A good rule of thumb is to schedule kaizen events about four weeks ahead of time. This allows for a variety of planning tasks to be completed before the event. When you select the area or process for the event, it is important to consider the effect that the event will have on the company’s key shop floor metrics, as described in Chapter 2. To determine whether a particular area warrants priority status, you should analyze its productivity, quality, floor space use, number of workstations, inventory, and travel distance and compare these metrics to those of other processes.

Remember, improving these key shop floor metrics will have a positive effect on company performance, costs, and future growth. Some of my clients have simply opted to choose the product line that had the highest profit margin for their first kaizen event. If you consider profit margin a key business metric, then include it in your measurements. The metrics that I recommend have worked extremely well in the past, and they are quickly traceable after a kaizen event. Nevertheless, you should choose a target based on a metric that will have a profound impact on the financial strength and future growth of the organization.

Team member selection is probably the most critical aspect of planning kaizen events. These events are a great vehicle for changing the culture and encouraging people to become more engaged in the philosophy of lean manufacturing. As more kaizen events are scheduled and held, more employees become personally involved in the changes made to the floor, and the culture begins to change. Kaizen event participation should eventually become a requirement, and employee efforts can then be included in performance evaluations.

Successful kaizen events require participation by individuals who bring a much-needed level of expertise and experience; therefore, you should begin by creating a list of criteria for membership. Then, at least four weeks before the scheduled event, make a tentative list of possible team members so that managers can begin preparing for their absence, can verify that vacation requests do not conflict with event timing, and can apply various other employee-related specifics. Then finalize the list two weeks before the event, ensuring that any personal or family restrictions are accommodated, especially if the event will take place outside a regular shift.

Following is a list of potential team members. It is important to have a good collection of disciplines and titles on a kaizen team.

Strong leadership is the key to any lean manufacturing program. The kaizen champion is typically the team leader for a company’s initial kaizen events. But eventually, each kaizen event should be led by a different individual.

A kaizen team leader should have certain skills and attributes to ensure that he can properly lead people and projects. Each team leader must have an understanding of factory floor lean manufacturing concepts such as waste reduction, 5S, standard work, visual management, and single piece flow. When you assign a team leader, your kaizen champion should always be your first choice, because he has the required background, knowledge, and training. Then, in conjunction with your kaizen champion, you should establish the qualification criteria for additional leaders.

In the past, I have recommended the following characteristics in a team leader:

These are basic guidelines, of course, and every organization should establish the specific standards that qualify an employee to be a kaizen team leader. Your kaizen champion will be an integral part of the training and mentoring of all future kaizen team leaders. To promote culture change, I recommend the rotation of kaizen team leaders, allowing new leaders to sign up for the responsibility and become part of the continuous improvement projects.

I have participated in more than 150 kaizen events as the on-site consultant, a team leader, or a team member, and each one of the events was a unique experience. Traditionally, kaizen events last five days, with the final day reserved for report presentation and a tour of the area. However, the five-day plan does not apply to all kaizen events; some events last only two or three days, and others last two to four weeks. The length of the event depends on the complexity of the line or area and the number of people involved.

Kaizen events can be conducted at any time, including weekends. However, I recommend that the kaizen team not work a 16-hour day, which is a common proposal by many kaizen trainers. Neither am I in favor of having the team work on a third shift, because it can be very unsafe. If the five-day approach is used, the team can work during the first or second shift or over a weekend. Working during the first or second shift allows teams to make changes in real time, while line operators are actually building product. This practice can be a bit difficult, but if good planning and execution take place, it is definitely possible. For companies that operate only one shift, it can be effective to schedule the kaizen event during the second shift, when the line is vacant and tasks can be easily accomplished. Another option is to begin the event on a Wednesday and then work over the following weekend or begin the event on the weekend and work three days into the week. The weekend approach allows more flexibility because the plant is not in operation. The choice is a management decision based on operational conditions.

Planning for each kaizen event should begin four weeks in advance. The length of each event will vary, and you will get better at scheduling events as you gain experience. The key is to set start and end dates and then make every attempt to stay within the confines of that schedule. Kaizen team leaders must decide when to deviate from the schedule, but for optimum planning, always dedicate resources and energy to meeting the time frames.

During the early planning phase of any project, generating goals can be difficult. Forecasting, in any form, can be lucky or lousy. It is important that each kaizen team be faced with some moderate challenges, and these events are being conducted to improve your business, so don’t be afraid to set high goals. It is best practice to refer to the established shop floor metrics, as discussed in Chapter 2, as a guide for improvement.

Be sure to establish realistic goals, because setting unattainable goals will serve only to destroy the effort. An attainable goal might be improving productivity 20 percent by reducing waste in a line or a process. But there is no real guide for establishing your team goals. Set goals that you feel are realistic and attainable, and make sure that you plan adequately to ensure success.

