Kaizen process

1. Kaizen Process
Kaizen events are among the most important activities of a Lean enterprise. Successful Kaizens help build
a Lean culture and measurably improve company performance. Kaizen success requires effective Planning,
Implementation, Follow-up and Evaluation. IMEC’s expert Lean implementers will work with your company
at each phase of the Kaizen process, helping plan and prepare for events, facilitating Kaizen events, working
with your team to ensure effective follow-up and completion of the improvement process, and evaluating the
results to continuously improve your Kaizen process.
Plan
The Kaizen Planning phase, within the 6 Sigma DMAIC framework, seeks to Define, Measure, and Analyze
the process that will be the Kaizen focus. There are three levels of Kaizen planning:
• High-Level Planning links the Enterprise Lean Deployment Strategy to the specific processes that
need to be improved and the timeline for improvement.
• Mid-Level Planning uses Value Stream Mapping to select specific areas of improvement that will be
addressed through Kaizen events versus 6 sigma projects and “just-do-it” activities.
• Event-Level Planning uses checklists and standard documents to ensure that everything is in place
so each Kaizen event is conducted successfully. Event planning includes:
-
Kaizen team member selection
Kaizen charter approval
Location preparation (including equipment, materials, etc.)
Data needs identification and preparation
Implement
Kaizen event implementation , within the DMAIC framework, is primarily focused on actual Improvement,
although some additional Measurement and Analysis may be required. Kaizen Implementation requires a
company to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Train members of the Kaizen team on the Lean principles that they will be applying
Review the VSM and perform additional measurements and analyses, if needed
Facilitate an ideation/brainstorming process to identify improvement options
Implement improvements by “breaking apart” the process and putting it back together without the
waste
Prepare an action plan with a list of activities required to complete the Kaizen process
Verify the alignment of the selected improvements with the future state VSM
Identify expected measurable improvements
Obtain participant feedback
Report Kaizen event results to champions and celebrate success
Follow-up
This phase of the Kaizen process involves the completion of the Improvement and Control DMAIC elements.
The success of the Kaizen depends on timely completion of the Improvement process and effective change
management. This process involves...
- OVER -

2. •
•
•
•
Following-up to ensure that action items are successfully completed
Working with the Lean champion to break down obstacles
Measuring the actual results of the Kaizen to document and quantify benefits
Establishing process control to ensure the ability to consistently obtained improved performance
Evaluate
This is the last phase of the Kaizen process cycle. A Lean enterprise is a learning organization that
recognizes Kaizen as a continuous process of improvement through:
• Identifying improvements to the Kaizen implementation process
• Encouraging employees to identify further improvement opportunities
• Establishing a schedule to re-evaluate the VSM and start a new Kaizen improvement cycle
For more information: 888-806-4632
|
info@imec.org