In the public sector the word ‘efficiency’ has been devalued. Politicians regularly talk about efficiency as an alternative to ‘cuts’. Generally the promise outstrips the reality.
In business, efficiency is routine. A good business will continually look to deliver more product at the same cost, or the same volume of product at less cost. Annual efficiencies of less than 5% are frowned upon. Some businesses, Tesco and Toyota for example, have established reputations for their methods for finding efficiency. Kamban, an approach honed by Taiichi Ohno, is one of the core components of Toyota’s 50-year rise from sewing machine manufacturer to the world’s largest car producer. There is similar potential in the world of children’s services, as illustrated by the following three examples.
