Kaizen is the process of identifying and eliminating waste as quickly as possible, at the lowest possible cost. Kaizen requires continuous, gradual, and persistent improvement, by all employees and management. Kaizen utilizes a cross-functional team with a focused scope and an aggressive goal.

Kaizen is a Japanese word that means "continuous improvement" and facilitating a kaizen event is one of my favorite ways to solve problems.

Although it is possible to do a kaizen blitz, which ranges from a couple of hours to a full day, typically they are week-long, 8–10-hour days, and a cross-functional team who dissect the value stream or a process. It is intense, emotional, and frustrating, but incredibly rewarding. Recently I was asked "what goes into a kaizen event" so I thought I would share at a high level what the framework may look like.

Set goals and expectations.

Describing the process, product, or service.

How we will know when we have solved the problem?

The cost

KPI's

2. Plan logistics and timing.

Determine who are resources.

What are the resources?

What is the deadline?

3. Document reality or the current state process.

4. Identify waste including complexities that customers will not pay for.

5. Plan countermeasures.

6. Make changes focusing on small incremental changes.

7. Measure results as determined in step 1.

8. Verify change/modification.

Ask for input from the subject matter experts.

Pivot, don't quit.

Use ingenuity and craft over capital.

9. Standardize the process

10. Celebrate success

11. Do it again.

#lean #leanthinking #kaizen #change

https://expanding-excellence.com/f/kaizen