Food for the Poor, a nonprofit organization, transformed its manual container shipping process into an efficient digital workflow. Previously, the Gift-in-Kind (GIK) team relied on printed documents and informal communications, leading to frequent delays and errors. On average, 13 to 15 containers missed their shipping deadlines weekly, incurring over $180,000 annually in penalty fees. The […]
Andrew Paris, a process excellence manager at Médecins du Monde (Médair), discussing how lean methodologies are used to improve efficiency and impact within the NGO. He details challenges faced by humanitarian NGOs, such as funding gaps and restrictive donor requirements, and explains how lean principles, including his “seven habits of process improvement,” address these issues. […]
Written by Brion
Andrew Parris shared “A Vision of Process Excellence and Seven Habits for the Journey” in a Lean Frontiers webinar in August 2023. In the webinar, he explains how he merged the approach of Lean Six Sigma and other improvement methods from the corporate world with the vision, mission and values for a humanitarian organization into […]
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Lean is especially appropriate for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries because it requires little financial investment to promote economic development that builds up and empowers workers, and is easy for everyone to grasp and apply. Andrew Parris, a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt at Medair, shares details about the International Trade […]
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We are familiar with humanitarian aid work primarily through appeals for donations and through political action in the media. But there is much more to it than funding (inputs) or the political framework. Less well known is the fact that logistics can take up to 80% of the budget in a humanitarian response. Today, to […]
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In this podcast interview with Mark Dejong, Andrew Parris, a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt Andrew Parris with over 25 years of experience in NGO/humanitarian and Aerospace Development, recounts his lean journey from the beginning. He talked about the differences between aerospace and other sectors, as well as how the aerospace industry approaches process […]
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Andrew Parris and Don Pope note some striking parallels between Lean and Christian/biblical principles, even though Lean has roots in Buddhist and Japanese teachings and culture. Through “tireless experimentation” the founders of Lean discovered timeless and universal principles that produced tangible results. Toyota systematized these principles and practices a management system that we now call […]
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Andrew Parris works for an NGO called Medair, which provides disaster relief and recovery services to people in need all over the world. In this interview, he explains how continuous improvement can be used in a humanitarian context, and how his Process Excellence Accelerator program trained over 400 people in Lean and Six Sigma methods. […]
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by Brion Hurley Lean and Six Sigma principles and methods are continuing to gain popularity, especially in public service and nonprofit organizations. A new book has been released that shares the experiences of Lean and Six Sigma experts who have applied their skills to not-for-profit organizations. The book is called “Lean Six Sigma For Good: […]
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by Brion Hurley Andrew Parris has over a decade of experience working at non-profit NGO’s (Non-Governmental Organizations). He works with organizations that deal with emergency response and recovery work for countries afflicted by war and natural disasters. In his book chapter, he details how he used his Lean Six Sigma skills to enable colleagues to work […]
Written by Brion