The Kaizen Blitz

From my point of view, there is a substantial difference between these two Continuous Improvement offerings. I know that many lean colleagues call them indistinguishable, I respect their viewpoint as long as they are doing them and not just talking about them.

I call a Kaizen Event a workshop that will usually be developed at a facility that has not been thoroughly exposed to Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement processes.

In a Kaizen Event I usually start from the assumption that most participants are for the first time getting information about the principles of Kaizen.

When we produce an event, we meet with the team that usually is comprised of a wide range of participants; operators, supervisors, and leaders, up to top management.

The first meeting is about making everyone aware of the benefits and value that Continuous Improvement brings to all of them. The event will start with the discussion of the problems (sorry for the bad word), rather opportunities identified in a clearly delimited area of a plant.

To transform the working area into a friendlier, safer, and more productive place and to start taking advantage of identified opportunities, we use motivational learning techniques to help participants contribute their creativity and ingenuity.

We will usually discuss a few of the lean manufacturing strategies and tools, especially those that are immediately applicable to the area in focus. Then we take a tour in the area and identify not only the opportunities they had already thought of, but many more, some times as many as three or four times the original list of opportunities.

We then, in alternative sessions between the classroom and the work area start a selective process defining which of the improvements would give us the fastest and most rewarding results. When I say “rewarding” here, not necessarily do I mean economic results. Here we talk more about “Cultural Rewards.” This means we look for those improvements that will certainly give the operation more safety, efficiency, and the participants more pride! This pride is what can make the difference between a flash and a perpetual light in your lean process.

So in summary, the Kaizen Event will provide education, information, training, results, and motivation to all the participants so they keep the purpose going.

Once we have performed several of these in different areas in the plant, we will reach a point where most people not only are familiar with the Kaizen Culture, but many become authentic enthused proponents and defenders of the improvements.

This is the strategic “blossoming” point where we find natural leaders among the trainees, and encourage them to come up with a kaizen blitz: An event where we assume that most participants already have their "feet on the ground and running" in the Continuous Improvement discipline.

While a Kaizen Event can usually be a one week activity, the Kaizen Blitz can be just a few hours, or as long as one week.

In both cases, the key is to develop an environment with a great flow of respectful, creative communication. We need to have the conviction that we all can learn from each other member in the team. This initiative should of course be strongly supported by Top Management to achieve the right results.

For more on the Kaizen Blitz and the Kaizen Event: Click here