Guide 3:

The Improvement
Workshops
Leansis Methodological Guides

SGS PRODUCTIVITY
by Leansis
 What is an improvement
workshop?
Index An improvement workshop is a quick team action that turns
a GOOD PRACTICE into a STANDARD procedure. After
validation and sign-off by a coordinator, this action is executed.
The steps to follow are:

• To prioritize the most important workshops

The objective is to STANDARDIZE GOOD PRACTICE to allow • To select the pilot

the autonomous production group (GAP) to improve the • To provide resources
INDICATOR created in the improvement workshop.
• To implement a weekly progress review (TOP 60)
In an improvement workshop, the team always intervenes with
productivity tools. The workshop’s owner is responsible for the At the end of the workshop, the results will follow (TOP 60).
autonomous units of production (UAP) and, according to the
scorecard (CMI), will launch improvement workshops.
Who is the pilot?
Introduction................................................................... 2 3 - Analysis................................................................. 8
What is an indicator? This is the person hierarchically
What is an improvement workshop?............................ 3 4 - Standardization....................................................10
superior to the rest of the team,
Phases of the methodology.......................................... 6 5 - Control.................................................................11 An indicator is an instrument
who will control actions to be
1 - Preparation............................................................ 6 Example GRP.............................................................. 13 used to capture the status of an
carried out to improve a process
activity and how it progresses.
2 - Observation.......................................................... 7 Conclusions..................................................................17 or certain area.
It has a certain objective and its
status is easily visible: green if
Once the workshop is over:
it goes well and red if it does • The pilot finishes their task and the STANDARD becomes
not. Preferably, it should be property of the GAP

completed assiduously by hand • The action plan’s open points will be managed by the
coordinator
and updated when necessary
for adequate decision-making.
What is the TOP 60?
Whoever is responsible for
the indicator and its area of The TOP 60 is a meeting that

Introduction
influence should update should not last more than 60
this status. minutes. In it, the person in
charge of production presents
In such a competitive and constantly changing world, it is Do you know the types of improvement workshops and which the work strategy to their team
essential to implement a continuous improvement system. one to apply, according to the problem? Do you know what
One Lean management system tool to improve the company is an indicator is, or how to collect all the data required in the in detail, establishing discussion
improvement workshops. preparation of an improvement workshop?
on the status of each GAP
The improvement system must promote cultural change in
understanding work. By ensuring the active participation of
Depending on the actions to be carried out, you will need to
decide which workshop is needed to solve the problem. The and reinforcing the support
staff in working groups and involving all the company in getting
key indicators targeted towards goals, you can create the right
system works by supporting and deploying indicators and
actions at each hierarchical level.
functions.
climate to achieve cultural change.
In this guide, we show you the steps to implement an
improvement workshop to direct the process of good practice
that allows improvement.

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 Management of GAP members and the GAP dashboard is The hierarchy of the group members is established as follows:
controlled by the coordinator.
• The factory manager (first hierarchical rank) will be coordinator
The ultimate goal of all activities and tools is improvement. of the UAP and support departments
Therefore, the ownership and realization of indicators should
• The head of the UAP (second hierarchical rank) is in charge of
be promoted fundamentally and clearly by the GAP coordinator
between four and five supervisors, who represent 125 to 150
and reflected in standardized formats. operators responsible for operational support
• A supervisor (third hierarchical rank) will be responsible for
What is a GAP? four or five GAPs, representing between 25 and 30 operators
responsible for coordinating GAP coordinators and assigning
The GAP is defined as a group of working people, in a certain the necessary support to them
area, with common goals. The GAP’s objective is to create a
human team with the resources necessary for achieving these
objectives. The GAP’s strength is based on involving members.
This strength will be achieved thanks to the active participation
of a team.

For the group to be cohesive, it should have between five These functions support:
and eight members able to perform derogations, depending
• Operations, directly linked to the GAP, who develop the tools
on the particular conditions of the processes. This number
for realizing improvement actions. Operational support is
of members is determined by the particular function of the
coordinated by the area supervisor
team. Each GAP will have a representative, a team captain,
In an improvement workshop, the OHP and company’s productivity tools are always involved. called a GAP coordinator, who will oversee protecting the GAP • The support department, which is in charge of functional
against possible variabilities and inefficiencies, controlling the issues to coordinate your area’s activities and performance
indicators and actively participating in improvement. with your work team. It is not linked to the GAP, and its
What is the OHP? These indicators reflect the efficiency of each production
center, so they must cover each fundamental concept of
functions are to control indicators and actions outside the
Next, we can define the hierarchical organization and support. GAP, as well as to form operational support.
The human organization of production is defined by the quality, cost, delivery and staff (QCDP):
establishment of: • Costs (C): productivity and machine yields
• Autonomous production groups (GAPs) • Quality (Q): customer quality, rematches and rejections
• Support for GAP autonomy • Deliveries (D): customer compliance, control of stock breaks
• The clear definition of hierarchical levels and functions and program compliance