Traditional kaizen training typically teaches people to perform every single task, from the beginning until the end, during the kaizen event without any planning. Although this practice makes the event action packed, experience has demonstrated that trying to accomplish too much can have a destructive result, often placing kaizen teams in unresolvable situations. To avoid these potential pitfalls, I recommend that you undertake a variety of planning activities four weeks before a kaizen event. During planning, you select the target area as well as the team leader and a tentative list of members. In this way, you can also begin planning specific projects.

Planning involves a variety of items and activities. The team may need to reserve contractors, order supplies and equipment, buy or rent specialized tools and machinery, and conduct waste analysis and time and motion studies. The number and type of planning activities will vary depending on the type of event and the specific goals established for it. Solid planning ensures that the kaizen teams are positioned successfully.

The final item for consideration when you plan kaizen events is to estimate and allocate the money needed to fund the anticipated improvements. Often, no money is actually spent on an event. However, it is important that a budget be established and funds set aside for the kaizen program. These funds will be used, if necessary, for factory improvements, and should be available to the kaizen team leader.

The kaizen champion is the head of the kaizen steering committee. The remaining members are middle or upper managers, but when they meet as a steering committee, the kaizen champion takes the leadership role. Project budgets and schedules are developed by the kaizen champion, and this information is then discussed during the kaizen meeting. The kaizen champion watches or leads all kaizen events, and he is responsible for ensuring that the lean program is being communicated effectively to the factory. The kaizen champion will probably lead many of the initial events while future team leaders are being developed, so the champion knows about all the kaizen activities taking place.

Probably the most obvious seat is that of the general manager. Sometimes referred to as the plant manager, this individual is on the committee because it is her plant. The general manager makes most major plant decisions; therefore, she has influence over what takes place within the lean program. I think it is important to allow the kaizen champion to have the most influential power in this committee, because the other members are there to provide guidance. However, the general manager needs to be aware of how each kaizen event will affect the key shop floor metrics and what the possible financial impact may be, because she has final authority to approve the budgets for the events.

Engineering must be represented on the kaizen steering committee. The engineering manager has responsibility for most of the manufacturing engineering support staff, including the kaizen champion. The task of the engineering manager is to ensure that the other managers allow the kaizen champion to run the meeting and that focus remains on the lean program. Quality engineers and technicians, industrial engineers, and process engineers typically report to the engineering manager. Therefore, his presence is critical.

Significant changes may be made to line layout, work content, quality checks, testing, and inspection. These activities are considered part of engineering, so the engineering manager needs to ensure that the right people in the department are on the kaizen team.

The manufacturing manager plays an important role on this committee. Sometimes called the operations manager or production manager, this person must ensure that adequate floor personnel, including operators, are present on each kaizen team. Also, the manufacturing manager must be able to run the day-to-day operations while kaizen events are being conducted. This can be a difficult time, so the manufacturing manager needs to know which improvement efforts are taking place. In addition, the people working under the manufacturing manager, such as supervisors, line leads, and line technicians, will be asked to participate in the events. Any cultural change issues or resistance must be resolved through the manufacturing management department.

When I am conducting my kaizen program training, I get a lot of funny looks when I mention that the human resource manager should be on this committee. Participation on the kaizen teams requires 100 percent dedication, and this is why those chosen will have their usual work given to someone of greater or equal talent. Work can be temporarily given to other people within a department, and the HR department is aware of scheduled vacations, medical leave, short-term disability, and other training that may be occurring. As committee members create the tentative list of team members, the human resource manager can verify that the named personnel do not have any work restrictions or are not scheduled to be away from the factory. Additionally, the kaizen team may be working during off hours, and the HR manager should help make the appropriate safety and security preparations.

As you make changes to the factory, a variety of items will need to be purchased for implementation. Also, the purchasing manager may have responsibility for the materials department, and her employees can contribute to the kaizen teams with regard to materials presentation, parts quantities, and supplier or receiving issues. During the implementation of 5S and visual management, the kaizen team will need floor tape, labels, tape measures, box cutters, signage, and so on to make their areas 5S compliant. The purchasing department will need to order these items.

As time goes on and your organization becomes more aggressive in its inventory reduction efforts, the purchasing department will become a larger player on the lean journey. New material replenishment systems may be developed, suppliers may change, vendor-supplied material may be implemented, and so on. Purchasing must be heavily involved.

A kaizen team leader’s most trusted and needed ally is the head of the maintenance or facilities department. Kaizen teams will be relocating workstations, workbenches, computers, equipment, tools, and many other items and machines that need to be fully operational after they are moved. During this transitional stage of a kaizen event, teams must leave the line or area in workable condition for the production run to take place on the next shift, regardless of the location of the line items. All the kaizen committee members should be aware of, and in agreement with, the confusion that may exist as lines are temporarily in flux. Regardless of the event activities, the line operators need to be able to perform their tasks.

