Kaizen

Kaizen in a brief:

Kaizen is a tool to rapidly improve work as part of Plan - Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, incremental improvement with less financial invests. Goal must align with the business objectives.

Process flow included,

1. Customer needs
2. Design--- plan
3. Do
4. Feedback--- Check
5. Improve--- Act

Stages of Kaizen:

1. Planning and preparation
2. Event
3. Report out
4. Follow-up

1. Planning:

Basic steps:

a. Identify the business case:

· Reduce lead time

· Increase delivery performance

· Eliminate scrap

· Reduce inventories

· Increase capacity

· Eliminate bottlenecks

· Reduce changeover time

· Reduce machine failures

· Quality improvements

b. Set goals:

· Measurable

· Align with the company's strategic goals and identified by the plan A3 and Value Stream Map

· Stretch but realistic

· Should result in new process or new standard

· Documented on the an A3

· 1 improvement idea per team member, per observation

c. Select team:

· Team size should be based on the area being kaizened

· A trained Facilitator and a Team Leader for each Team

· Typically 4-6 people per machine or process

· Every team member should be chosen for a specific reason

d. Collect baseline data:

Baseline data is collected to document in the current condition and assist in setting the goals. This information may include the following:

· Space Constraints

· Inventory

· Productivity

· Cycle Time

· 5- S

· Customer satisfaction

· Lead time

· Scrap rate

· Takt Time

· Safety

· Current Standard work

e. Plan to support Kaizen activity

While the goal of Kaizen is to work around the Process, interruptions are inevitable as improvements are implemented. Success requires action prior to the Kaizen.