The objective of the OHP is to align the organization to • Staff (P): Ideas for improvement, versatility and absenteeism
achieve the OBJECTIVES of the GAP that will be deployed by
management, or middle managers, and captured in the GAP
indicators.

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Phases of the methodology
1. Preparation of the workshop: the objective
is to identify and plan the resources
necessary for improvement
2. The observation phase
This phase is about observing the WASTE that occurs. It is very
important to MEASURE this as a means to such observation
MEASUREMENT: WHY MEASURE?
This is the first question to answer. Measurement is the pillar
on which all improvement work is based, since it will indicate if
and not as an end in itself. our actions achieve the desired result. Measurement is reflected
Features of measurement:
in the indicators, therefore, we must pay special attention to its
Who promotes the calculation and understanding. We must accurately understand the
• Measurement is carried out by operations, according to the information that reflects the indicators we define, since, if not, it
improvement? type of workshop will put proper decision-making at risk.

2. Observation phase: implement the • All workshop members must measure (including the GAP) The right indicator for measuring the performance of machines and
measurement tools to detect waste The person who has proposed Examples of measurements are:
installations is OEE (overall equipment effectiveness).

3. Analysis phase: determine the appropriate
actions for performance improvement
4. Standardization phase: standardize the
good practices for their application,
value transaction practices and create
an idea to improve a certain
process. They can belong to
any level of the company.
Their training must be detailed
• Repetitive activities – stopwatch WHAT IS OEE?
• Displacements – distance assessment
• Specific activities – simulation and stopwatch
OEE compares good parts produced with those that could have
been ideally produced.
• Non-repetitive processes – video
OEE is composed of three factors:
• AVAILABILITY of equipment

action plans
and technical. Their objective
will be to standardize good
5. Control phase: monitoring and
controlling through internal sponsorships practices, train future pilots,
will guarantee the sustainability of extend their knowledge and
achievements be able to create continuous
improvement.
• PERFORMANCE of the equipment
What is waste?
• QUALITY of the manufactured parts
Waste represents all actions
that do not add value.
Recognizing waste is the first
step towards selecting the
The objective is to bring to light the losses that, on a day-to-day basis,

1. The preparation phase of the

negatively affect the final result of production.

workshop suitable tools for its reduction

and final elimination. But firm
Preparing the workshop is the most important part of the
methodology, since it needs the most time to correctly plan recognition of waste will help us
(two or three weeks).
when diagnosing and applying
The phases to be carried out by the pilot are:
• Delimiting the object area of the workshop
the appropriate tools.
• Carrying out a study of the POTENTIAL for IMPROVEMENT
• Estimating the planned expenditure budget (if necessary)
• Selecting the necessary support
• Planning the workshop

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3. The analysis phase TIME OVERPROCESSING • People in the company going up and down for documents,
searching, choosing, crouching
Identifying the main causes of waste can be done by using the Delays causing waste are very common and occur in cases, Overprocessing waste, such as:
wheel of the seven wastes: MUDA. such as:
• Unnecessary processing steps
DEFECTS
• Operators waiting for information
Overproduction • Provision of higher quality levels than those required by The waste from defects, such as:
Time
• Machine or material breakdowns the client
• The repetition or correction of processes
• Customers having to wait in queues or on the phone
INVENTORIES • Working on returned products and goods
Transport
Defects TRANSPORT Waste from unnecessary inventories, such as: OVERPRODUCTION
Transport waste, such as: • Excessive storage of raw materials, products in process and
Overprocessing finished products Waste from overproduction, such as:
• Movement of work in process from one place to another,
Movements • Processing items earlier, or in larger quantities than those
even over short distances • Inventory problems that arise in the enterprise
required by the customer
• Movement of materials, parts or finished products, to and
Inventories, stocks from storage MOVEMENTS • This waste is the cause of most other waste

Waste from unnecessary movements, such as:

Each of the concepts must be understood and assimilated for
identification in all processes. • Any movement the operator makes that does not add value to
the product or service

