Organizations invested in using Lean and Six Sigma to improve operations create a Kaizen Event to support an effective, short-term brainstorming session that leads to quick breakthroughs that solve operational problems. The term comes from the Japanese for “change for the good.”
Kaizen Events require focus and speed. They typically last three to five days. Lean and Six Sigma experts recommend routine Kaizen Events to foster a culture of continuous process improvement. Kaizen Events can be broken down into four phases.
Preparation: Teams define the problem that needs addressing, as well as the project goals and scope. The project should not begin until it’s clear who needs to serve on the team and the desired outcome of their efforts. Teams also should create a problem statement that answers the following:
- What is occurring (not occurring) that is causing the issue?
- Where in the process and when does the problem occur?
- Who is impacted by the problem?
- What is the ultimate impact of the problem in areas such as lowered customer satisfaction, higher costs and wasted time?
Training: Team leaders should have expertise in Lean and Six Sigma. Team members should have training in at least the basics of process improvement and the principles that guide Lean and Six Sigma. Areas where team members especially need knowledge include root cause analysis and value stream mapping.
Implementation: Teams map out the current process, finding areas of waste, redundancies, bottlenecks, and defects. They also create a map of the desired future state of a process. They create steps to reach that desired state, and measure outcomes in key areas such as improved quality, more efficient production, and higher customer satisfaction.
Follow Up: Kaizen Events are part of a culture of continuous process improvement. By making data-driven determinations on the effectiveness of changes, as well as surveying team members involved in the process to find out the impact of changes on daily operations, a team can continue to find areas where further improvements are needed.
A key aspect of a Kaizen Event is that it is data driven in all phases. That includes measuring the state of current operations, creating a desired state and measuring the results of implemented changes. Another key aspect is that Kaizen Events should include people from all levels of an organization who are involved in or have a stake in a process. This includes employees, managers and C-suite executives.
The goal of a Kaizen Event goes beyond solving the immediate problem. It also should create what experts in Lean and Six Sigma sometimes refer to as a “Kaizen Culture.” That culture focuses on continuous process improvement and finding ways to make changes in daily routines that lead to improvements in productivity, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
