Prosessikierron

Prosessikierron is a management practice in which processing steps or tasks are rotated among workers, teams, or stations within a production or service system. The aim is to balance workloads, build cross-functional skills, and increase resilience against disruptions that can stem from bottlenecks or a single point of failure.

The term is Finnish (prosessi = process, kierto = rotation) and is used in Finnish operations management literature. It is related to but distinct from generic job rotation or cross-training; it emphasizes the sequence and flow of processing steps rather than mere employee mobility.

Implementation typically involves mapping the value stream, identifying steps that can be rotated without compromising safety or quality, establishing rotation rules (frequency, eligibility, and required training), and piloting the approach before scaling. Metrics such as cycle time, throughput, quality rates, and worker utilization are monitored to assess impact.

Benefits include broader skill sets, reduced bottlenecks, improved coverage during absences, and greater process understanding among operators. Risks include higher training costs, potential short-term drops in quality during transitions, scheduling complexity, and safety considerations in high-risk steps.

In practice, prosessikierron is often implemented together with other Lean and continuous improvement practices, such as Kanban, standard work, and cross-training initiatives.