Kaizen

Lean Nation,

One of the questions I frequently get is why should we run a kaizen event? The reasons why we cannot run a kaizen event are many:
1) We cannot afford to free up the staff time.
2) We can't afford to stop our operation while we improve.
3) The three, four, or five days it takes to complete the improvement cycle are full of wasted time.
4)Wouldn't a project be easier to run?
5) We can't afford to free up the support resources to make rapid change.
6) We need to take more time to plan and implement change.
7) We can't afford replacement staff to cover the kaizen team's absence.

Quite frankly, these are not reasons, they are excuses. I can provide a long list of organizations large and small, union and non-union, 24 X 7 and single shift operations, and finally public and private firms that use the power of kaizen to get better.

The benefits of a kaizen event include the following:
1) teams go through the cycle of forming, storming, norming, and performing in rapid cycle.
2) Time for results are dramatically decreased.
3) A kaizen event actually decreases the resource dollars for improvement. While the cost is compressed over a tighter time frame, you will spend less dollars on a kaizen team than a project team.
4) The kaizen event appeals to all styles of learning.
5) The kaizen event is designed to change the culture of your organization.
6) Learning and transfer of knowledge are embedded in the process.
7) Change management is part of the kaizen experience.

A well designed kaizen event will have the right team, focused on the right targets,using the right tools and techniques. The lean principles of flow, pull defect free, and visual management are used to eliminate waste and deliver double digit improvement within the week!

Kaizen is best done in the context of a value stream.

As one of my peers, Mike de Graauw always says, "I've never seen an organization transform that didn't use kaizen."

So put your teams together and start improving.

Lean Blessings,

Ron

Ron Bercaw
www.breakthroughhorizons.com