Kaizen Event Guide

Pre-Event

• Appoint a skilled facilitator

• Make sure leadership is engaged
• Set the scope and limits of the event
• Assemble the team
• Define success
• Provide training
• Outline the event schedule
Day 1

• Define your goals for the event

• Map and document the process’s current state and identify wastes
• Decide on desired results
Day 2
• Consider root causes of wastes and identify possible solutions
• Achieve consensus on improvements to be implemented
• Document resources needed to apply improvements
Day 3
• Implement the improvements
Day 4
• Test the improvements
• Measure the results of improvements made and apply any necessary adjustments
• Standardize and document new procedures
Day 5
• Train employees on new standard work procedures
• Communicate the changes to the organization
• Recognize and reward team members who contributed to success

Post-Event
• Ensure that employees adhere to new procedures
• Achieve consensus on improvements to be implemented
• Document resources needed to apply improvements

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Kaizen Event Guide
What is Kaizen?
“Kaizen” is the philosophy of continuous improvement. Translated from Japanese, the word “kaizen”
translates to “changing something for the better.” Kaizen is used as a tool in lean manufacturing with the
goal of eliminating waste by continuously improving standardized processes, equipment, and other
procedures for carrying out daily production. Kaizen requires that existing procedures be standardized
and documented so that improvements can be evaluated objectively.

What is a Kaizen event?

Kaizen events, also known as Kaizen blitzes, are short-duration events, usually in the form of a week-
long workshop, in which a facilitator guides a team in improving an area with a specific aim in mind.
Typically during a Kaizen event, the facilitator leads the team (which is generally comprised of people
who work in the area in which the event is being conducted) in standardizing and documenting processes
and identifying, implementing, and documenting improvements to that area.

When to hold a Kaizen event

While the principles of Kaizen should be practiced by all members of an organization on a continual
basis--maintaining a culture of solving the root cause of problems before they become bigger--
scheduled Kaizen events may be necessary in order to tackle larger problems. Reasons to hold a Kaizen
event include:

•Solving an urgent problem that puts business at risk and needs to be addressed quickly
• Achieving a strategic goal that will impact KPIs
• Identifying and solving the root cause of issues that prevent daily improvement cycles from achieving
results
• Solving cross-functional challenges, such as improving the handoff of work between teams
• Sustaining the practice of continuous improvement in your company, especially if you haven’t had a
Kaizen event in a while
• Introducing new team members to continuous improvement techniques
How to measure the success of a Kaizen event
In order to accurately measure improvements resulting from your Kaizen event, it’s important to make
sure you have complete and accurate data about your operations--before, during, and after your Kaizen
event. Digitizing your operations using manufacturing software such as Tulip is a good way to gain
visibility into your operations. Tulip collects data from from your shop-floor employees, machines, and
tools as they perform their tasks, so you can get an accurate view of production and quality metrics such
as production rate, defect and scrap rate, process and step times, and defect causes. With this data in
hand, you can conduct analyses into the effects of your continuous improvement efforts over time.

Tulip is the Manufacturing App Platform that lets you build apps for all
your shop-floor needs.

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