Kaizen Principles

© 2009, Marypat Cooper

KAIZEN (pronounced "ka-eye zen")  is an event, a practice and an ethic of continuous improvement that enables people to achieve worthwhile change while decreasing chaos and confusion.  A Japanese combination of “Kai” for explosively rapid change and “zen” for an actual, honest, better condition now; Kaizen teams made up of 7-10 people accomplish radical gains within a very short time to increase safety, quality, productivity, and capacity by following a well-defined format of observation, “try-storming” and implementation of Standard Work supported by visual controls. 

STANDARD WORK is the precise choreography of people, equipment, materials and information to attain delightful success of the organization in the least-waste way. It is the goal of every kaizen to install improved Standard Work.

PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESSFUL KAIZEN

•COMMITMENT AT INCEPTION

–Include All Key Stakeholders from Beginning

–Recognize the Need for Change

–Commit to 6 Weeks of Full Support:

            2 to Prepare, 1 to Kaizen, 3 to Follow up

•SHORT LIST OF TECHNICAL PRINCIPLES

–        Maintain Process Focus

–        Discern Between Work and Waste

–        Identify the Customer Requirements in Terms of Time

–        Promote Pull Systems to Trigger Work Flow

–        Install a Value Delivery System in the Least Waste Way

–        To Install Improvements that can be Tracked from the Work Area to Financials

TAKT TIME is the rate of demand from the customer of our product or service.

WORK can be described as a PROCESS: Input –> Activity –> Output.    Output is “downstream” and input is from “upstream.”  

VALUE ADDING work is made up of those seconds of activity that create customer satisfaction.  Whatever else occurs, necessary or not, is waste.

PULL SYSTEMS pull work from downstream and are more likely to match the rate of customer demand to work flow rates in the least waste way.

Any value adding work can be made more visible and linked to the overall goals of the organization.

•SHORT LIST OF ESSENTIAL SOCIAL PRACTICES

–Show Mutual Respect at All Times

            Check at the door:

                        Titles

                        Blackberries

                        Hidden Agendas

–Kaizen is  S I D  O T I S:

            SAFETY OF CUSTOMERS, PATIENTS, STAFF, TEAM MEMBERS AND ENVIRONMENT COMES FIRST

            IMPACT KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES

            DEPLOY A TEAM

            OBSERVE PROCESS DIRECTLY

            TRYSTORM AND COMPARE IDEAS FOR BEST WAY

            IMPLEMENT IDEAS INTO REALITY

            STANDARD WORK IS BASIS OF TRUE IMPROVEMENT

– 3 Performance Metrics Drive Towards True Improvement: Productivity, Delivery and Quality

–Plan, Do, Check and Act in Least Waste Way is a continuous feedback loop towards improvement.

WE ARE LEARNING AS WE KAIZEN TO:

Sustain Momentum of Current Activities Underway

Proceed Gracefully, Without Major Disruption to Base Business

Work Through People Issues; Adopting Rapid Change Is Not Easy

Demonstrate Intolerance of Process Mediocrity

Collaborate Effectively

Break Down Barriers Between Departments

Rely on Data over Opinion

Use Our Value Streams to Select Topics for Improvement

Stay Focused through Our Strategy Deployment Grids:

–Confirm Tactics

–Critique Actions for Adding Value

–Facilitate Catch-Ball Sessions

Build on Past Success

Resist  Complacency

Become More Effective Decision-makers

Win Time Based Competition

Be Intolerant of Process Mediocrity