It is not to say that a Kaizen event is the end-all, be-all solution to fix all of todays

economic issues, but it is a good start to solving some of them. As the U.S. government
steps in to enact change and provide support to the various institutions in the country,
there are additional changes that must take place within these institutionssome large,
some procedural and some, hopefully, cultural.

Kaizen as a methodology has the ability to speed up that change process and more
importantly finalize the solutions into standardized processes expeditiously. This benefits
the organization by not having floating processes in place and the end-user by making
a seamless process easy to use. Kaizen does this by having a structured approach, with
specific deliverables, and ownership of the changes after the Kaizen is completed.

Facilitating a Successful Kaizen Process

A refined approach to completing a Kaizen is the key to ensuring results. More

importantly, the approach needs to be facilitated by an individual who has good people
skills, excellent team work capabilities, quick conflict resolution skills and in-depth
negotiating skills. This type of leader, coupled with an empowered team, is best poised
for success. We can all relate to a project we were exposed to that did not quite reach its
full potential, either because of the lack of direction in the project management or the
lack of experience in the project manager. Kaizen can easily mitigate issues by using the
above criteria for the facilitator while following a rigorous application of a 10-step
methodology.

Kaizens Ten-Step Process

Your favorite process improvement methodology can be molded from Kaizens 10

steps, including Six Sigma, Plan Do Check Act (PCDA), or even Select Clarify Organize
Run Evaluate (SCORE). This flexibility gives the Kaizen an ability to be used throughout
your organization by any experienced facilitator. These 10 steps are the process map
through which the event is kept on track and participants remain engaged. See the steps
below to compare the other methodologies to the Kaizen process.

1. Define the problem

2. Document the current situation

3. Visualize the ideal situation

4. Define measurement targets

5. Brainstorm solutions to the problem

6. Develop Kaizen plan

7. Implement plan

8. Measure, record and compare results to targets

9. Prepare summary documents

10. Create short term action plan, on-going standards and sustaining plan

Empowering Process Change

Additionally, it is imperative that the participants in the event be empowered to

implement any changes. This is a key to success otherwise the new processes or
process changes will be short lived and the people doing the work on a day-to-day basis
will quickly revert back to the old methods.

There are also key people that need to be present in a Kaizen event: the subject matter
expert, the process owner, one or two of the front-line workers (those people that
experience the process on a regular basis) and an outside novice (someone unfamiliar
with the process). However, none of these positions should be filled by the facilitator. Id
suggest that you use a facilitator from outside the area to prevent that individual from
unconsciously steering the event in a particular direction, or, even worse, consciously
steering the event in a particular direction.

Timing is Key

The difference between Kaizen and other events is timing. Kaizen by definition is small
changes for the better. Today, Kaizen events are known to have the results implemented
before the conclusion of the event. This just-in-time process improvement capability also
hinges on all of the participants buying-in to consensus that the changes are correct and
beneficial. This also leads to an inherent pride of ownership in the changes (also a factor
in ensuring sustainability).

As you can expect, there are always exceptions to the rule, and some things can not be
changed during an event. If your organization is regulated, then you may not be able to
instantaneously change processes or procedures. Keep in mind that anytime this is an
issue, the topic may be too complex for a Kaizen. For some of these items, the Kaizen
sponsor should oversee the completion of a 30-day action plan. This plan should be
tightly monitored and reviewed on a weekly basis to ensure that the items on the list are
being addressed appropriately.

Some examples of the 30-day action items are updating procedures, printing out new
brochures, distributing new forms to users and reconfiguring offices (in a manufacturing
environment this may be a simple task that can be easily completed in the event;
however, in a services organization it may require vendor support and purchasing and
facilities coordination).

Identifying Topics for Kaizen

Here are some common themes that may be addressed for Kaizen:

Improving customer forms received in good order.

Improving first time call resolution in a call center.

Streamlining the order to payment process in purchasing.

Streamlining the reporting of hours worked to payroll.

Reducing time to hire and onboard new employees.

Reducing the submission to completion cycle time for facilities requests.

Co-designing forms or content (for a web application) with the largest single
user (this may be an external Kaizen with great partnering opportunities).

Why Kaizen Can Work for Your Organization

Kaizen is an excellent way to formalize some simple improvement activities that are not
always run in an optimal format. Kaizen also avoids the stigma of a formalized project
that may be drawn out over several weeks or months. Most importantly, Kaizen provides
just-in-time process improvements. By using the above 10-step methodology, ensuring
the relevant parties are participating and empowered, and that those steps not able to be
completed in the event are completed within 30 days, Kaizen can enable significant and
sustainable improvements to any organization.