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KAIZENKaizen is easier said than done....properly. Dr. Shigeo Shingo excelled at systematically finding the root causes and permanently correcting them. He taught others how to identify root causes and identify waste, while making it enjoyable and humorous.Speaking in terms of the long run, Kaizen is a method of problem solving to continuously improve in the most general sense. It is a never ending philosophy that starts with understanding the current state. Kaizen requires the engagement of the workers, suppliers, and stakeholders for that project. The key is seeing and understanding the problems and not acting on assumptions or what the process should be. Gemba walks, actually observing the problems at the location will remove subjectivity and bias. There are those that continuously improve and those that continuously improve faster. Continuous improvement is often not enough, many are always improving and survival requires it as the economy globalizes and faces more competition. Thorough root cause understanding and control, relentless focus on defect prevention, targeting the vital few instead of attacking the trivial many, waste elimination (not just identification and reduction), and repeat the cycle, are tactics that accelerate the Kaizen process. It is better to take more time to completely understand the problem than to start immediately on random improvements. But once the problem is understood and ideas are ready to implement, then act quickly and implement across the company, process, or area.
The Kaizen BlitzThe philosophy is often used to describe a short term event, usually a few days to a couple weeks, that involves quick, rapid, energized improvements.Kaizen blitzes can be done in the office, on systems or software, and on the floor. While it is important not to measure people directly to numbers on continuous basis, each project should have benchmark measures and strive to improve each of them throughout the event. Before a Kaizen event is started the participants need an education of the basic Lean Manufacturing and root cause detection principles. There should be a lot hype built around an event and it should take place in the area affected with the people affected, not on a computer behind closed doors or with just a few from management. Prepare a daily schedule and be a good host. Provide adequate food, supplies, and other resources so the team is equipped. This will allow them to make rapid, simple, inexpensive, trials and improvements. Meet and report out on the day's results before adjourning. Keep everyone unified and driving aggresively toward a goal. Typical supplies for a Blitz include:
Having maintenance on stand-by is recommended depending on the event. They may be called upon to quickly fabricate, remove, or modify something for the team. They should be available to work overnight, while the team has adjourned and improvements have been identified for the next day's trials and review. The team may need IT on stand-by to quickly generate and mine data as it becomes necessary. Most of this should be done in advance. Management should dress down for the event and join in on the change, get involved and dirty. Working side by side will serve more dividends than just achieving a metric for the event. Part of a successful event includes raising morale, building relationships, and learning more about the every day activities in the workplace.
Focus on IMPLEMENTATIONIt does not require statistical approaches, complex graphs and charts, although they can be used to help quantify and find key process input variables. Keep it simple, clear, and refrain from being number bound and alienating the team members with unnecessary jargon and analysis.A Kaizen event won't fix everything at once, usually they are focused on a specific product, machine, area, or process and the blitz focuses each day on the same target. The goal is the make that area the best it can practically be and show what can be done. The challenge is to get it started and controlled and then expand the improvements across the rest of the machines, areas, or processes. Don't try to fix it all at once. The status quo and traditional paradigms must be challenged. Being creative and thinking out of the box are easily understood but require brainstorming and idea generation tactics to optimize the improvements. Improvements do not have to be expensive and perfect the first time, the team needs to apply the principles and sample, run trials, and determine the effect. Each improvement should be controlled and build on the previous. At the end of each day, the metrics are tallied and the team reports on their results. The next day target more improvements, generate new ideas, and implement. Always focus on implementation even if it is not perfect.
Does the work area TALK to you?Some of the most significant benefits are found in education and helping others recognize waste and non-value added steps. Find ways to make the work area (hospital, office, factory, store, assembly line) "speak" to you.Expose problems, make them visual, and discuss them. Anyone should be able to walk through an area after a Kaizen Blitz and have a good understanding of what is occurring, status, problems, and if they are winning or losing at that moment.
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