• Clear and timely communication of information is evidenced by easy-to-understand accounting reports that are provided frequently and not locked in to a monthly reporting cycle.
• Planning from a lean perspective involves people who are responsible for achieving results and are actively involved in setting goals. The process begins with a top-level strategic plan (using methods like Hoshin Strategy Deployment) and is then rolled out to business unit leaders and value stream teams (using methods like sales, operations, and financial planning).
• Strengthen internal accounting control when eliminating transactions through prudent planning. It is essential that accounting controls and transactions not be eliminated prematurely, but only when operations demonstrates sufficient process control. Process maps identify control risks and subsequently include changes to mitigate these risks. Each of these principles steers the transformation of accounting practices from traditional methods to supporting lean…by thinking lean. The remainder of this document describes in greater detail five key areas where accounting can actively support lean processes.