Apple Does Lean Business

So lean thinking is important to you and your business is it? Are you taking notice of how well some progressive companies are utilising lean concepts in the way they do business today? Check out Apple Inc.

I walked into the Perth Apple Store only just last week. As usual the crowds were flocking around the vast display of cool stuff made by Apple … yes, I’m a fan, I admit it.

I did the compulsory browse of the technology before moving on to the accessories. I quickly located a number of items that I needed to finally present my seminars using only iPads before walking to the end of the rapidly lengthening queue of shoppers with credit card in hand.

As my thoughts drift to how easy it is to browse and select but how difficult it is to pay for your selection, a young man, obviously an Apple Store employee, walks up to me and asks if I’m paying by credit card.

I tell him I am so he leads me away from the queue to one of the display stands.

He then whips out his iPhone and in a matter of minutes processes my purchase.

He scanned all of the items with the iPhone, he swiped my card through the iPhone, and then he had the audacity to make me realise how inadequate our payments processes are by asking me if he should just email the receipt to my address … you know, the one that was shown on the iPhone screen … what the!!

Yep … the system recognised my credit card and its link to my iTunes account and it automatically populated the personal details area.

That’s Lean Thinking at work folks.

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George Lee Sye is author of Process Mastery with Lean Six Sigma 2nd Edition which is arguably the most comprehensive yet practical guide to Lean Six Sigma in the world today. It is a globally sought after body of knowledge now used by Lean Six Sigma professionals throughout the world.

To find out more about this and George’s other books visit here – http://www.soarent.com.au/lean-six-sigma-books

 

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