Kaizen Facilitator Cheat Sheet
Pre-meeting
- Scope and goals reviewed and refined
- Why team members were selected
- Develop rules for the group
- Overview of the upcoming event
- Paperwork simulation exercise
Prepare the environment
- Supplies-see tool kit inventory. Don’t forget treats
- Have you reserved for the entire event
Prepare the data
- Has the team leader captured the data
- Is it ready and available for the event
- Do you have all the forms used in the process
Day 1
Morning
- Team introductions
- Statement from the sponsor
- Review scope and goals of the event
- Kaizen event members need to understand roles and responsibilities
- Review team rules
- Training
- Seven wastes
- Toast Kaizen video
Afternoon
- Teach about swim lane mapping
- Begin to map the current “as is” process
- Before group leaves discuss what was good today/what needs to change
- Team leader meeting
- Sponsor checks in
Note: Ideas and brainstorms can be placed on a flipchart at any time during the process
Swim Lane Mapping
Three elements:
- Time
- People (job functions)
- Tasks/Process
Post its:
- 3 inch
- Yellow – Task (time to complete/minutes, lower right corner)
- Orange – Decision (diamond)
- Pink – Wait/Delay
- Purple – Storage/file
- Green – Handoffs (symbolize electronic or physical)
Person or Job function on left – one swim lane
Build left to right
Hand offs go up or down
This is a data collection process
- Review the scope-beginning and ending steps
- Walk the process
- Where does this info come from?
- Is the process completed without interruption?
- Do you have incomplete or incorrect information?
- Where does the information go from here?
- Does the information go more than one place?
- Is there new information or is it the same information being translated into another form?
- Characterize the process
- What forms, tools or systems does each step use?
- How long does each task and wait take?
Tips
- Functions in the left column
- Use post it for functions
- Every time you change lanes, there is a hand-off
- With every hand-off, there is almost always a wait
- Subsequent tasks to the right of the prior task, unless task occurs simultaneously (mtg.)
- Assign average times or worst/best case for each wait and task
- 90/10 rule; there are exceptions but consider the majority of the time
Day 2
Morning
- Review day 1 and day 2 agenda
- Complete swim lane for current map
- Assign time for tasks and waits
- Collect further general observations of the current process on flip chart
- Review information on volume of each type of task, timeliness
- Review and frame kaizen goals and objectives
(If you need to map the current state further, you may have a scope issue)
Afternoon
- Review “The Road to the Perfect Process” power point
- Brainstorm and list possible improvement opportunities
- Combine with other ideas. Discuss and prioritize improvement suggestions
(High/Medium/Low Impact and High/Medium/Low Effort Matrix)
- Begin work on future state process map
- Before group leaves discuss what was good today/what needs to change
- Team leader meeting
- Sponsor should check in and discuss any discomfort on direction at this time
Day 3
Morning
- Complete swim lane map for new process
- Assign time to waits and tasks
Afternoon
- Training – Standard Work power point
- Develop and describe action plan items
- Small group work on action items (if time)
- Review a typical report out document
- Before group leaves discuss what was good today/what needs to change
- Team leader meeting
Day 4
Morning
- Complete report out document
- Complete action plan
- Assign slides for report out presentation
Afternoon
- Rehearse
- Present report out
- Celebrate