natural next step in the evolution of organizational lean practices. While customer engagement focuses on gathering feedback and insights from customers, Customer Lean takes this a step further by actively involving customers in the lean journey, empowering them to identify waste, solve problems, and drive continuous improvement.

To successfully implement Customer Lean, organizations must first establish a credible lean practice internally.

This ensures that the organization has the necessary knowledge, tools, and culture to effectively engage customers in the lean process. Additionally, there should be a demonstrated level of customer engagement or a strong desire and willingness within the organization to involve customers in meaningful conversations and collaborations.

The main avenue for extending customer engagement into Customer Lean is to involve customers in problem-solving activities. This aligns with a simple definition of lean, which can be encapsulated by answering three key questions:

1. What is the value?

2. What is the process?

3. How do we involve people doing the work in problem-solving?

The first two questions help define the types of problems that Customer Lean aims to solve, focusing on identifying value and understanding the processes that deliver that value. The third question extends the scope of customer engagement and defines the level of involvement sought in Customer Lean, emphasizing the active participation of customers in the value delivery process and problem-solving efforts.  

To get started with Customer Lean, organizations should follow these steps:

1. Assess internal lean maturity: Ensure that the organization has a solid foundation in lean principles and practices, with a culture that supports continuous improvement and employee engagement.
   

2. Evaluate customer engagement readiness: Determine the current level of customer engagement and gauge the organization's willingness to involve customers more actively in the lean journey.
   

3. Identify potential Customer Lean opportunities: Look for areas where customer insights and participation could drive significant improvements in value creation, process effectiveness, and problem-solving.
   

4. Develop a Customer Lean communication plan: Create a strategy for communicating the concept of Customer Lean to both internal stakeholders and customers, emphasizing the benefits of collaboration and continuous improvement.
   

5. Pilot Customer Lean initiatives: Start with small-scale projects that involve customers in problem-solving activities, using lean tools and methodologies to guide the process. Capture lessons learned and refine the approach based on feedback.
   

6. Scale and institutionalize Customer Lean: As the organization gains experience and success with Customer Lean, gradually expand the scope of initiatives and embed Customer Lean principles into the organization's culture and processes.

By following these steps and maintaining a focus on the three key questions of lean, organizations can effectively transition from customer engagement to Customer Lean, unlocking the untapped potential of their customers in driving continuous improvement and value creation.

As Customer Lean continues to evolve and gain traction, it is essential to foster a community of practice where organizations can share their experiences, successes, and challenges. This collaborative approach will help refine the Customer Lean framework, making it more accessible and adaptable to a wide range of industries and contexts.

Ultimately, the success of Customer Lean depends on the willingness of organizations to embrace a new mindset and approach to customer collaboration, building upon the foundation of customer engagement and extending it into active problem-solving and continuous improvement efforts. By involving customers in the lean journey, organizations can drive significant enhancements in efficiency, value creation, and customer satisfaction, setting themselves apart in an increasingly competitive marketplace.