Streamline

How it is used

A common verb in reports, presentations and job ads. People streamline a process, a workflow or an approval chain. The adjective 'streamlined' describes a simple, efficient process: a streamlined order process.

Example sentences

1. We streamlined the engineering change process from 14 signatures to 5.

2. The goal of the project is to streamline material handling between the warehouse and the lines.

Common collocations

• streamline a process
• streamline operations
• streamlined workflow
• streamline approvals

Related terms

• continuous improvementAn ongoing effort to make products, processes and services better through many small, regular changes rather than one big change. Often shortened to CI.
• wasteIn lean thinking, any activity that uses time or resources but adds no value for the customer, such as waiting, extra movement or making too much.
• value stream mappingA lean method of drawing all the steps, material flows and information flows needed to make a product, to see where time is lost and plan improvements. Often shortened to VSM.
• kaizenA Japanese word for 'change for the better', used for small, steady improvements made by everyone, and for a short, focused improvement event.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• streamline · Public Administration

More terms: Process Improvement

• standard operating procedure
• root cause analysis
• Pareto chart
• fishbone diagram
• 5 Whys
• PDCA cycle