Applying Value Stream Mapping in a Service Function

Increase Sales! Develop a Customer-Focused, Sales-Centric Organization!

This has been the driving force for Corporate Express Ontario Division in 2005. How did we achieve this?

Phase I: Create a Sales Centric Organization. Utilize the Value Stream Mapping Process to improve the interface between sales and all other departments in the division; with the objective being to streamline the administrative work for the sales force so that they had more time to sell. The current state map was used to identify the non value added activities and any roadblocks to information flow. The processes focused on the flow of information and the ease of obtaining this information for a sales force that is often out of the office .The future state maps resulted in days of time savings for the team and web forms which allowed the sales reps easy access to obtain and give required information.

Phase II(2006): Create a Customer Centric Organization. Apply the Value Stream Mapping tool to our interactions with customers so that we can improve the customer experience when interacting with all touch points within Corporate Express.

Corporate Express Canada, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Corporate Express, Inc., a Buhrmann company, is one of the world’s largest business-to-business suppliers of office and computer products, office furniture, printing services, facilities and breakroom supplies and promotional marketing products. Corporate Express Canada has operations in 19 facilities, including 9 distribution centers and employs more than 1,000 people, approximately 350 sales and customer service representatives and owns approximately 70 delivery vehicles.

The Ontario Division of Corporate Express Canada, has embraced the relentless continuous improvement philosophy and has had a significant cultural shift, resulting in operational excellence. This journey began in 2003 and since that time 32 Continuous Improvement Projects and 14 Value stream maps have been implemented.

Corporate Express was named one of 2006 Top 50 Employers in Canada (Globe and Mail Report on Business Magazine).

Lianne Sinclair, Business Process Improvement Manager

Lianne Sinclair joined Corporate Express in June 2005 as the Business Process Improvement Manager. She is responsible for heading up the Quality, Continuous Improvement and Environmental programs for the Ontario Division. In her time at Corporate Express she has lead several VSM and CIP teams and obtained her Corporate Express CIP/VSM Black belt. She has lead the mapping of the sales centric program and in this process has developed and mentored other team members towards their journey to black belt.

Prior to working at Corporate Express Lianne was the Strategic Project Manager at Velcro Canada Inc. (an HPM company) and worked on the Value Stream mapping, 5S and continuous improvement programs, as a participant, trainer and leader for the programs.

Lianne received her Engineering degree and M.B.A. from McMaster University.