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WHAT IS THE EIGHTH WASTE?
NOT using the ability to THINK and to utilize people’s creativity.
Everything starts and ends in people. Their involvement,
contributions, and spirit of continuous improvement,
make optimizing processes possible, enabling productivity
improvements and therefore, business results.
ELIMINATING OPERATIONS THAT DO NOT ADD VALUE IS
THE KEY TO IMPROVING PEOPLE’S PRODUCTIVITY.
The following diagram shows the objective of our entire
network improvement process:
1. Recognize waste and added value within our processes
2. Perform actions to eliminate waste
3. Standardize the most important work before restarting the
improvement cycle
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4. The standardization phase
After the waste has been analyzed, we must standardize tasks
to fix the way of working that we will develop in production.
WORKING METHODS
To achieve quality and productivity objectives, each operation
must be carried out according to a succession of perfectly
defined actions and repetition.
“The best possible succession of operations to be developed”
must be specified for each participating operator.
Defining the work standard requires detecting the best
procedures and helping with their implementation. The
standards must be developed by operators.
The GAP coordinator, in charge of quality assurance and
productivity, must guarantee the follow-up of these standards,
as they will be the intervening supervisor in the case of
noncompliance.
It is important to know that, when defining a standard of
work, it is assumed that they have been deleted or waste that
originates variably is minimized.
5. The control phase EXAMPLES OF VISUAL DASHBOARDS
This phase consists of three objectives:
1. VISUAL MANAGEMENT OF RESULTS:
• GAP dashboard
• Walking board
2. COMPLIANCE STANDARDS CONTROL:
• GAP routine (supervisor)
3. CONTROL OF RESULTS:
• Supervisor’s dashboard
• Dashboard of the TOP 60
GAP dashboard example
1 - VISUAL MANAGEMENT OF RESULTS:
GAP DASHBOARD
Visual management is available to the person in charge of the
GAP and their team members. The visual management design
is specific to each business and must be standardized in the
pilot GAP for later establishment in future GAPS.
It is a support for verbal communication and facilitates the
operations to be carried out. It reflects in detail the conditions
the GAP is using for the indicators. Each indicator has a
specific purpose for team members.
Each indicator is assigned an owner and has its evolution and
objective registered. This should be updated every day. All
information reflected must be relevant, and updated by the
team, with help of the coordinator. Visualizations should be GRP workshop dashboard example
considered as a tool and not as an end result. Therefore, they
will only be necessary if they are useful to someone, or assist
in reaching a certain objective.
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2 - STANDARDIZED COMPLIANCE CONTROL:
GAP ROUTINE
A meeting held between the supervisor, GAP coordinator and
requested support.
This meeting aims to examine the conditions found in
the improvement system of each GAP, to locate possible
inefficiencies and create immediate action plans to reorient any
deviations.
This routine will be developed by the improvement department
while the promoter of continuous improvement will instruct
participants.
The routine is a list of actions to be carried out by the
supervisor, to control the GAP’s operation.
This routine will be implemented by the GAP supervisor daily
and results will serve as a basis for preparing the TOP 60.
The improvement promoter must be present periodically to
ensure compliance with the routine and maintain a standard in
terms of the scale of the score.
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3 - CONTROL OF RESULTS:
TOP 60 DASHBOARD
A meeting between the head of UAP, supervisors and support
functions, where heads of each department will report.
The objective is to review the UAP’s status by checking its
general indicators. Most of these indicators are the summary
of those deployed in the GAP, supplemented by a general
indicator selected by the head of UAP.
Meeting minutes are also used as a script for the meeting
piloted by the production manager. No meeting should
exceed 60 minutes. The meeting will be weekly. The person
responsible for production must highlight the work strategy in
detail with their team, establishing discussion on the status of
each GAP and reinforcing the support functions.
Example Dashboard of the TOP 60.
Example of dashboards of the
GRP improvement workshops
Examples
HOSHIN:
HOSHIN: IMPROVING LABOR PERFORMANCE
Improving labor performance is one of the more sensitive
issues in companies, due to the direct impact it has on the
workers.
But this negative approach should be challenged, as an
increase in business competitiveness ensures the future of all
its employees.
Improving workforce performance is one of the fundamental
pillars of the business’s future. Due to its fixed costs and
the competitiveness of low-cost markets, you must focus
the organization, openly and consciously, on optimizing labor
performance.
But how do we achieve this performance improvement? The
answer is the same as the one for the system:
With method and teamwork.
Example of visual dashboard of the Hoshin improvement workshop
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5S: IMPROVEMENT OF WORKING CONDITIONS
OBJECTIVES:
Determine people’s moods based on the valuation of the
workplace. Ensure that the framework is, clean, organized,
clear, efficient and sure.
Prepare to introduce continuous improvement and quality tools
in the workshops and offices. The tool is called 5S because the
five words begin with the letter S in Japanese.
The five stages of the 5S:
• Seiri: separates and eliminates the necessary things from the
unnecessary
• Seiton: fixes and identifies machines and materials that must
be accommodated. This is clear so anyone can find them
quickly
• Seiso: always clean. The plant is cleaned and as clean as
possible
• Seiketsu: has the process under control and performs
everything according to working standards
• Shitsuke: ensuring that everyone follows the same standard
– until a “better standard” (improvement of the working
procedure) has been found
5S:
Example of a visual dashboard for a 5S improvement workshop
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GRP: PROBLEM-SOLVING GROUPS
OBJECTIVES:
Definitively solve the problem by identifying the root cause.
The phases that make up GRP methodology are:
1. Preparation: initial definition of the problem. Formation of the
group and planning
2. Analysis: application of methodologies. Solutions and
corrective actions
3. Consolidation: verification of the planned actions. Warn of
similar future problems in other areas
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM IN THE PREPARATION PHASE:
1. What?
• What was the defect that occurred?
• Are there differences related to the materials, formats,
other objects?
2. Where?
• In what part or when was the object/process introduced?
• Is there any difference between machines or similar steps?
3. When?
• At start-up or during the process?
• Is the problem’s duration different?
• Are there seasonal differences?
4. Who?:
• Any difference between the staff working or the shifts?
• Is there a difference between staff training?
5. Which one?
• What is the trend of the problem: does it grow, decrease or
stabilize?
GRP improvement workshop visual dashboard example • Are there changes before or after any operation?
6. How?
• Have circumstances or processes changed?
• Does the problem occur often or rarely?
• Does it appear quickly?
BRAINSTORMING IN THE ANALYSIS PHASE:
This is to generate many ideas about any topic.
Brainstorming helps to identify problems, causes and their
solutions.
Rules:
• The whole group understands the problem to be addressed
• All ideas are good ideas and no idea is criticized
• The application and development of previous ideas are
encouraged
• Everyone is encouraged to participate
• All ideas are recorded
Brainstorming dynamics:
• Establish the change and start the process by contributing
ideas
• When the volume of ideas contributed decreases, an ordering
and a reading will be made, generally producing a second
creative phase
THE CAUSE-EFFECT DIAGRAM IN THE ANALYSIS PHASE:
Also called Fishbone or Ishikawa:
• Identifies, classifies and highlights possible problem causes
• Graphically illustrates the relationships between a result
(effect) and the factors influencing the result (causes)
Steps for the creation of the cause-effect diagram:
• Step 1: Decide the problem to be analyzed
• Step 2: Indicate the most important causal factors
• Step 3: Incorporate more details of factors into each branch
• Step 4: Select the most relevant factors for the group
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 Conclusions
The cause-effect diagram in the analysis phase:

