Lean office and BPM: method proposition and application for reducing waste on administrative areas

Abstract

The need to reduce waste in administrative areas is amplified by the increasing competitiveness in all sectors, inducing the need to minimize costs and fixed expenses. Given such cost reduction imperative, Lean concepts are in demand not only at the manufacturing shop-floor, but also at the office. Nevertheless, the available methods to use Lean in administrative areas are not integrated with the already consolidated techniques tailored by the Business Process Management literature. Considering this context, this article aims to propose a method for using Lean concepts and tools in administrative areas, making use of Business Process Management techniques. In addition, this paper presents an application of the proposed method at the São Leopoldo Syndicate of Metallurgical, Mechanical, Electrical and Eletronic Manufacturers - SINDIMETAL. A Design Science approach is used to the method’s proposal, which is based on Lean and Business Process Management concepts. The method is explained and its steps are tested with a real-world application. Finally, theoretical implications are discussed based on the experience with the proposed method, and further research is suggested for the development of Lean as an alternative for administrative operations improvement.