Lean manufacturing has been front and centre in the minds of most businesses since the recession began in 2008, and rightly so. Doing more with less, faster and better, can make the difference between business survival and failure. Battling an economic downturn, strong Canadian dollar, and a lot of uncertainty in the market continues to motivate businesses and organizations to find new ways to remain competitive.

Getting the production line in order, putting the right tools in the right places, making sure all the supplies and materials are ready when and where they are needed, and minimizing employee downtime all contribute to a lean and mean production facility, but there's a lot more to creating a lean company than just working out the kinks and inefficiencies in the shop. “Lean” is a state of mind; it’s not simply a focus on one particular aspect of a company's operation, but an ongoing effort to weed out inefficiency throughout a company's daily operation. Lean means re-thinking old and tired ways of doing things from the time the lights go on in the morning until the doors are locked and everyone heads home for the day.

Technology can play a huge role in “leaning out” your business. It can provide all sorts of great benefits for managers and workers alike, but it can easily become a sink-hole of time and money if it's not managed with the same unflinching eye as production on the shop floor. Many business people are easily overwhelmed when it comes to technology and because of this, it often gets bypassed when it comes to scrutinizing and improving the way a company runs.

In many businesses, old and inefficient technology systems are kept running long past their due dates because managers have fear, uncertainty, or doubt when it comes to replacing or upgrading them. Money is constantly spent on software licencing and hardware systems simply because it's perceived as being easier and less hassle than actually finding out if these systems are still worth paying for, or if there is a better, cheaper, and faster alternative. Add to this the rapid advances in web technology, cloud computing, mobile phones, and tablets, and many companies are simply overwhelmed with the choices for modernizing technology within their operations. With all of these potential technical headaches it's easy to see why some companies choose to bypass technology as they work on “leaning out” their business operations.

These days “leaning out” technology can provide all sorts of benefits. Advances in Internet technology, wireless, and mobile computers can open up opportunities to streamline business operations from simple email management to complex Enterprise Resource Planning Systems. Often the Return On Investment (ROI) for modernizing computer systems and information technology and management can be enormous. Much of the software and systems that are still in use in many businesses today have simply not kept pace with advances in technology or been adapted to meet demands. From reducing licencing and maintenance fees to speeding up the production and sales process, new technology can have an enormous impact on any operation.

Generally speaking there is no silver bullet software that can run an entire business; it usually takes several pieces of specialized software to manage a business from sales to invoicing. “Leaning out” technology begins with taking a fresh and unbiased look at the systems you use today and understanding their strengths and weaknesses. Often managers find it helpful to get a trusted technology partner to assist them in the process or to do an independent review. Here are a few questions you should be considering when it comes to evaluating your information technology (IT).

1. What software and licences fees are you currently paying and why? (What is your IT budget?)
2. How much does it cost to maintain the current software and systems? (Yes, this includes email.)
3. Is everyone, including your customers, getting the information they require out of your systems in a simple and easy manner the minute they need it?
4. Follow your data trail from sales through to production and invoicing to see if there are bottlenecks or roadblocks that delay or inhibit your efficiency.
5. Think differently. What if my sales crew could get instant quotes? What if my customers could see the status of their orders online? What if I could track my sales or     production in real-time?
6. These are just a few places to start looking for efficiencies in your technology. There are very few businesses that won't see a net benefit by analyzing and making some changes to the way they use technology.
7. Business should always drive technology. It should never restrict or inhibit the growth or efficiency of your operation. Like any other part of your business, it is important to review, evaluate, and modernize the software and systems you use. 

Keeping your business lean means turning over every stone in an effort to find better and more efficient ways of doing business. Like any other tool or machine you use in business, computer technology and systems get old and obsolete, so annual reviews will help to ensure you're getting the most from the software and systems you use. 

Joe Perraton is the president of Point One Media and can be reached at jperraton@pointonemedia.com.