How do you decide which continuous improvement projects to focus on?
Companies running continuous improvement projects often find they are juggling too many priorities. One reason for this is that ideas for improvements come from every direction—strategic plans, quality teams, engineering, and even sticky notes on someone's monitor.
The trouble is that without a clear system to sort and prioritize them, these projects can easily get lost in the day-to-day of noise, firefighting, and distractions, which means teams can end up wasting time and resources on the wrong things.
This is where a structured approach like the Project Hopper is useful. Instead of choosing projects based on gut feelings, teams can rank them using clear, measurable criteria. Once the top priorities are identified, tools like eVSM Mix help teams dig into the details, map processes, and make changes that save time and money.
In this article, we’ll walk through a real case study where a manufacturing team used eVSM Mix to cut their lead time from 8.5 weeks to under 2 weeks, significantly reduced waste, and saved over $80,000 annually—all by following a structured approach to project selection and execution.
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System for Managing Lean Projects: Why Managing Projects Without a System Causes Problems
Any company that has embraced Lean ideas knows they need improvement projects. However, without a clear way to organize and prioritize them, a few common issues pop up:
Too many projects, no clear priorities. Everyone has ideas, but without structure, it’s hard to know which ones will actually make an impact.
Projects selected based on opinions rather than data. Teams may default to working on whatever seems urgent today, right now! - not what will provide the biggest benefit.
Wasted time and effort. With no clear process, teams often start projects they can’t finish or work on things that don’t align with company goals.
Lack of visibility. Different departments might be working on overlapping projects without realizing it.
The solution is a Project Hopper. This is a central list where all projects are collected, scored, and ranked so that only the most impactful ones move forward.
The Project Hopper: A Simple System for Prioritizing Work
The Project Hopper takes all those scattered project ideas and organizes them into one place. The steps are simple:
Gather projects from all sources. This could include strategic plans, customer complaints, production inefficiencies, and even team suggestions.
Develop a scoring system. This is where leadership decides what really matters—lead time, cost savings, quality improvements, or something else.
Apply a “cheat sheet” to score projects. Each project is given a score based on the metrics leadership cares about most.
Rank projects based on the scores. The highest-scoring projects get prioritized for execution.
Once a company commits to this system, decision-making becomes much clearer. Instead of guessing which projects to tackle, teams have a data-driven method to choose where to focus their efforts.
How to Execute High-Priority Projects: Use eVSM Mix
Once a project rises to the top of the hopper, based on its higher score, it’s time to break it down and figure out the best way to improve it. That’s where digital value stream mapping with eVSM Mix comes in.
Case Study: Reducing Lead Time in Cap and Plug Production
In this case study, a manufacturing plant struggled with long lead times, excessive floor inventory, and missed deliveries in their cap and plug production cell. Using the Project Hopper, leadership identified this as a high-impact project and moved forward with an in-depth process review.
What They Found: High inventory, long lead time, high scrap rate
Using eVSM Mix, the team created a digital value stream map that revealed the biggest bottlenecks:
Inventory after machining was 2,200 pieces, far higher than necessary.
Lead time was 8.5 weeks, with most of it being non-value-added time.
Scrap rates were 8%, and defects weren’t even being caught until weeks after machining.
So with this information in hand, the team at least had a clear starting point for making improvements.
Fixing the Issues: Lean Solutions That Made a Difference
Setting a WIP Cap to Control Inventory
One of the biggest problems was operators running machines non-stop. This feels efficient, but they were actually building up inventory that wasn't actually needed. The team implemented a Work-in-Progress (WIP) cap, and limited production to only 40 pieces per batch. This simple change prevented excess inventory from piling up and helped smooth production flow.
Standardizing Work and Adding Visual Management
Instead of guessing what to work on next, operators now followed a Cell Standard Work Plan that clearly tracked production across all shifts. A display cube on the shop floor showed real-time inventory levels so everyone knew exactly what was needed.
Catching Defects Earlier
The team moved quality checks closer to the machining process, ensuring that defective parts were caught immediately rather than weeks later. This simple change cut the scrap rate from 8% to 3%.
The Results: Big Gains in Efficiency and Cost Savings
The team was able to achieve significant results after implementing these changes:
Lead time dropped from 8.5 weeks to under 2 weeks.
Inventory after machining fell from 2,200 pieces to just 80.
Scrap rates were cut from 8% to 3%.
Operational efficiency improved by 4%.
Annual cost savings exceeded $80,000.
One of the biggest takeaways? The team didn’t have to invest in expensive new equipment or overhaul their operations. Simple process improvements and smarter scheduling made all the difference.
Bonus: Using eVSM for Cost Tracking
Beyond process efficiency, eVSM Mix also helps with cost visibility. By inputting labor rates, material costs, and overhead expenses, teams can see real-time cost breakdowns at every step of production.
For example, in the cap and plug project, eVSM Mix revealed that machining costs added $19–$20 per unit. With this insight, leadership could collaborate with finance to adjust pricing strategies and improve profitability.
Giving Credit: Nancy Such’s Expertise in Lean and eVSM
This project was led by Nancy Such, a Lean consultant with over 35 years of experience in operational excellence. Nancy has worked in medical device manufacturing, Lean consulting, and training teams on value stream mapping. Her approach focuses on data-driven decision-making and practical solutions that deliver real results.
She has contributed to multiple eVSM training sessions, and you can find free resources on project prioritization on her website, Such Lean Solutions.
Every Company Needs a Better Way to Prioritize Projects
Improvement projects can become a mess of competing priorities, unless you have a clear system and can tie projects back to strategic direction. The Project Hopper provides structure, ensuring that the most valuable projects get tackled first.
And then once a project is selected, eVSM Mix makes it easy to analyze processes, eliminate waste, and make smart, lasting improvements, even in mixed model value streams. The case study in cap and plug production shows that even simple changes, like setting a WIP cap and adding visual scheduling, can lead to massive gains in efficiency.
This structured approach is ideal for teams looking to make real, measurable improvements.
Want to see how eVSM Mix can help your team? Request a webmeeting with a Lean expert today.