Lean Insights explores how everyday digital work becomes slower and more complex than it needs to be — and how applying Lean thinking to tools like Microsoft 365 helps remove waste, simplify processes, and improve flow. These are practical examples drawn from real organisational challenges, focused on outcomes rather than theory.
A CEO approached me with a concern that will feel familiar in many organisations: her teams were constantly busy, yet progress on key work was slow and inconsistent. Meetings were full, inboxes overflowing, and despite everyone working hard, the organisation felt stuck.
To understand what was happening, we reviewed internal email usage over a three‑month period. The findings were revealing.
Many organisations still rely on long email chains to manage the hiring and onboarding process. Everything from the initial interview scheduling to contracts, equipment requests, and account creation is passed around by email, often with no single owner and no clear workflow.
The result is a slow, inconsistent process. It is not uncommon for new starters to arrive on their first day with no laptop, or with a laptop but no user account, or with neither. This creates a poor first impression and places unnecessary pressure on HR, IT, and hiring managers.
In most cases, the underlying issue is not people but the process itself.
Recently, I was asked to confirm some standard business details for a compliance check. The information arrived as a PDF generated from Word. It wasn’t form‑fillable, and I didn’t want to print it. That meant:
downloading the PDF
trying (and failing) to make it fillable
wasting far too much time fixing a document format problem
All for something that should have taken five minutes.
