Kaizen
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Outline
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What is Kaizen?
History
How to Kaizen
The Kaizen Blitz
Roadblocks
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What is Kaizen?
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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
Japanese words “kai-” which means “change” and “-zen” which
means “good.” The popular meaning from Toyota is “continuous
improvement” or “small incremental improvements” of all areas
of a company, not just manufacturing.
Kaizen means all personnel are expected to stop their work
when they encounter any abnormality and, along with their
supervisor, suggest an improvement to resolve the
abnormality.
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History
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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.
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How to Kaizen
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Identify the customer
Deming Cycle
Plan – identify what to change and how to do it
Current state
Future state
Implementation plan
Do – execute the improvement
Check – ensure the improvement works
Act – future and ongoing improvements
Repeat
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KAIZEN PROCESS
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Deming Cycle
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Identify the 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 is necessary waste
(“NVA-R”)
Regulatory
Legal
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Types of Waste
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Overproduction
Excess inventory
Defects
Non-value added processing
Waiting
Underutilized people
Excess motion
Transportation
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Identify the Current State
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Crucial first step in process improvement
Deep understanding of the existing processes and
dependencies
Identify all the activities currently involved in
developing a new product
Observe the process first hand
Identify Value Added (VA), Non-Value Added
Required (NVA-R), and Non-Value Added (NVA)
Generally creates more questions than answers
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Identify the Current State
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Identify VA, NVA-R, and NVA
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Tools
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•Flow Charts
•Cause and Effect Diagrams
•Check Sheets
•Histograms
•Pareto Charts
•Scatter Diagram
•Control Charts
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Cause and Effect Diagram (CED)
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• Ishikawa or Fishbone diagram
• Relates causes to effects
• Benefits?
• Disadvantages?
• How
• Start with effect and work back to possible causes
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Brainstorm and Analyze
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Kaizen team brainstorming to develop new process
Post improvement ideas on map or by category
Workflow
Technology
People / Organization
Procedures
Develop detailed future state map
New workflow
Value Add and Non-Value Add
Cycle times
Identify Kaizen “bursts” (immediate radical change)
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Develop the Future State
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Implementation Plan
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Think global / systems optimization
Maximum impact to process
Speed of implementation – create small victories
Cost-benefit analysis
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Implementation Plan
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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?
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Execute
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Develop a concise, achievable milestone plan
Communicate the plan to everyone
Suppliers
Team members
Customers
Track activities in public
Celebrate small victories and publicly analyze
failures
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Check and Sustain
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Meet regularly (weekly?) to review status of open
implementation items
Re-evaluate Future State regularly (quarterly?) for
additional improvement
Track results on a public Kaizen Board
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Typical Results
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40 – 60% reduction of lean time
10 – 15% productivity improvement
10 – 20% reduction in rework
Improved communication between functions and
departments
Clearly defined customer needs throughout the value
stream
Improved customer satisfaction
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Kaizen Blitz
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Total focus on a defined process to create radical
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 five days (one week) long
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Kaizen Blitz - Agenda
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Day 1: Setting the scene
Meet the team, training
Day 2: Observe the current process
Flowchart, identify waste, identify root causes
Day 3: Develop the future state process
Brainstorm and flowchart (typically the longest day!)
Day 4: Implement the new process
Plan, communicate, implement, modify
Day 5: Report and analyze
Performance vs expectations
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Kaizen Rules
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Be open to change
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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Roadblocks
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Too busy to study it
A good idea but the timing is premature
Not in the budget
Theory is different from practice
Isn’t there something else for you to do?
Doesn’t match corporate policy
Not our business – let someone else analyze it
It’s not improvement – it’s common sense
I know the result even if we don’t do it
Fear of accountability
Isn’t there an even better way?
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