The maintenance manager also must provide resources for the kaizen teams for the purpose of connecting wires and pipes, performing network drops, and other activities, as well as ensuring correct and safe functionality. Forklifts will be needed to move large items; therefore, I recommend that all kaizen team leaders become certified to drive forklifts as the kaizen program progresses.

The kaizen steering committee needs a visual aid to gauge the success of the program, and it is wise to develop a tracking system for following the kaizen events and helping the teams meet their objectives. A kaizen event tracking worksheet is an effective tool for this purpose. It is good practice to allow all employees to view the tracking sheet so that they can follow the progress of the kaizen events and see how they are positively affecting the company. Thus, it’s a good idea to implement this tracking worksheet in the form of a spreadsheet that is accessible through the company intranet.

The worksheet is divided into two sections: pre-event items and post-event items.

To ensure that kaizen events are successful and beneficial to the company, you must make sure that certain tasks are completed; conducting kaizen events haphazardly will not generate positive results. Following are simple guidelines related to timing.

Earlier I suggested that this tracking sheet be used to monitor kaizen events. Although this tool is typically used by the kaizen steering committee and the kaizen champion, I recommend that it be accessible to all employees. You can post it via the company intranet or in break rooms. The kaizen champion is responsible for keeping accurate information on the tracking sheet and updating it before every kaizen steering committee meeting. Figure 3.3 shows a typical kaizen event tracking sheet. Notice the categories to be completed during pre-event and post-event activities.

In Figure 3.3, the 520 engine line event is complete. All the rows are filled in, and the action items created after the events are nearing completion. As you can see, there were a few planning items that were done before the start of the event. The purchasing manager was assigned to order new wire racks, possibly for storing material and parts in the new workstations. Time studies were performed to identify waste in the process and improve the efficiency of the line design. This task was assigned to the kaizen champion, as it should be. The facilities manager had to call a local equipment supply company to reserve a scissor lift, possibly because the factory did not possess one and the team would need it for moving wires and cables connected to the ceiling. Finally, to ensure that all participants were available for the event, the human resource manager was given the task of verifying vacation schedules.

The kaizen steering committee identified the key shop floor metrics that were in need of improvement on the 520 engine line. Each metric in the anticipated results column was assigned a target. An initial budget of $1,000 was developed, to be used by the team during the event for needed items or projects. After the event was completed, post-event information was added, including actual results, event spending, and the action item assignments. The lower portion of the kaizen event tracking sheet in Figure 3.3 is an example of the pre-event information needed to schedule a kaizen event for the 710 work cell.

Another effective way to communicate kaizen event information is through a monthly kaizen newsletter. This newsletter is a fun method of keeping employees informed of the improvements made. This newsletter should include the following information:

The newsletter can be distributed with employee paychecks, placed in break rooms and at the front entrance, or mailed to the employees’ homes. Be creative in the development of the newsletter, and encourage team members and leaders to write articles. The newsletter is an effective and fun approach for promoting culture change and encouraging everyone’s involvement in the kaizen program.

When placed in the right location, dry erase boards or chalkboards are equally effective in displaying kaizen event information. Break rooms are ideal locations for the boards, because the operators and other floor personnel will see them whenever they take breaks and eat lunch. Employee entrances, including back or side doors to the factory floor, also are good locations. Communication boards can also be placed in meeting and conference rooms so that office employees, engineers, and managers can view them. Most of the information published in the newsletter also should be posted on the communication boards. Make certain that these boards are used only for kaizen event information.

Line operators are often left out of the design and planning phase of kaizen events. I have discussed the importance of including operators on kaizen teams, and they should be involved in deciding which area is scheduled for a kaizen event.

Operators are usually confined to their workstations or areas on the production floor and typically get little or no contact with management or engineers. Any contact that occurs is usually initiated by the support staff in the work area. So how can you get operators and other floor employees involved in the decision-making process and get their input for continuous improvement? I recommend the use of an employee suggestion box, which allows operators to give input on future improvements.

Much like a ballot box, the employee suggestion box is used to collect ideas from line workers about future kaizen events. The box should be placed near the communication boards or in operator break rooms. A simple suggestion form like the one in Figure 3.4 should be placed near the box.

The kaizen champion should remove the suggestions every week, presenting them to management at the next scheduled kaizen meeting. Every suggestion should be reviewed and considered for future kaizen events. Keep in mind that some employees will use the event suggestion system to complain about issues outside the kaizen program. Make it clear to employees that the box is for kaizen event ideas only. They should also have the option not to reveal their names, but remember that you are trying to get them involved beyond the suggestion phase. If the idea is selected, you want the individual who conceived the idea to implement it as well.

