MHRA Lean Advocate Training

Rapid Process Improvement Event Guidelines

What is an RPI?

RPI stands for Rapid Process Improvement. RPI supports “continuous improvement.” The origin of RPI is kaizen. “Kai” means “take apart.” “Zen” means “make it good.”

Why RPI?

A RPI event provides focus with quick results. It provides focus on a process or on an operation. RPI projects help to identify value and waste in processes or operations. A RPI can also fit very nicely into a culture that is trying to improve quality, safety and performance.

Understanding RPI

RPI events can be used as building blocks for continuous improvement and changing your culture. RPI is an excellent means of getting people involved to solve problems and generate ideas. They become temporary fulltime projects that begin with people that want to make things better. Involving people who want to make a difference and who want to see the culture change helpsto ensure that the events are successful. People with the “right spirit” and who have management’s support can get things done by utilizing lean tools and the value stream maps they have created. Some of the lean tools that can be used for RPI’s are:

  • Quick changeovers, The five Ss
  • Standardized work
  • Pull production
  • Kanban
  • Total productive maintenance.

The RPI Process

The following eight steps describe the process of conducting an RPI event:

  1. Identify the RPIs in the value stream map. The lean advocate with the assistance of the advisory team will use the current state value stream map (CSVSM) to identify the RPIs that will be used to change from the current state to the future state of the process.
  2. Prioritize the RPIs. After all the RPIs have been identified in the CSVSM then it is best to prioritize the events before beginning the implementation of those events. You want to schedule the events such that you can maximize the results in an orderly fashion.
  3. Select an area where you see opportunities:
  4. Where there is always clutter and it is difficult to find anything
  5. Where there is too much inventory sitting around all the time
  6. Where production keeps backing up
  7. Where defects and rework are common
  8. Where overtime is frequent
  9. Where workers routinely are downstream of their intended work location, traveling farther for materials and to their shop
  10. Where unfinished work is generated that is completed in the yard
  11. Where downtime is common
  12. Where workers often wait for their next floor/module, causing them to start before they ideally should, slow down to avoid obvious idle time, or be idle
  13. Where workers continuously wait for design to clarify product details
  14. Where accidents are common
  15. Where workers turn over faster
  16. Select an easy project for your first RPI.This will enable you to learn how to do one and be successful at it.
  17. It should have an immediate visual impact for others in the organization to see
  18. Try to pick something that can be copied easily so that you can duplicate it throughout the operation quickly. This way you can have one RPI after another and have a major impact on the organization.
  19. Doing RPI events like the 5Ss are excellent for this. The 5Ss are: sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain
  20. The 5Ss are easier to do for many organizations. It is usually something that many managers have always wanted to do anyway.
  21. The 5Ss create strong visual results thatconvey management’s commitment to making a change. An RPI event on the 5Ss will also improve productivity by reducing the amount of time people spend looking for things and improve safety by eliminating clutter and trip hazards.
  22. It is safe to say that you can not implement lean successfully without doing the 5Ss.
  23. When you select a problem for improvement keep a focus on eliminating waste. The seven wastes are:
  • Overproduction
  • Excessive inventory
  • Unnecessary conveyance
  • Over processing
  • Excessive motion
  • Waiting
  • Corrections

When investigating the sources of waste, ask what, why, how, where, when?

  1. Select the team
  1. Facilitator - this should be a lean advisory team member for the first RPI event. The lean advocate will take on more of the facilitator’s role with each event. Eventually the company’s lean advocate(s) will become the facilitator(s).
    Lean advocate responsibilities include:
  • Assisting management and the lean advisory team select RPI event team members
  • Gathering data and compiling the information for the event
  • Preparing for the event and coordinating assignments for management, team members and anyone supporting the process
  • Follow-up on the area to make sure management and staff are sustaining the results of the RPI
  • Record information for future use

All of this helps the team be successful and it will help when they get ready for the presentation of their results to management.

  1. Team leader

The team leader will be a major help to the lean advocate during the event and in the future for follow-up. This person must exhibit a good deal of natural leadership to carry out their assignments and make sure that others are completing theirs. Important qualities of the team leader include the following:

  • The team leader must demonstrate a willingness to embrace change and a willingness to try the lean tools and lean processes
  • The team leader should encourage participation and not be dictatorial
  • The team leader needs to be fair, firm, assertive and friendly with an ability to take control when necessary
  • The team leader must also learn to be comfortable and willing to be out on the floor when necessary

Team leader responsibilities include:

  • Helping select team members.
  • Help prepare for the event by gathering all the information necessary for the event, compile information and coordinate assignments.
  • Help get the team ready for the presentation and do follow-up and record information as required.
  1. Team members
  • Try to keep the team to about six people and no more than twelve. A smaller team is easier to manage
  • Include operators whenever possible in order to get their buy-in. They can help to sell the changes to others in their area.
  • To gain the advantage of fresh ideas and some new pairs of eyes, half of the team members should be from outside the area
  • Include maintenance personnel becauseoften they are needed to help move and install equipment, furniture, materials, electric lines, water lines, air lines, etc.
  • In your initial RPI events select people that are team players. In subsequent RPI events after you are experienced and have had several successful RPIs it is good to include some skeptics so that they can go through the experience first hand and see how change can be good.
  • There are however, a small percentage of people that will never embrace change and it is better not to include these types of individuals. They will slow the team down instead of trying to get the job done efficiently and effectively.
  1. Train the team
  • Train them to see the importance of the value stream map. This will help everybody see and understand the “big picture.” It will help them identify waste and assist in getting buy-in into the overall strategy.
  • Train them on overall lean concepts of eliminating waste
  • Train them on how to do the 5Ss. There has never been a successful implementation of lean without organizing the area.
  • Train them on whatever lean tools are required specifically for the RPI event
  1. Implementation - the event itself
  • Define and understand the current situation
  • Measure, observe and gather all the data you need for the event
  • Analyze and identify and test the improvements
  • Implement the improvements
  1. Presentation, celebrate and follow-up
  • The team should be given enough time to prepare a simple presentation on the results of their hard labor. Give them a little time to rehearse the presentation and present the results.
  • Celebrate the results
  • Follow-up to ensure the results are being sustained. This can also give management a chance to show staff how much they care about the changes that are being made.
  • The lean advisory team will continue to work with the lean advocate for the next two RPIs and return for updates on the progress of the lean implementation

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