Process Improvement & Lean Methods
CEFR: B2
Read/Listen first
Marie works in the IT support team of a small company. For years she has fixed laptops one by one, but recently she has noticed that the process is slow and frustrating. Last month a colleague’s computer showed a blue screen again, and she realised she was repeating the same steps every time. She decided to map the process on a whiteboard: every click, every restart, every question to the user. After she drew all the steps, she could see a lot of waiting, small errors and wasted effort. She used ChatGPT to check possible solutions and to create a short checklist her team could follow when a laptop shows the same error. Now they follow the checklist first before calling an external technician. The new routine is going to save time, and it should reduce stress for everyone. Marie would like to measure how long each case takes so she can keep improving the process as a form of continuous improvement at work.⚡ Learning goals
- Can describe a simple IT support process using clear steps and linking words.
- Can explain a recurring computer problem and its impact on time and stress.
- Can suggest small process improvements using checklists and basic lean ideas.
✨ Key language
- map the process “We mapped the process on a whiteboard last week.”
- wasted effort “Lean teams try to cut wasted effort in daily tasks.”
- continuous improvement “Continuous improvement helps small teams work smarter.”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Present perfect for recent change
Rule: Use have / has + past participle to talk about actions or changes that started in the past and are still relevant now.Examples: She has fixed laptops one by one for years.; She has noticed that the process is slow.; Our team has become more efficient this year.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners often use the past simple with “for” or “since”. Use the present perfect instead: She has worked here for five years.
Choose the best present perfect sentence.
Tip: Look for have / has + past participle to make the present perfect.
Fill with the best answer: Marie ______ fixed laptops one by one for years.
Tip: Use has with she in the present perfect.
2️⃣ Past simple for completed events
Rule: Use the past simple to talk about finished actions at a specific time in the past.Examples: Last month a colleague’s computer showed a blue screen.; She realised she was repeating the same steps.; She decided to map the process on a whiteboard.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes forget the past form of irregular verbs. Check a list of irregular verbs and learn common ones like show → showed and decide → decided (regular).
Which sentence correctly uses the past simple?
Tip: The past simple often uses -ed or an irregular past form.
Fill with the best answer: Last month a colleague’s computer ______ a blue screen again.
Tip: Use the past form of show to describe a past event.
3️⃣ Be going to for planned change
Rule: Use be going to + verb to talk about plans and predictions based on evidence now.Examples: The new routine is going to save time.; It is going to reduce stress for everyone.; We are going to test the new checklist next month.
Common pitfall + fix: Don’t forget the verb to be. Say She is going to measure, not She going to measure.
Choose the best “be going to” sentence.
Tip: Remember the verb to be before going to.
Fill with the best answer: The new routine ______ time for the support team.
Tip: Use is going to save to talk about a planned improvement.
4️⃣ Modals for predictions and preferences
Rule: Use modals like should and would like to to talk about what is recommended or what someone prefers.Examples: It should reduce stress for everyone.; Marie would like to measure how long each case takes.; We should follow the checklist first.
Common pitfall + fix: After modals, use the base form of the verb: should reduce, not should reduces.
Which sentence correctly uses a modal?
Tip: After a modal, the verb stays in the base form without -s.
Fill with the best answer: Marie ______ how long each case takes.
Tip: Use would like to + verb to express a polite wish or preference.
✍️ Vocabulary
process
Meaning: a series of actions or steps to achieve a result in work or life.Synonyms: procedure, method, workflow
Chunk/Idiom: improve the process
Example: Improving one process can make the whole IT support team more efficient.
Morphology: noun, countable noun used in business contexts.
Self-practice: Write three sentences about a process you follow at work.
IT support
Meaning: the team or service that helps people solve computer and software problems.Synonyms: helpdesk, technical support, service desk
Chunk/Idiom: call IT support
Example: Our IT support answers basic questions before sending issues to specialists.