To ensure that kaizen event action items do not go unfinished, team members with incomplete action items must attend the first part of the meeting. With the kaizen event tracking sheet displayed, the kaizen steering committee and the team members can discuss the progress of their projects. The committee’s role is to clear any obstacles or resolve issues that hinder completion of an item. This part of the meeting is not an opportunity for finger-pointing but rather a chance to see whether there are legitimate reasons the action items are not complete. Of course, the team members can simply provide the status of their tasks if the deadline for completion has not yet arrived.

The second part of the kaizen meeting is to review the line’s progress. The kaizen team leader for each event being discussed should be invited to participate. Team members who were invited only for part 1 can now return to work.

In this portion of the meeting, the following questions are addressed: Are the operators up to speed? What kind of output are they producing? How is productivity? Was the estimated floor space reduction truly accomplished? Now is the time to be candid and to learn everything about the prior event. Each kaizen event will present a different learning curve after implementation, when operators, supervisors, and support staff must adjust to new standards, procedures, and, more than likely, a physical process that is different from what they have been used to.

Lessons learned also can be discussed. The team leader should be given the opportunity to provide input on the positive and negative aspects of the event and discuss them with the committee. These aspects could include team participation, the accuracy of the data collected, the specific time of day that the event was held, the kaizen steering committee’s planning activities, and so on. It is essential for everyone to be honest so that you can conduct better and more successful events in the future.

As the third part of the meeting begins, the previous team leaders can return to work and the kaizen committee can begin to plan future events. Remember to follow the kaizen event planning rules with regard to scheduling the event, selecting the team leader and members, and assigning the required planning projects to the committee members.

Your company’s kaizen program is essentially a continuous improvement infrastructure that acts as a catalyst for your lean program. Each element is critical to the program’s long-term success; therefore, all new employees should be made aware of the program immediately. New managers can be informed of the program during the interview process and can be made aware that they could be selected to be on the kaizen steering committee.

There will be some initial resistance to this program, because it may be perceived as another “flavor of the month.” In the beginning, it may be difficult to schedule and conduct monthly kaizen events. Many companies have other important projects running in parallel, so it may be best to schedule kaizen events every other month rather than monthly. Still, companies for which I have been a consultant and trainer have reached a point where they can successfully sustain two or three kaizen events each month. Of course, sustaining multiple events simultaneously requires multiple kaizen teams and many kaizen team leaders. Running more than one event at a time is a challenge, but, with time, as the kaizen program is strengthened and processes become streamlined, chaos is significantly reduced.

The most effective first step is to bring together the key managers who potentially constitute the kaizen steering committee. Depending on your organization, invite the plant manager, engineering manager, operations manager, purchasing manager, human resource manager, and facilities manager. Discuss the development of a kaizen program, and outline its importance to the company’s lean manufacturing initiatives. Explain that a structured company kaizen program, with ongoing kaizen events, is vital to a successful lean journey. Outline the kaizen steering committee, and describe how each manager in the committee is responsible for allocating the necessary resources (time and personnel) to each kaizen event. Attempt to finalize the committee membership and schedule the first kaizen event.

Because the kaizen champion has not yet been appointed, the plant manager or engineering manager should lead the first meeting. Selection of the kaizen champion is the first order of business. Begin by describing the role of the kaizen champion and explaining that this individual will be dedicated 100 percent to lean manufacturing initiatives and will not be required to perform other work. Indicate that the kaizen champion should be a solid performer and that this work should not be taken lightly.

Depending on current available resources, is there someone in the company who can perform this role? The kaizen committee needs to review the candidate’s current job and decide how her current responsibilities will be delegated. If you will hire someone from outside the company, discuss the job description.

Next on the agenda for the newly created committee is the discussion of future kaizen events. The first kaizen event does not necessarily need to be scheduled, but the committee needs to review the program rules with regard to scheduling, planning, and team selection. Assign the various kaizen projects to the committee members, such as building the suggestion box, developing the communication system, and creating the kaizen event tracking sheet. Once these items have been assigned, schedule the second meeting, which will be used to begin planning and scheduling kaizen events.

The kaizen event tracking sheet is usually designed and maintained by the person who will eventually be the kaizen champion. I have provided a sample kaizen event tracking sheet that I have used many times (shown earlier in Figure 3.3). If necessary, modify it to your own program. This tracking sheet will be used for all kaizen event activities, so I suggest that it be ready before your second kaizen meeting.

5S events do not require as much up-front planning and data collection as, for example, preparing for a new line layout. The purchasing manager on the kaizen steering committee should order supplies:

This list can be much longer. This one is designed as a starting point for your first 5S kaizen event.

A variety of tasks takes place each day during a kaizen event. Here is a recommended guideline.