Our clients often ask that they need to do "something" to raise awareness about the importance of Continuous Improvement. Others ask that we help them maintain their people's enthusiasm for programs that are lagging in results.
Depending on the case, sometimes our response is to suggest a Short Kaizen Event. Why short? Because unlike the traditional Kaizen Event implemented in Lean Manufacturing contexts, which requires a week of work, the Kaizen Event we propose has the advantage of being able to be implemented successfully in two days, plus a short diagnostic visit, and leave the group with enough energy and motivation to begin a Continuous Improvement process or, as the case may be, continue to deepen an existing one.
What is a Kaizen Event?
It is a set of actions carried out by inter-area work teams whose objective is to improve the results of processes, equipment, systems, and plant environment.
It's a "targeted intervention" because a specific area is chosen. A sector is defined where the exercise will be carried out, and an effort is made to improve it. For the duration of the event, all energy is focused on that area, trying to make it as good as possible.
It is a cross-sector effort because collaborators from other sectors are invited to, together with those who work daily in the chosen area, critically examine the site in search of opportunities for improvement.
The event increases effectiveness, and although it does not replace systematic continuous improvements, it produces a unique energy in work teams that, if it is well used by the management team, serves to give strength to other improvement processes.
The objective of a Kaizen Event is to carry out rapid changes based on teamwork and the use of the skills and knowledge of the people involved.
The key to success, as always, is participation. We know that without participation there is no commitment, and in this case, participation is so important, which is perhaps why it is such a motivating exercise. People discover that they are the protagonists, and by facilitating their active participation, a concrete attitude of commitment to continuous improvement is generated, which is the main objective.
The methodology seeks to bring to light the experience and knowledge of the team that will work during the Kaizen Event since, Who better than them knows what can and should be improved in each of the areas?
From a conceptual perspective, we use the principles of Lean Manufacturing, as well as TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) and the 5 “S” to optimize the operation of previously selected processes, equipment, and/or systems.
And what does it consist of?
What we do is provide participants with a simple and highly practical methodology that serves as a criterion for identifying the improvements they need to make.
The secret of any CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT process is to systematically fight against the WASTE we call LOSSES.
Through rapid but in-depth training in industrial losses, individuals are then prepared to go to GENBA and identify as many improvements as possible.
Genba is a Japanese word that means the place where events occur. That is, the factory floor, administrative areas, or wherever improvement actions are to be implemented.
The key is to move from the training room to the trenches (genba), because if you want to truly change an industry or an entire plant, it's critical that decisions and actions happen in Genba.
What results can be expected?
The results are multiple and generally impact the 6 TPM strategies. Thus, these actions,
Increase the Productivity
Improve the Quality of the products / services
Reduce the Costs operational and consequently increase business profitability
They reduce the Time execution of processes (manufacturing, services)
Eliminate problems of Security and improve the ergonomics of workplaces,
They increase confidence that things can be improved. This raises the Morality and Self-Esteem of the group.
Conclusions
Changes brought about by motivated employees who "pull" the change are always more effective than those achieved by pushing and prodding from above. However, this requires management (leaders, supervisors, bosses, managers) to be "always ready" to support the change.
It also involves being clear about the enormous differences that exist between promoting a “Push Management” type of management (that is, managers who push to get things done) or, on the contrary, favoring a “Pull Workers” type of culture (workers who pull, that is, so committed and motivated that they demand more and more from their bosses). In one, there are only a few who think and do (management), in the other, improvements are a task for everyone.
The first model exhausts both managers and employees. The second transforms the company into a place of challenges and opportunities worth committing to and getting involved in. This keeps the flame of continuous improvement alive, a critical success factor for any company.
As Baden-Powell, founder of the Scout Movement, said: “Remember that your mission as leaders is to GUIDE, not PUSH, much less DRIVE… It is always more effective to lead by example.”
See you next time.
Mgter. Ing. Raul A. Perez Verzini
TPM Instructor No. 723 – JIPM
