Question

1. What is a Kaizen Burst? When are Kaizen bursts necessary in order to promote ongoing success?

2. What do you think are typical findings or results that promote the need for process redesigns?

3. How can organizations ensure that performance results are satisfying organizational goals and values?

Answer 1

Ans 1 ) Kaizen Burst - It is an event that is focussed on rapid process improvement within a small lead time of usually a month. This event looks into a specific process and looks out for the opportunity to improve the existing process and makes sure wastes are not carried forward to different processes. It is a part of LEAN management and is very helpful for process improvement.

Kaizen bursts are necessary to promote ongoing success when the process has a lot of scope for improvement and while achieving success the process produces a lot of wastes and hence it becomes necessary that the process should be improved by kaizen bursts. Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning "change for good" and hence it is needed wherever there is an opportunity for process improvement so that the process is driven at optimal conditions.

Example - Improvement in material transportation time within workstations by incorporating a conveyor belt system.

Ans 2) Below are some of the typical findings/results that call for process redesign

• Increased Process lead time leading to failure in the meeting of sales demand
• Repeated machine failures
• Excessive transportation
• space constraint
• Excessive rejections in quality
• Manpower shortages
• lowered machine output
• Poor material handling equipment and procedures leading to product damages
• The high attrition rate in the organization
• Machine Resource constraints

Ans 3) To ensure that the performance results are satisfying organizational goals and values following should be done

• To break down the organizational goals into sub-goals.
• Based on sub-goals each process objectives should be defined
• Based on objectives key deliverables from each process should be defined.
• To measure the key deliverables, key measurements should be defined with the target set against each measurable.
• The values should be inculcated in a way such that organization structure, company culture, and the way of doing business should reflect the company values.
• To have corrective actions to improve whenever the measurable does not meet expectations

By doing above Performace results will reflect on the progress of organizational goals and inculcation of organization values.

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