INTERVIEW - Faced with the difficulties of a project that was not going as planned, this Finnish telecom turned to Lean Thinking. Ahead of their presentations at LGC 2024, they tell us about their journey and how Kata played an important role in their transformation.

Interviewees: Seija Saarikivi and Sari Salmela

Planet Lean: Can you introduce Elisa Oyj to our audience?

Seija Saarikivi and Sari Salmela: Elisa is the Finnish market leader in telecommunications and digital services. The organization has been enthusiastic about applying new technologies for more than 140 years, and we work daily to improve the customer experience and the quality of our services. Elisa employs 5,700 people in more than 20 countries and is rated as one of the most sustainable companies in the world.

PL: What problems did the company face that led to Lean Thinking?

SS and SS: A major influencing factor behind Elisa's 'Lean' journey was a major systems overhaul - a project that did not go according to plan. We needed more systematic process management, and we wanted to introduce a culture of continuous improvement and more unified day-to-day management into every team at Elisa. We began this journey by adopting core processes one by one and training the teams in continuous improvement. The results we achieved encouraged us to continue on this path and we have been working systematically to promote Lean in the organization for almost 20 years now.

PL: Why was the Kata methodology so useful?

SS and SS: We needed a systematic way to achieve unprecedented results, and we wanted to find new ways to experiment and learn. Our continuous improvement was too focused on solving problems and not enough on getting even better results. Kata proved to be a perfect fit for our needs due to its goal-oriented nature and the fact that it is a holistic way of thinking. Because Kata is not just a tool, it also reinforced our ingrained culture of continuous improvement. Moreover, the Kata method emphasizes collaboration and increases cooperation.

PL: Can you tell us a bit more about your presentation at this year's LGC? What can people expect to learn?

SS and SS: In our presentation, you will hear how Elisa has been learning and experimenting with Kata for nearly a decade. We cover the timeline of how the methodology has grown from an idea of just a few people to a daily tool for hundreds of people, along with a few examples of our biggest success stories over the past few years.

PL: What potential do you see for Lean Thinking in telecommunications companies?

SS and SS: As 'Lean believers, we think it fits well in any industry, whether it is manufacturing, service or healthcare. One big difference from most Lean companies is that our work as a service provider is done primarily through computers, making it more difficult to properly observe value streams. However, there are not many companies in the world, in any industry, that would not benefit from streamlining their processes and encouraging employees to always strive for better performance.

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