A variety of tasks takes place each day during a kaizen event. Here is a recommended guideline.
Day 1
The first day of a typical 5S kaizen event is dedicated to removing all unnecessary items from the work area. First, take pictures of the line or area to be used for comparing its current state to its future state.
Second, divide the team into two subteams: a sort team and a receiving team. The sort team is in charge of identifying the items that are no longer necessary for the operators—for example, workbenches, tools, parts, documentation, chairs, and garbage cans. Each item should be properly identified with a tag, often referred to as a red tag. A red tag is filled out and placed on the object to be removed.
The line operators on the team should be part of the sort team because they have firsthand knowledge of what is needed and unneeded. Ask a lot of questions as a group to ensure that the right things are being tagged. Leave only the items needed to do the work.
The receiving team should set up an area in the factory for accepting tagged items from the sort team. Place signage identifying the area as off-limits to the other employees. As the items begin to arrive in the collection area, the receiving team should document everything on a master list, keeping track of the discarded items. Toward the end of the day, the sort team should wrap up its objectives and can assist the receiving team in documenting the final results. It is good practice to invite the kaizen steering committee to the collection area to view the mountain of unused tools, parts, workbenches, and so on that was identified as unneeded and removed from the area.
Days 2 and 3
The sorting on day 1 has created an island effect, so days 2 and 3 are dedicated to putting the line or area back together. You will be surprised by what has been identified as truly needed to perform the work. As the team starts to compress the line and put the remaining items in order, start creating designations on the floor.
Using floor tape, identify each item—such as pallets of material, parts racks, garbage cans, and so on —with its appropriate floor designation. Each item should also have a label on the floor identifying what it is and possible quantity requirements. Put parts into bins, and label each bin with the correct part description, part number, quantity, and workstation.
Create workstation signs and other designations to provide a visual guide to the workstation design. Allow the team to be creative and come up with interesting ways to identify items. Everything should have a home, including miscellaneous tools and supplies. Make sure that tools and air hoses are not on the floor and are placed at waist height or overhead. Finally, clean the area, giving it a showroom
appearance. The team leader should take pictures of the final layout showing the improvements made by the team.
Last Day
The team leader should put together a presentation that will be shown to the kaizen steering committee and other employees either at the end of day 3 or the following morning. It should contain before and after pictures, along with the individual accomplishments of each team member. Finally, take a tour of the line or area, including the collection area.
Chapter Wrap-Up
Developing the individual elements of the company kaizen program is not difficult, but it takes time. Remember the following key points: (1) Every successful lean program requires a firm foundation that allows a company to allocate the appropriate resources and make time to implement the lean initiative; (2) you should establish an effective communication system that will ensure buy in, participation, and awareness; (3) you should allow every employee to have an opportunity to participate in a kaizen event and to offer input and suggestions; (4) the kaizen steering committee, dedicated to planning and execution of kaizen events, is an essential component. Your lean journey will progress with this company kaizen program.
4. Early Stumbling Blocks
So you have sent your engineers and middle managers to the best lean manufacturing training money can buy. Now what? It is a lot of information to absorb, and there is a tremendous amount of work that must be done. Chapter 3 explained the importance of having a comprehensive company kaizen program to help you plan and execute kaizen events to implement lean manufacturing. In this chapter, I explain the fundamental building blocks of lean manufacturing as they apply to 5S, data collection, quality, and workstation design.
Attention to detail ensures the success of a lean journey. Not all the tools and techniques in the lean philosophy are applicable to all processes, so it is important to learn about the tools and apply them where they are appropriate.
In this chapter I also outline the common mistakes organizations make when preparing information for new process designs. It takes time to learn and use most of the tools and techniques effectively. Therefore, explaining some of the stumbling blocks in the early stages of the journey should help you avoid failure of your lean implementation. Here are the basic tools: