This book describes the remarkable new strategy to implement lean manufacturing and improve quality, cost, and delivery. You will learn why traditional improvement strategies don't work, and why Kaizen Events are the ideal tool to achieve breakthrough results. How to grow your own internal Kaizen Event leaders even if you start with outside consultants. Review a checklist of preparatory steps you must take to lead your kaizen team to success. Understand the results your Kaizen Events should deliver, and how to set achievable breakthrough goals. How to chose team members for your Kaizen Events, and why asking for volunteers is not the best answer. How to teach your team to identify and eliminate non-value-added steps, and how doing so will improve your quality, productivity, and delivery. Learn what to do each day of the Kaizen Event, and how to stay on track. How to avoid a long list of lingering action items after your Kaizen Events. How to sustain the results attained during kaizen events over the long-term. Learn the similarities and differences among lean manufacturing, JIT, demand flow, and cellular manufacturing. Gain a solid understanding of pull scheduling, one-piece continuous flow, work cells, set-up reduction, preventive maintenance, kanban, 5S and standard work. Understand the limits of Kaizen Events and how to accelerate improvement after the first two years. How to use kaizen events to improve non-manufacturing areas like product development, receiving, MIS, and accounting. And more!
Note from the Author:
What are kaizen events, and can you really use them to double your profits? Kaizen is a Japanese word which means improvement. A kaizen event is a focused week-long improvement effort. A well-planned and expertly led event can produce one or more of the following results: lead time and work-in-process reduced by 80%, scrap reduced by 50%, and productivity increased by 30%. These improvements will help you simultaneously increase your market share and reduce your costs, resulting in dramatically better profits.
The ideas in this book are presented in the form of a story for ease of reading and maximum learning. Each chapter ends with a summary of key points for efficient review.
Dive into this book, dream about what you can accomplish, then go out and do it.
