Kaizen

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Kaizen

• Cynthia Christie
• VP Products and Services Development
• Cynthia.christie_at_colorado.edu
• [phone]

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What is Kaizen?
Continuous
Continuous

• Change for the Better

Change for the Better
Continuous Improvement
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Symptoms of Kaizen

• Workers have a sense of purpose and optimism
  toward work and company.
• Workers feel valued and that they are
  contributing to making their work easier and the
  company better.
• There is always something changing.
• Experimentation is the norm.
• Communication is Visual and transparent.
• Responsibilities are crystal clear.

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Layers of Kaizen
Value-adder and Office worker
Value-adder and Office worker Daily Kaizen 5S,
Visual Order (Visual Workplace), Kaizen memos
or solutions 1-5 days to complete
Supervisors
Day-to-day work flow projects Supervisors
(response to hourly/daily process performance,
stand-up meetings, W/O problems) 1-8 weeks, Work
team members and other departments
Cross-functional teams
Kaizen Events Dedicated 2-5 day scope (max
30-day action list) Cross-functional teams
VS Manager, Middle Managers, Black Belts
Value Stream Plan projects, Black Belt projects,
Systems improvement projects 3-6 month scope VS
Manager, Middle Managers, Black Belts
Senior Leadership
Major Strategic Solutions, Cultural
Communications solutions, Goal-setting, Hoshin
Deployment, BHAGs Senior Leadership
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A Few Examples of Kaizen
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Shewhart Cycle Deming Wheel P-D-C-A

Grasp the Situation Contain the problem
"It's Just PDCA"
Walter Shewart, 1920
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How do Lean and Kaizen Relate?

• Kaizen is a key part of a Lean Philosophy

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How do Lean and Kaizen Relate?

• Lean Philosophy, Tools and Best Practices help
  make Kaizen happen

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How do Lean and Kaizen Relate?

• Lean philosophy and principles provide eyes for
  what needs to change.

8 Wastes of Lean Production
Office Wastes
Management Wastes
Knowledge Wastes
"5 Why's"
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How do Lean and Kaizen Relate?

• Basic underpinning of the Lean Philosophy is that
  an organization must leverage the knowledge and
  brain-power of every employee to help the company
  change for the better every day towards its
  goals.

Everyone, Every Minute, Every Day.
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Common Reasons for Lack of Worker Buy-in

• Weak or poorly articulated case for change
• Not bothering to respond to peoples legitimate
  questions
• Failure to set clear expectations at all levels
  of the organization
• Weak or inconsistent follow up on newly announced
  accountabilities and processes
• Failure to allow time to improve

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Change is easy!
Kaizen requires us to
Change
Changing is tough!!!
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• Beware the CAVE people!

(Citizens Against Virtually Everything)
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CAVE Speak
We tried that before Our place is different It
costs too much Thats not my job Theyre too busy
to do that We dont have the time Not enough
help Its too radical a change The staff will
never buy it Its against company policy The
union will scream Runs up our overhead We dont
have the authority Lets get back to
reality Thats not our problem
Were not ready for that It isnt in the
budget Good thought, but impractical Lets give
it more thought Well be the laughingstock Not
that again! Whered you dig that one up? We did
all right without it Its never been tried
before Lets form a committee I dont see the
connection It wont work in our plant/office It
cant be done Its too much trouble to change It
wont pay for itself
Top management wont buy it Wed lose money in
the long term Dont rock the boat Thats all we
can expect Has anyone else ever tried it? Quit
dreaming That wont work with our product and
processes Its too much work I dont like the
idea Youre right, but Youre 2 years ahead of
your time Its impossible I know a person who
tried it Weve always done it this way
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What if my boss is a Cave Person?

• Your company will not reach the state of
  everyone, every minute of everyday
• But
• You can get pockets of it within your sphere of
  control

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Everyone Needs a

• Mr. Ohno

Mr. Oh, No!
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Where can we start?

• QE Kaizen Exercise

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Two Primary Ways to Improvement
Breakthrough / Innovation Cycle and Kaizen
Innovate
Innovate
Improvement
Time
Adapted from Imai, Kaizen
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What usually happens
Could-a-Been
If worked to the new standards
Innovate
Improvement
Innovate
Backslide
Backslide
Actual
Backslide
Time
Adapted from Imai, Kaizen
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Kaizen Prevents Backsliding
New Way Actual
Kaizen Blitz Kaikaku RIP
Kaizen
Innovate
Kaizen
Innovate
Improvement
Kaizen
Old Way Actual
Standardize
Time
Adapted from Imai, Kaizen
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CynthiasPractical Keys to Kaizen Success

• Standardize your work easier and safer
• Solve Problems
• together
• Eliminate Waste
• Ask Why 5 times
• Make everything visual
• understanding at a glance
• Offer your ideas
• No ideas? Dont give up.
• Just help those who do.

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References

• Kaizen, Imai
• The Idea Generator (Quick and Easy Kaizen), Bodek
• The Idea Generator (Quick and Easy Kaizen)
  Workbook, Bodek
• Creating a Lean Culture, David Mann