Advice on Creating a Kaizen Event Charter

A reader recently asked me share some suggestions on a Kaizen/Team Charter.  So before we get into that it is important to note that while I like to strive for small incremental improvements daily larger scale events also have a necessary place in continuous improvement.  This is especially true for most in the early years of transitioning to a Lean thinking organization.  Improvement comes in many sizes based on the situation, organization, and know-how.

The Kaizen Charter is a planning tool used to increase the odds of success of an improvement activity.  It sets out the scope of the process that will be addressed in the event, establishes the goals and objectives of the event, identifies any work that must be completed prior to the event, and identifies the team members.

The charter is a contract between the Lean Champion (knowledgeable coach) and the project team created at the outset of the project. Its purpose is:

• To clarify what is expected of the team
• To keep the team focused
• To keep the project and team aligned with organizational priorities
• To transfer the project from the champion to the team

A charter may look something like this:

Click the photo for a larger view.

Download a copy here.

Here are some key points to consider when drafting the charter:

• Pick a team leader – the leader will be the driver for the team during the event.
• Determine event dates.
• Make problem statement specific.
• Set preliminary objectives for event.
• Make the objective measurable.
• Production rate, cycle time, lead time, set-up time, quality improvement, space utilization, WIP/INV reduction.
• Calculate Takt Time if possible.
• Focus on observable symptoms.
• Describe current situation – background information.
• Pick Improvement Team members.
• Team should include those within the process as well as an outsider to challenge status quo thinking.
• Get commitment from Team member’s supervisors.
• Set boundary conditions that keep team focused on objective.
• State resource limitations (Time, Money, People).
• Determine initial training needs for the team with the Champion.

One last, piece of advice is avoid these common failures:

• Assigning blame in the problem statement.
• Setting non-obtainable goals.
• Making the Charter too wordy.
• Completing without the Champion.
• Striving for perfection.
• Poor team selection.
• Uncommitted leaders.

A well-defined charter is one of the most important elements to make your Kaizen or Team activity successful. It aligns everyone's thoughts and actions to solving the problems at hand and delivering the expected results. It's open enough to allow for creativity and adaptation, but it also sets basic ground rules by which to act. Without it, even the most concerted effort can easily spiral into confusion and disagreement.



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Celebrating the Worker This Labor Day

Labor Day celebrations have come a long way since the turn of the century. It’s not so much an honoring of the workers anymore. It’s just an opportunity to get off work, and celebrate the end of summer (if that’s something to celebrate). Many people see the Labor Day weekend as merely an opportunity for a last summer fling. And whether they celebrate it playing golf, going camping or fishing, having a backyard steak barbeque, or attending a picnic in the park or at the beach, the true original meaning of Labor Day seems, for the most part, to have become lost in the enjoyment of the moment.

It’s a good thing to enjoy your last summer holiday. But it’s also a good thing to rejavascript:void(0)spect and honor those who didn’t have the favorable working conditions we have now. It’s a good thing to remember those who fought very hard for workers’ rights. The purpose of the holiday is to celebrate the social and economic achievements of America’s workers. Labor Day celebrates us all — our achievements and contributions to the strength, prosperity, and safety of our nation.

So explore whatever you like to do on Labor Day. But remember the original purpose of the holiday, as stated by the U.S. Department of Labor: “It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom and leadership – the American worker”. And we say…Amen to that!


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Lean Quote: People Want More Recognition

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"People may take a job for more money, but they often leave it for more recognition." — Bob Nelson

Despite popular belief, money isn’t the best way to recognize superior performance. In fact, research from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that the number-one reason people leave their jobs has nothing to do with pay or promotions -- they leave because they "don't feel appreciated."

Most managers only practice recognition after the fact – which is rewarding people for achievements. Rewards are great, however they are only a trade (first you achieve something and then I reward you for it) and they only cause short term motivation (if the rewards stop coming, performance will decrease as well, because the trade is out of balance).

But if you can recognize them before the achievement you can engage them. It makes them feel heard, valued, involved and important. Recognizing how people like to be treated; what training, information or tools they need to do their job; what their ambitions, talents, personality type and motivational drivers are, helps us to respond to them in a way that brings out the best in them. All this assures sustainable motivation.

Employee recognition is a powerful tool to sustain high performance levels in your employees. It is also a channel through which you communicate to your employees the kind of actions and attitude you like them to execute. Thus, you establish the performance patterns that enhance productivity and render you a competitive edge.

Does your company have an employee recognition program? One that works to engage, develop, and reinforce the highest level of performance from everyone.