What is an improvement workshop?

An improvement workshop is a quick and forceful ACTION to enable good practice that is validated, standardized and approved by
the GAP and its operators.
We must be clear that the improvement workshop’s main objective is NOT to improve the indicator for which it was created. It
should be to standardize a good practice that enables the indicator to be continuously improved by its GAP.

What are the phases of the methodology?

WORKSHOP PREPARATION: KNOW AND PLAN

The first action must be the recognition and limitation
of the workspace, to plan the necessary resources for
SOURCES OF THE ROOT CAUSE IN THE ANALYSIS PHASE: improvement.
The goal is to determine the root cause of a problem. WASTE RECOGNITION: OBSERVATION AND MEASUREMENT
This is a method based on asking questions to explore cause-effect relationships.
Observing and measuring the work will guide the
recognition of waste.
PERMANENT CORRECTIVE ACTIONS IN THE ANALYSIS PHASE:
ANALYSIS: ADDED VALUE VS. WASTE (INDICATORS).
STANDARDIZATION OF THE VA AND ACTION PLAN AGAINST
THE WASTE
Standardizing value-added (VA) operations and creating
action plans for implementation.
MONITORING & CONTROL
The monitoring and control systems will facilitate the
sustainability of improvements.

Working group analysis of what is observed and measured

will determine the appropriate actions to improve the yield.

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