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Discussion 45 minutes
Break 5 minutes
Discussion 40 minutes
Will understand what a Kaizen “event” is
Will be able to plan and carry out a Kaizen event
Will understand the benefits, the why
Will understand those pitfalls to avoid
What are your expectations?
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Kaizen (Ky’zen)
• “Kai” means “change”
• “zen” means “good (for the better)”
• Gradual, orderly, and continuous improvement
• Ongoing improvement involving everyone
Modern Kaizen is based on the principles of the Toyota
Production System (TPS).
TPS is a system used in repetitive manufacturing, but
the philosophy can be applied to all operations.
Companies in the United States began to use the term
following the publication of Kaizen by Masaaki Imai in
1985.
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Selecting Projects
Setting Goals
The Team and Team Leader
Setting the Stage
The Kaizen Blitz
Potential Roadblocks
Kaizen Steps
• Set the scene
• Observe the current process
• Develop the future state process
• Implement the new process
• Report and Analyze
Desirable criteria for initial projects
• Easily measured
• Management shows enthusiasm
• A clear business need
• Highly visible process
• Easier project
• Strong environment for follow-up
• Simple process
• Stable and repeatable process
• Allows contribution by all employees – not just a
technical exercise
• Self-contained process
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Productivity improvements
• Typical goal: improve productivity by 30%
Changeover or setup time improvements
• Typical goal: reduce setup time by 90%
One piece flow/Pull Systems
• Typical goal: reduce inventory by 50%
Any process that needs to be improved
Remember, “everything we do is a process, and every
process can be improved”
 Goals
from previous slide may seem
high, but:
 Set goals high
• To challenge the team to think out of the box
• Try radically different approaches
Team LEADER
 Typically not “the supervisor”
 Preferably has experience with the kaizen process
 Should be biased toward change
 Be open-minded
Team MEMBERS
 3 to 10 people (including Team lead)
 From across all levels and functions impacted by the
project
 Include experts – if they have open minds
 Include people with prior kaizen experience
 Include outsiders from unrelated functions to obtain
different points of view
• “Dumb” questions often stimulate innovative
thinking
 Eliminate
interruptions for team members
• No cell phones
• No visitors
• Dedicated conference room
• Eat together
 Supplies
• Flip charts
• White board
• Snacks
 Management
support
• Team members need full support of management
• Responsibilities are covered to eliminate interruptions during event
 Conference
room can be used for
analysis, discussion, introductions, etc
 Important to “go to the gemba”
• “Gemba”: where the process actually occurs
“Kaizen can happen right on the factory
floor, information should be gathered at
the gemba”
 Don’t be afraid of going back to the floor
to challenge and test ideas
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Total focus on a defined process to create improvement
in a short period of time
Dramatic improvements in productivity, quality,
delivery, lead-time, set-up time, space utilization, work
in process, workplace organization
Typically one to five days long
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Be open to change
Everyone involved
Stay positive
Speak out if you disagree
See waste as an opportunity
No blame environment
Treat others as you want to be treated
Ask the silly questions, challenge the givens
Creativity before capital
Understand the data and principles
Just do it!
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We already know the answer, wasting time to gather
data
A good idea but the timing is premature
Can’t do, not in the budget
That may work on paper, but not in reality
It may work elsewhere, but it won’t work here
Doesn’t match corporate policy
I’ll do it my way when everyone looks the other way.
Fear of accountability stops progress
Isn’t there an even better way?
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PLAN
• Day 1: Setting the scene
 Meet the team, identify stakeholders & customers, scope, train if necessary
• Day 2: Observe the current process
 Flowchart, VSM, identify waste, identify root causes
• Day 3: Develop the future state process
 Brainstorm and flowchart (typically the longest day!)
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DO
• Day 4: Implement the new process
 Plan, communicate, implement, modify
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CHECK, ACT
• Day 5: Report, analyze
 Performance VS expectations
 Act upon what has been learned: Standardize or back to the drawing board
SET THE SCENE
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Stakeholders & Customers
Those sanctioning the event
• Those who might be impacted by decisions made by the team
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What Does Done Look Like?
Write a statement that expresses: 1) The work to be done; 2) The time frame to be done in;
& 3) The expenses or resources consumed
• Team consensus on “triple constraints”
• Allow Stakeholders and Customers to approve
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Train
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Provide training on team and Kaizen etiquette, how the event will proceed
Understanding your customer!
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Value added is always determined from the customer’s
perspective.
Who is the customer?
Every process should be focused on adding value to the customer.
Anything that does not add value is waste.
Some non-valued added activity may be impossible to eliminate
or reduce(“N-NVA”)
• Regulatory
• Legal
• Can’t eliminate “right now”
Observe Current Process!
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Crucial first step in process improvement
Deep understanding of the existing processes and dependencies
Observe the process first hand
Value Stream map the process
Observe Current Process!
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Take measurements – time, yield, travel distance
Identify Value Added (VA), Necessary Non-Value Added (N-NVA),
and Non-Value Added (NVA)
• A process either Adds Value, or is Waste
Identify Waste!
