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Kaizen Event Summary

Kaizen is a Japanese word that means Continuous Improvement. During a kaizen event, a Kaizen Team is assigned to make improvements to a defined process. Management creates a Mandate that establishes the time, place, team members, and scope of the event. The Kaizen Team is: Cross-functional, with members from different areas of the organization. Assigned full time for the duration of the event. Empowered to make decisions and implement changes. Encouraged to think outside of the box and create fundamental change. Limited in scope as described in the mandate. In general, during an event the Team follows this pattern: Review mandate and kaizen process. Receive training on applicable process improvement, team building, and problem solving techniques. Analyze the existing process. Determine areas of opportunity within the existing process. Brainstorm clean sheet alternatives, solutions, and improvements. Select changes that will have the greatest positive impact / payback. Implement the selected changes. Document any open action items and assign resources (the goal is to implement as many things as possible during the events and minimize the open items). At the end of each day, the team presents to Management what was accomplished during that day and what is left to be done. Management provides support, feedback, and any help the team needs to achieve its mandate.

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Kaizen Advantages
The advantages of kaizen events over traditional improvement methods: Gets people from all levels and areas of the organization involved. Allows team members to focus on one thing for a relatively long period of time. Decisions are made quickly and in a consensus fashion. Something gets done. Solutions are implemented quickly. Teams create more and better solutions than individuals working separately. Team members develop new skills, relationships, and a broader understanding of our organization and processes.

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Keys to a Successful Kaizen Event
Case for change is clear and understandable. Philosophy & approach are strongly backed by management. Constant communication with employees not on the team who work in area. Employees in area help implement changes. Team members are empowered to make changes within boundaries established. Team members are enthusiastic, open to change, good communicators, and willing to take chances.

Principles taught are rigorously applied. A "lets go too far then back off later if necessary" philosophy is utilized. Just do it!

Team members do not allow themselves to be pulled away for other activities, 500 mile rule applied. Post event action items are completed in a timely manner.

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Kaizen Daily Report Out / Managements Role
At the end of each day during an event, the team presents to Management what they did that day, the ideas and changes they came up with, what has been implemented, and what is left to be done. This is an important part of the event for the team because they: Have to present their ideas to the organization. Doing this increases the teams ownership of the ideas and the sense that they are responsible to make them work. See that their ideas are taken seriously by management and that they will be empowered to make changes. Can get direction on things they are unsure of. Can get help with resources and removing obstacles. Managements role here is to: Support the team. Ask questions regarding things the team may have overlooked or missed. Make sure the team is accomplishing the mandate and staying within the defined boundaries. Provide feedback and direction where needed. If you attend a report out, please: Be on-time. Provide encouragement to the team. Keep the atmosphere positive. Congratulate them on the work that was done. Volunteer to provide help to them wherever you see that you can. Do not say that they cannot do something or that something is a bad idea. Instead, ask questions such as Did you consider, What will be the impact on, Did you look at this alternate. If you are still uncomfortable with something when the presentation is done, see the facilitator, who will address the issue with the team. Note - This process starts very general and we do a lot of clean sheet brainstorming. Because we write all ideas down, some of what gets presented early in the event may seem crazy and not well thought out. As we progress, we hone in on the ideas that will work today and can be implemented quickly.

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Pre Kaizen Event Check List

1. Facilitator assigned. 2. Charter / mandate written. 3. Team members selected. 4. Schedule set (# of days, start time, daily report times). 5. Meeting room selected. 6. All available data, procedures & standards collected. 7. Email charter and schedule of events to all interested and affected parties. 8. A budget account number to charge items to is established. 9. Key event presentation attendees recruited. 10. One week before the event, a meeting is held with the full team and all other interested parties. Schedule and approach are reviewed. A list of materials that team members need to bring with them is provided. Whoever chairs this meeting needs to emphasize that the team is empowered, its actions are a high priority, the organization will respond to the teams needs, and that the team needs to follow the direction of the facilitator. 11. Presentation audience informed of schedule & provided orientation if not exposed to process yet. 12. 13. External resources lined up (maintenance, purchasing, etc). Supplies placed in meeting room: Easel & easel paper (3M stick preferred). Dry erase board & markers (printable board preferred). Permanent markers (several colors). Overhead projector & screen or blank wall. Masking tape. Blank copy paper. Post-it notes. 14. Copier, phone, and computer access lined up.