Monday, November 27, 2023

Can Lean & Agile Help to Fix Our Courts? Part 2

By Pascal Dennis (bio)

In my last blog, I described my daughters experience, and mine with Ontario's court system, which is similar to that used in the US, UK and many other countries.

I experienced many of the Eight Wastes including delay, defects, over-processing, and inventory in my fellow prospective jurors!

I spent much of the time is a thick fog and felt anxiety and frustration. Chats with friends & colleagues suggest my experience was not unusual.

Yet, our trial by jury process is precious & we need to support it.

So, how might we improve?

We might start by doing a SIPOC analysis: Supplier - Inputs - Process - Outputs - Customer.

Here's how our SIPOC might unfold. Let's start, as ever, with the customer.

Who is the customer? Why, the public.

What does the customer expect? Here are a few thoughts:
  • Justice for both the victim and the accused,
  • Reasonable speed -- we might set a lead time or throughput target
  • No bad guys should get off because of court delays,
  • No unreasonable hardship for jury members

What's the process? At the highest level, process seems to be:

1. Jury Panel Selection --> 2. Jury Selection --> 3. Court Case

What can muck up the process? Based on my experience, here are some possibilities:
  • Poor information flow at step 1 -- (as a result you show up when you're not needed, sit for days with nothing to do & no info etc.)
  • How many jury panel members and jurors do we need?
  • When, and for how long, do we need them?
  • How many do we currently have? Is this above or below our standard?
  • What do we need to do get back to standard?

Without this info, we're likely to call too many jury panel members, for too many days, thereby generating delay, over-processing, defects & other forms of waste.

So, information flow seems an important direct cause.

What are the root causes? I don't know enough about the process to say. But the countermeasure seems obvious:
  • Use information technology better so al to provide jury panel members with answers to questions posed above.
  • ◦ For example, can we not communicate with jury panel members by cell phone and e-mail?
  • "We won't need you tomorrow..."

Again, I don't want to be misunderstood. The problem, is in the jury selection process, not the people, who I found to be courteous, competent and cheerful.

(I'd welcome their comments & insights.)

More to come.

Best,

Pascal



In case you missed our last few blogs... please feel free to have another look…

Ambidexterity - How to Get Started
Can Lean & Agile Help to Fix Our Courts? Part 1
Key Differences Between Protecting the Core & Igniting New Growth
Why is Business Transformation so Hard? Lessons from the ‘Back Pain Industry’


Monday, November 13, 2023

Ambidexterity - How to Get Started

By Pascal Dennis

Hi folks, recently I spoke with Brad Jeavons and the fine Enterprise Excellence podcast.

Topic: Getting the Right Things Done in a Digital World: Ambidexterity - How to Get Started with Pascal Dennis.

Hope you enjoy it!

2 minute tip:


Best regards,

Pascal



In case you missed our last few blogs... please feel free to have another look…

Can Lean & Agile Help to Fix Our Courts? Part 1
Key Differences Between Protecting the Core & Igniting New Growth
Why is Business Transformation so Hard? Lessons from the ‘Back Pain Industry’
Ambidexterity Requires Navigating Aristotle's Two Worlds


Monday, October 30, 2023

Can Lean & Agile Help to Fix Our Courts? Part 1

By Pascal Dennis (bio)

Number 1 daughter, who studied Law at McGill University, spent a lot of time in court, and is appalled at the hassle & confusion.

“It’s awful, Dad! I spend hours trying to find and make sense of things – and I’m a Law student! How do regular folks feel?” We've had some fine discussions, the gist of which I'd like to share today and over the next several blogs.

As it happens, I have some personal experience. A few years ago, I spent several days on a jury panel, waiting to see if I'd be picked to serve.

A handful of countries including U.K., America, and Canada have been lucky enough to inherit the British system of law & order.

Let me begin by saying I strongly believe it's our civic duty to support it.

The judge was a learned, humane and articulate man, who spoke eloquently of this same duty, and contrasted our system with those of other, less lucky countries.

Nonetheless, despite his eloquence, my commitment & that of my fellow jury panel members, our three days felt largely wasted...

Wasted in the Toyota Production System sense -- we experienced unnecessary delay, errors, over-processing, transportation and motion waste.

In the end very few of us were called as jury members. Many were frustrated by all the waste, and unlikely to want to serve again.

Our experience was no exception. Across America and Canada, court back-logs are reaching two & three years, and bad guys are getting off.

As ever, the problem is in the system, and not the people, who I found to be courteous & capable.

Here’s our challenge: How to preserve the integrity of a humane & splendid 19th century system -- while satisfying the needs of a 21st century society?

Can the principles of Lean and Agile, (both ‘children’ of the Toyota Production System) help?

If so, how?

More to come.

Best regards,

Pascal



In case you missed our last few blogs... please feel free to have another look…

Key Differences Between Protecting the Core & Igniting New Growth
Why is Business Transformation so Hard? Lessons from the ‘Back Pain Industry’
Ambidexterity Requires Navigating Aristotle's Two Worlds
What Makes Toxic Cultures?


Monday, October 16, 2023

Key Differences Between Protecting the Core & Igniting New Growth

By Pascal Dennis

Hi folks, recently I spoke with Brad Jeavons and the fine Enterprise Excellence podcast.

Topic: Getting the Right Things Done in a Digital World: Key Differences Between Protecting the Core and Igniting New Growth with Pascal Dennis.

Hope you enjoy it!

2 minute tip:


Best regards,

Pascal



In case you missed our last few blogs... please feel free to have another look…

Why is Business Transformation so Hard? Lessons from the ‘Back Pain Industry’
Ambidexterity Requires Navigating Aristotle's Two Worlds
What Makes Toxic Cultures?
Why Becoming an Ambidextrous Organization is so Challenging