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Make a Statement about Manufacturing in America

The North American Shingo Prize recognizes business excellence in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It was established to create increased awareness, development, and implementation of lean manufacturing principles and techniques. The goal of the North American Shingo Prize is to make manufacturing facilities and other industries more competitive in the global marketplace, illustrating how world-class results can be achieved through the implementation of lean principles and techniques in core manufacturing and other business processes.

Consider attending the Northeast Shingo Conference in Springfield, MA on October 5-6, 2011. The theme is "Made Lean in America" and the idea is to gather hundreds of people to make a strong statement about the ability of companies to use lean to remain a strong and vital part of the American economy. For these organizations, Lean means creating employment opportunities at home: good jobs, a strong tax base, a brighter future. Long-term thinking is emerging: America can compete through the use of lean thinking. Add your voice this year.

If you are still not convinced you can revisit my review from last year's exhilarating conference.  It was such an energizing learning environment sharing Lean thinking with so many like minded practitioners.  I will be attending again this year and I know you will find this a valuable experience as well.

My dear friends at GBMP are the educational partner of Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is an excellent opportunity for regional manufacturers, as well as other industries. The Northeastern region is comprised of 11 states: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.



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The Lean Desk, Evolution of Continuous Improvement

Recently, I wrote about the importance of the stand-up desk for health and ergonomics.  Have you changed the way you think about a conventional office yet? If you are still contemplating this or you need some ideas to get you started then I have a video for you. Paul Akers takes you on his lean journey to creating a lean work place and a super lean office.





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Benchmarking: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

When organizations want to improve their performance, they often benchmark. Benchmarking is the process of comparing one's business processes and performance metrics to industry bests and/or best practices from other industries. The discussion of whether benchmarking is good or bad is an old one.

Benchmarking can be an effective means to learn new skills and to develop your organization. However, it should be a process of continual improvement. Once you have implemented changes, you should benchmark your business again to see the results. This will tell you what is working, and where you can still improve.

The process of benchmarking can benefit your organization:

An holistic approach: It is both qualitative and quantitative, ensuring more accuracy in developing a whole picture of your business.

Opens minds to new opportunities: While the results can make for uncomfortable reading, the process usually raises new challenges for businesses.

Leads directly to an action plan: Rather than simply highlight problem areas, it undertakes a strong review of turnover and profitability.

Improving productivity: Businesses following improvement action plans can expect gains in cost, cycle time, productivity, and quality.

Some feel that benchmarking can limit the true potential of an organization by focusing on how well their competitors are doing. Somewhere I heard the comment that "if you benchmark against your best competitors, your best product will look like your best competitor's crap.” Your competition won’t stand still and you shouldn’t either. Maybe there’s a case then for benchmarking organizations from other industries and not your competition.

The worst mistake is to simply adopt a best practice without first identifying the problem you are trying to solve. Tools and best practices must be applied in response to a specific, defined problem, not just because it seems like a good idea. Instead as we do in Lean you should learn about waste and value. Then analyze your processes to reduce waste and improve value to your customers. Learning from others can be very powerful, but you must learn to apply the right tools and ideas for your particular situation. The problems of your competition or that of other companies you benchmark may not necessarily be the same as yours.

Benchmarking is not a perfect process but done properly and consistently it can be the start of improving your business and creating a more optimal learning environment. Avoid using it as a means to judge your competition at the expense of creating customer value or solving someone else’s problems.

What are your views on the benefits or drawbacks of benchmarking?



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Lean Quote: You Can't Recycle Wasted Time

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"One thing you can't recycle is wasted time." — From Taiichi Ohno

If you search the internet you will undoubtedly find many tips on time management. So many of us do not know how to properly manage our time. If you ask a group of people to define “time management”, they will probably talk about getting it all done, crossing items off of a list, and being productive. However, the best time management tips do not involve cramming more and more into your day. The most valuable time management tips available will actually involve learning to focus your time on those activities that are meaningful to you.

To help you to increase your productivity each and every day, both on and off the job, here are three easy tips to help you to stop wasting time.

Plan Your Day
Set aside time at the end of each day for daily planning. A time for you to take control of your most important asset, the next twenty-four hours. Create a "to do" list with all the things you "have to" do and, more importantly, all the things you "want to" do. A “to do” list organizes your thinking and planning onto one form in the least amount of time with the maximum amount of efficiency.

Evaluate Time Wasters
Time wasters come from the people around you as well as from within yourself. Some time wasters are unavoidable, but can be reduced. Identify the most frequent sources of time wasters in your day. Whatever you discover to be a time waster you must take steps to deal with.

Find ways to do things faster.
Look for ways you can get more done within your day. Plan your trips and errands so you don’t backtrack and can combine as many tasks as possible into one trip. Use time management tools like a simple calendar, a day planner, a dry erase board, or even adding reminders on your computer or cell phone.

I hope that these tips will help you find ways to more productive and stop wasting your time.

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