Homework
Kaizen or Work-Out Proposal and Detailed Agenda
Due: Monday, 9:00 am (eastern), Week 7 (20%).
Overview
Kaizen events or Work-Outs are one- to five-day rapid improvement events widely used in the deployment of Lean and Operational Excellence. Jack was a huge fan of Work-Outs, which were so named because the focus was on getting the unnecessary work
out of the system. These events were NOT just brainstorming sessions but were well-planned and highly structured events that had:
· A well-defined process and set of expectations going in
· Sufficient time and freedom from distraction so participants could focus on the issues being discussed
· Participation by key stakeholders all the way from line workers to senior management
· Clearly defined requirements for decision and action
In Part B of your Course Project, you will construct a detailed agenda for such an event. The agenda must demonstrate how you will get input from key stakeholders involved with the selected process, use the correct Lean tools, and conclude the event with actionable improvement outcomes.
Instructions
Use your work from Part A of your Course Project to identify improvement opportunities in the process you mapped that are suitable for Kaizen events or Work-Outs
1. Identify and describe at least
three potential Kaizen or Work-Out events.
2.
Select one event to be deployed and
justify your selection of this event over your other options.
3. Define the Kaizen
objective and
scope for the selected event.
4. Develop a
detailed agenda for your selected event. Use a tabular format, showing:
· Days and Times
· Session Topics and Objectives
· Lean tools to be Used
· Outputs or Deliverables
Day | Time | Session Topic/Objective | Lean Tools | Output/Deliverables |
·
5. Explain how your agenda supports the Kaizen objective and scope for the event. In your explanation, include your rationale for:
·
· Duration of sessions (granular enough to be effective)
· Number of days and sequence for session topics
· Lean tools to be used and outputs from each session.
Your explanation must be specific to your processes and organization/department/function so that all stakeholders in your organization can relate to the agenda.
Submission Requirements
Your work is to be submitted in Word. Total length should be 3 to 4 pages, including the actual agenda.
You are free to organize your submission in whatever way you feel best presents the material and makes it easy to understand. Typically, this will mean presenting each day’s tabular agenda in granular detail (15-minute to 2-hour timeslots with details for each session) and then providing supporting pages with additional explanations.
As guidance, design this as a document you would share with your team and/or your supervisor. It should be detailed enough to clearly explain how the event will be structured and why but concise enough that it will get read.
Note: A generic agenda for a Kaizen event or a generic Lean discussion is not acceptable.
