Enterprise Excellence Consulting

Lean in Insurance is the application of the Toyota Production System to the Industry of Insurance. The identification then elimination of wasteful activities or non-value added work is very applicable to the processes for providing insurance for Healthcare, Life, Disability, Vehicle, Home and any other coverage you can think of.

For years we have concentrated on applying the Lean tools and techniques in manufacturing operations, but now is the time to expand those applications to Insurance.

Think of the process of getting insurance coverage for vehicles and how much it has changed in just the past few years. It used to be we would have to call an agent, make an appointment then take time off to go see them. We would take hours to cover all the options, fill out the application, sign it, leave a deposit, then wait to hear back from that agent.

Today we can go on-line, select the company, fill in the coverages and apply with a credit card and get coverage in a few minutes.

Let us now turn your attention to other areas of insurance for personal coverage or for business insurance providers. The same tools such as Value Stream Mapping are very useful to map out all of the processes and identify the wasteful activities associated with obtaining insurance.

Within the insurance offices themselves there is a great need to identify the work flow and standardize the work into repeatable activites based on providing the customer with what they want, when they want it, with the right quality and at the right cost.

Take a look into any office environment and observe whether there is good organization and lack of clutter. Chances are you see little messes here and there, with piles of paperwork and "stuff" everywhere. Open some cabinets or desk drawers to see it things are put away orderly or just shoved in there to clear their desk.

By utilizing 5S in the office you can reduce your workload and increase efficiency. After all, if the office is a mess do you think they can provide you with the best possible service or product?

If you work in the Insurance Industry or you have your own agency, you know how important it is to keep up with all the legal changes. You also know how competitive it has become to provide insurance services in today's marketplace.

There is no more room for waste in Insurance Industry than any other industry. Those times are past and if you choose to set still because this is the way it has always been done, then your competition will pass you by.

If you are ready to learn more about how to apply these Lean principles to your business then contact us to schedule an assessment. We can provide you with specific training in the use of these tools and help you start or accelerate your Lean transformation.

Initial consultations are free, so call us to schedule an appointment.