JMAC Consultant Tips: How to improve loss #1 ~Understand the purpose of Kaizen~

Knowing the improvement steps is important for making loss improvements/Kaizen.

The basic flow is:

Understand the current situation → Set targets → Analyze factors/causes

→ Implement measures → Verify the effectiveness

This is the flow of the process. Those who have already implemented some improvements can probably imagine this flow.

There are many books and other sources that introduce improvement steps, and  so many different types that it's difficult to say which one is correct.

Also, when you compare each step, even though the order may be a little different, they have many items in common. So, when using improvement steps, choose ones that are easy to understand and use.

The chart below shows the general steps for Focused Improvement.

As you gain experience and gain results from implementing improvements, try creating original steps that suit your workplace.

Below is a summary of the aims of using the improvement steps:

(1) Sharing and common understanding of how to proceed

By proceeding with improvement activities according to the steps, it becomes possible to share the method of proceeding and the direction. For example, rather than simply understanding the implementation items such as grasping the current situation and setting goals, you can understand what needs to be done to achieve them.

(2) Scheduling and progress management

By creating plans and schedules based on the steps, you can get a rough idea of ​​when improvements will be implemented and when the improvement effects will be achieved. By checking the start and completion times of steps, you can use this information to manage the progress of improvement activities (see figure below).

(3) Clarifying role allocation and human resource development

By utilizing the improvement steps, you can select people with the necessary skills depending on the implementation item, or assign roles for the purpose of skill training.

(4) Accumulation and utilization of knowledge

When using improvement cases as knowledge within a company or team, organizing and accumulating the content according to the steps creates commonality and makes the improvement cases easier to refer to. For example, some companies have employees report steps 1 to 7 on a single A3 horizontal sheet of paper, and accumulate improvement information.

(5) Utilization for improvement training

By utilizing the improvement work sheet, you can use the sheet as improvement training content.In rare cases, improvement steps may be created retroactively (after the improvement has been implemented), but even if they are created retroactively, this is fine if organizing them will help with future improvements.

●Author profile

Nobuhiro Otsuka, Chief TPM Consultant

After joining the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM), Nobuhiro has been working on projects to improve productivity, reduce costs, and improve quality in the metal products, electrical and electronic parts, automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and medical products, and paper industries. Nobuhiro provides consulting support from both a Gemba (shopfloor) perspective and a management perspective. Supports many companies both domestically and overseas. Currently works on a wide range of projects including TPM, cost management/cost reduction, quality improvement, industrial engineering, factory layout planning, purchasing/procurement, etc.

Katsunori Kanegae, Chief TPM Consultant, Director of TPM Consulting Business

After working as a production engineer at an electrical manufacturer, Katsunori became a consultant. As an expert in production strategy, production methods, and equipment management, he has been supporting domestic and international manufacturing companies in productivity improvement, cost management, defect reduction, inventory reduction, and lead time improvement projects. His expertise extends to researching advanced equipment maintenance technology and working on digital transformation in equipment maintenance. He also has authored numerous articles on digital transformation.