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Anytime we are not doing all three of these….
1. Physically modifying raw materials…
2. In a way the customer wants, and
3. It’s done right the first time.
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Where to find waste?
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Defects
Overproduction
Waiting
Non-utilized talent
Transportation
Inventory
Motion
Extra processing
Identify Root Causes!
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Flow Charts
Cause and Effect Diagrams
Check Sheets
Histograms
Pareto Charts
Scatter Diagram
Control Charts
Fishbone Daigrams
Brainstorm Improvements
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Team brainstorms to develop new process
Post improvement ideas on map or by category
• Workflow
• Technology
• People / Organization
• Procedures
Develop detailed future state (VSM, Equipment, Training)
• New workflow
• Value Add and Non-Value Add
• Cycle times
• Identify Kaizen “bursts” (immediate radical change)
Things To Consider…
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Think global / systems optimization
Maximum impact to process
Speed of implementation – create small victories
Cost-benefit analysis
Will new skill sets be required, and how to achieve them?
Is the current organization structure sufficient?
Are there cultural issues?
Is there potential for “push back”?
Any implications for suppliers?
Implications for customers?
Implications for team members?
Do current technologies support the new process? Are they available and cost
justifiable?
Technology is an enabler, not a solution.
Does the reward system support the new process?
What can be done to accommodate any of these?
Plan steps to New Process
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Plan
• What specific changes need to occur
• In what sequence
• Resources needed – get commitment
• Impact on existing activities and functions
• Responsibilities
Communicate
• Who, what, when
Execute The Plan
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Develop a concise, achievable milestone plan
Communicate the plan to everyone
• Suppliers
• Team members
• Stakeholders & Customers
Track activities in public
Celebrate small victories and publicly analyze failures
If modifications to the plan are necessary, make sure to
communicate to team members, stakeholders, and customers.
Meet regularly (weekly?) to review status of open implementation
items
Report and Analyze
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Report results on a public Kaizen Board
Compare actual results with expected
What can be learned?
What are the next steps to take?
Standardize the positive
• Share what was learned with others that may find the information useful
• Are there more opportunities for improvement still on the table? If so, repeat PDCA
through additional Kaizen events.
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Celebrate!
 Questions
management shows enthusiasm for, has a good business case, and will
allow the involvement of many. Initially avoid processes that are out of
control, are seen as not needing improvement, or are dependent on other
processes. Gain experience before tackling difficult processes
Set Goals: Set high goals for the team to achieve, typical results
include: Productivity Improved by 30%; Setup reduced by 90%; Inventory
reduced by 50%
The Team:
Leader is experienced, is inclined toward action, is open
minded. Members (2 to 9 additional) have an interest, are ‘subject matter
experts”, can be from outside the area of impact to ask “dumb questions”.
Remember Team Etiquette
Set the Stage:
Know “What Done Looks Like”, Eliminate
Interruptions, have supplies ready, make sure you have management’s
support for event. Prepare conference room, be prepared to “go to
Gemba”.
Kaizen Rules:
Be open to change, everyone involved, stay positive,
speak out if you disagree, see waste as an opportunity, no blame
environment, treat others as you want to be treated, ask the silly questions,
challenge the givens, creativity before capital, understand the data and
principles, Just do it!
AVOID: Can’t Because…. Won’t work here, no need to study, already
know the answers, going to do my way anyway.
1 – Set The Scene
•Stakeholders & Customers, Scope, Training, Understand your
customer (Voice of the Customer) to understand VALUE
•Value Added, Non-Value Added, Necessary Non-Value
Added.
•Waste Vs Value Added
•Where to find Waste (D.O.W.N.T.I.M.E.)
•Day 2 – Observe Current Process
•create current stateVSM, gather data, watch for VA, NVA and
NNVA, find root causes of waste.
•Day 3 – Develop Future State, Prepare PLAN
•Brainstorm improvements to process
•Create future state VSM
•Develop written plan to go from current to future state
•Include dates and responsibilities
•Use Gantt chart or other method to track progress, display publicly
•Day 4 – Execute
•Publicly display plan and progress
•Highlight “milestones”
•Hold follow up meetings as necessary (planned)
•Communicate progress to stakeholders, customers, and team
members
•Manage changes to plan
•Day 5 – Report and Analyze
•Report results publicly
•Compare Actual to Expected
•Understand differences between Actual and Expected
•Standardize positives
•What can be learned from negatives
•Share what was learned with others who might benefit
•Define next steps, more PDCA and Kaizen?
PLAN
•Day
DO
Select Project: Start with a project that is easily measured and
Agenda: (Plan, Do Check, Act) (PDCA)
Check & Act
Kaizen (Ky’zen) Defined: Gradual, orderly,
continuous improvement. Can be applied to
ALL processes, Involves EVERYONE
Kaizen Blitz: 1 to 5 day rapid, focused,
intense Kaizen event
•CELEBRATE