Phase 3: Sustain Your Success

Introduction to Phase 3

Phases 1 and 2 found the Waste, the causes, and the solutions. Phase 3 institutionalizes the improvements and ensures they are sustained over time. This phase decides whether the project produced a transformation or just a temporary cleanup.

Phase 3 includes:

• Developing a plan to maintain the improvements made
• Implementing procedures to ensure the improvements are sustained
• Continuously monitoring and evaluating performance to find new areas for improvement
• Implementing further improvements as needed
• Confirming the improvements achieved the desired outcome, and stayed achieved

If Phase 1 was seeing and Phase 2 was solving, Phase 3 is keeping. It is the least glamorous phase and the most decisive one.

Implement the Improvements

Implementation requires a detailed, well-planned approach. Start with a clear Implementation Plan that:

• Outlines the specific actions to be taken
• Assigns responsibility for each action to a specific team member or department
• Includes a detailed timeline with specific due dates for each action item (never "TBD")
• Includes a communication plan so all stakeholders know what is changing and when

Also plan the training and support employees will need: training on new processes, tools, and techniques, plus ongoing support so people feel confident executing the change. Create checklists and guides to assist in maintaining the improvements.

The book's sample Implementation Plan: every action has an owner and a date.

Considering People Experiencing Change

Change Management is an essential part of implementation. It means identifying potential resistance to change, developing strategies to address it, and communicating clearly so every stakeholder understands the changes and the benefits they bring.

People move through change at their own pace. Helping them move into the new Future State, rather than dragging them, is what makes the improvement stick.

There are several Change Management methodologies. The book highlights the Prosci model, which describes change through the stages of ADKAR:

• Awareness: of the need for change
• Desire: to participate and support it
• Knowledge: of how to change
• Ability: to implement the new skills and behaviors
• Reinforcement: to make the change stick

(Prosci's full method requires licensed training the book cannot reproduce, but the ADKAR stages themselves are a useful lens: when someone resists a change, ask which of the five letters they are missing, and help there.)

Measure and Sustain the Results

Include a plan for monitoring and measuring the success of the improvements: identify key performance indicators (KPIs), set targets, track progress, and adjust as needed.

Develop a Sustainment Plan that defines how results are measured in a structured way:

• At minimum, monitor the metrics documented in the Current State at 30, 60, and 90 days.
• Add any new metrics defined by the solutions you implemented.
• Incorporate the Current State vs. Future State Attributes tables from Phase 1, so the before/after comparison stays visible.

The book's sample Sustainment Plan: planned vs. actual, in public view. Note that reality does not always hit the target, and recording that honestly is the point.

The Confirmed State

The finish line of 3-Phase Lean is the Confirmed State: evidence that the desired outcome was achieved and is being sustained. Getting there takes four habits:

• Track against KPIs and targets on a regular basis, so issues surface early and adjustments happen fast.
• Communicate and report regularly: meetings or huddles with leadership, and communication out to employees and stakeholders. If the improvement effort originated from executive leadership or a specific daily huddle, share results back to that forum regularly. Informed people stay invested.
• Audit the process regularly: evaluate it against the original Current State and Future State, and against the KPIs and targets. Address any discrepancies immediately with corrective action.
• Celebrate wins along the way. Momentum is the key to Sustainment, and celebration builds momentum. When employees see their efforts making a difference and their contributions Valued, they stay engaged, and the culture of Continuous Improvement sustains itself.

Use data and metrics to validate the sustained success. When the numbers show the target met and holding, you have not just improved a process. You have finished all three phases, and earned the right to pick the next one.

Try It Yourself

Reflect

Think of an improvement (at work or home) that faded away after a strong start. Which Phase 3 element was missing: the plan, the training, the measurement, the audits, or the celebration?

Activity

Take any improvement you would like to make stick, even a personal one. Draft a mini Implementation Plan (actions, owners, dates) and a mini Sustainment Plan (what you will measure at 30, 60, and 90 days, with planned vs. actual columns). Put the first check-in on your calendar right now; a Sustainment Plan without a date is a wish.