Morphology: noun phrase, support is a noun here.
Self-practice: Describe one recent time when you needed IT support.
blue screen
Meaning: an error screen on a computer that usually means a serious system problem.Synonyms: system crash, fatal error, crash screen
Chunk/Idiom: get a blue screen
Example: When a blue screen appears, many users feel worried or confused.
Morphology: noun phrase, blue is an adjective, screen a noun.
Self-practice: Explain what you would do if your laptop showed a blue screen.
whiteboard
Meaning: a large, smooth board for writing or drawing on in meetings or classes.Synonyms: board, planning board, writing surface
Chunk/Idiom: draw it on the whiteboard
Example: The manager drew the process on a whiteboard during the meeting.
Morphology: noun, compound word made from white and board.
Self-practice: List three things you could show on a whiteboard about your work.
wasted effort
Meaning: time or energy spent on actions that do not add value.Synonyms: unnecessary work, inefficiency, lost time
Chunk/Idiom: remove wasted effort
Example: Lean methods aim to remove wasted effort from daily work.
Morphology: noun phrase, wasted is an adjective before the noun effort.
Self-practice: Identify one wasted effort in your day and rewrite the process.
checklist
Meaning: a list of steps or items to check so that nothing is forgotten.Synonyms: to-do list, action list, control list
Chunk/Idiom: follow the checklist
Example: We use a simple checklist to standardise our support routine.
Morphology: noun, countable noun often used in quality work.
Self-practice: Create a three-step checklist for solving a frequent problem.
continuous improvement
Meaning: the ongoing effort to make processes better, step by step.Synonyms: kaizen, ongoing improvement, gradual optimisation
Chunk/Idiom: focus on continuous improvement
Example: Continuous improvement helps small teams work smarter over time.
Morphology: noun phrase, continuous is an adjective before improvement.
Self-practice: Write one action that supports continuous improvement in your job.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
Marie has noticed the process is too slow for simple laptop issues.
Last month a laptop showed the same blue screen error again.
The team now follows a short checklist before calling external help.
Continuous improvement helps them reduce wasted effort in support.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Which sentence correctly uses the present perfect?
Tip: Use have / has + past participle for actions that started in the past and continue now.
Choose the correct past simple sentence.
Tip: Use the -ed form for regular verbs in the past simple.
Fill with the best answer:
Marie ______ the time for each support case.Tip: Use is going to for future plans based on evidence now.
Fill with the best answer:
The team ______ before calling the external technician.Tip: Use should to make recommendations or say what is best.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
In this lesson, what is a “process”?
Tip: Think about how Marie organised her work on the whiteboard.
How does the team try to avoid wasted effort now?
Tip: Look at the part of the story where the team changes its routine.
Fill with the best answer:
Her colleague’s laptop showed a ______ error again.Tip: This error usually appears when there is a serious system problem.
Fill with the best answer:
The team sees these small changes as a form of ______.Tip: Lean methods often focus on small steps of ongoing improvement.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: Our tickets take too long. Have you mapped the process yet?B: Yes, I drew every step on a whiteboard and found wasted effort.
A: Great. If we follow the checklist first, we should solve issues faster.
Why this matters:
Small changes to a process can save many hours over a year. Clear steps also reduce frustration for the team. When people see improvements, they are more open to new lean ideas.Verb & Adjective Pack:
streamline the process — We want to streamline the process for simple laptop issues.repetitive — The old routine felt repetitive and tiring for the team.
efficient — The new checklist makes their work more efficient.
frustrated — Marie was frustrated before she saw how to improve the process.
measurable — They need measurable data to check if the new method works.
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: The new routine ______ for everyone on the team.
Tip: Use be going to with a base verb to talk about expected benefits.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: She decide to mapped the process on a whiteboard.
Tip: Check both the main verb and the past simple ending carefully.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
Continuous improvement starts with one small change to the process.
Tip: Pay attention to linking between starts and with when you listen.