Criteria for selecting first few processes to Kaizen
The ideal process for a first kaizen event...
- Is guaranteed to succeed
- Enjoys the enthusiasm of everyone involved - especially mid management
- Is a bottleneck that will break open dramatic increased productivity for the entire value stream
- Has obvious potential for dramatic improvement
- Is an easy project - a confidence builder
- Is pretty much a self-contained process that isn't influenced greatly by outside forces
- Involves a physical product (rather than information or management policy issues that can be kaizened later)
- It doesn't require computer programming or any technology that can't be completed in 3 days
- It doesn't contain a "monument" that can't easily and inexpensively be replaced in 3 days
- Won't require exceptional involvement of outside support (e.g. riggers, maintenance, IT...)
- Won't cost very much money
- Ideally involves a product that can be made with a cell with fewer than a dozen operators
- Ideally involves a product with medium to high volume
- Is a stable, repeatable process that isn't plagued with equipment downtime or yield issues
- Has clearly defined and easily understood performance measures
- Is a simple process that is well-known and/or easily understood by everyone
- Can be copied and used in other areas
- Is highly visible (exception: if top management isn't fully on board yet, then sometimes a "stealth kaizen" can be the best way to prove the concept)
Suggested focus for first Kaizen Events
- 5S
- Setup time reduction
- Productivity improvement. Processes that increase output, or reduce resource requirements.