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| Planning and Conducting Kaizen EventsJune 1, 2004 Kaizen events are powerful. They enable rapid improvements over a very short period of time. However, the biggest problem that I have seen with kaizen is the seemingly random selection of particular areas or processes. The goal of any kaizen event should be to improve the overall system. An organization that wants to implement lean manufacturing should first use Value Stream Mapping (VSM) as its tool for identifying and prioritizing kaizen opportunities. The only possible exception to this rule is the use of kaizen events to implement 5S. All lean manufacturers should have 5S in place company-wide (though value stream mapping might still aid an organization in selecting the starting point for 5S). Assuming you’ve mapped your value streams and are ready to start process-level kaizen activities, what do you do next? This article will discuss 5 steps to planning and performing kaizen events. You
may have identified several high-priority kaizen opportunities through Value
Stream Mapping. Some additional
selection ideas you might use for a first kaizen event include the following:
Step 2: Selecting Team Members A good size kaizen team ranges from 6 to about 12 members. Team members for a kaizen event should include the following:
The person you select as the event leader must have experience and should not be from the particular area selected. We recommend that the first few kaizen events be professionally conducted; select a consultant that has experience conducting such events. Also, select a consultant that states his intention to help your organization become self-sufficient at conducting kaizen events. Specific supplies will depend on the area in which your kaizen event is being done. In production areas, you will likely need hand tools, tape, cardboard, tape measures, stopwatch, connectors to link up utilities, carts, safety equipment, cleaning supplies, and forklifts. If it is a non-production area such as a design-for-manufacturability or information flow improvement event, you will not need much of the equipment mentioned above. Regardless of the area you have selected, you will need flip charts, markers, dry erase board, and a conference room. You
will also need to gather as much baseline information about the area as
possible: customer requirements, layouts or drawings, flow charts, procedures,
etc. If you’ve done your value
stream mapping up-front, much of this should be at your fingertips. Have all of this available for the team on the first day of
the event. Step 4: Game Day – Performing the Event Itself For
a five-day Kaizen event, the event proceeds as follows:
Step 5: Follow Up There must be a follow up to the action plan developed during the event. Sometimes, the consultant will do this as part of the project. Regular meetings should be held until action items have been completed. The remaining action items should be visibly posted in the area until they have been completed. Click here to subscribe to our free e-newsletter Learning to Lean and receive three articles like this one each month. About the Author Darren Dolcemascolo is an internationally recognized lecturer, author, and consultant. As Sr. Partner and co-founder of EMS Consulting Group, he specializes in productivity and quality improvement through lean manufacturing. Mr. Dolcemascolo has written the book Improving the Extended Value Stream: Lean for the Entire Supply Chain, published by Productivity Press in 2006. He has also been published in several manufacturing publications and has spoken at such venues as the Lean Management Solutions Conference, Outsourcing World Summit, Biophex, APICS, and ASQ. He has a BS in Industrial Engineering from Columbia University and an MBA with Graduate Honors from San Diego State University. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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