Kaizen

Kaizen is a constant drive to improve everything a company does, translated into specific forms, methods and techniques. The system makes it possible to raise labor productivity, profitability and competitiveness without major capital investment. The training is designed as a first introduction to the kaizen philosophy and to share practical experience of implementing it.

Who it is for

• Senior and middle managers.
• Quality department heads and specialists.
• Employees responsible for improving the company’s management system.

Learning outcomes

Participants will:

1. Learn the core principles of kaizen.
2. Gain initial skills in developing and documenting kaizen procedures tailored to their company.
3. Learn to apply kaizen principles to business processes, workplace organization and strategic management.
4. Learn to think and propose ideas in terms of continuous improvement and a lean approach to business.
5. Study 5S tools and ways to implement them in a company.
6. Practice what they have learned in kaizen workshops and case studies.

Class hours: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Program

• The concept of a process, its nature and essence.
• The kaizen methodology.
• Tools for handling nonconformities: Ishikawa diagram, cause-and-effect analysis, process FMEA, paired comparison and others.
• Designing a process for unplanned but continuous improvements.
• Designing a process for continuous planned improvements.
• Motivating staff to improve: types and methods of financial motivation, methods for calculating improvement bonuses.
• Creativity techniques for generating new ideas.
• The 5S methodology as one element of the kaizen system.
• Simple lean manufacturing tools.
• Simple tools from E. Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints.
• Answers to participants’ questions.

Handouts

• Electronic copy of the training presentation.
• Document templates and diagrams for implementing kaizen in your organization.

Instructors

Practicing trainers with many years of experience implementing kaizen methods.

Management block

Developing a kaizen mindset among employees and training staff in kaizen work. The role of the front-line manager in developing production, and the personal and professional qualities required.

Waste in leadership and communication and its impact on the front-line manager’s work. Training film “Is It Easy to Be a Manager?”, part 1.

The system for interaction and development of production staff. Setting tasks that drive the end result: criteria for a well-set task. Practical exercise using the SMARTER technique.

How to get out of constant “firefighting” mode. Exercise “A Day in the Life of a Manager”: setting priorities, the Eisenhower matrix.

Delegation: why managers avoid it, key principles, rules for assigning tasks, choosing the right person. Exercise “Assigning Work”: what can and cannot be delegated.

Four levels of employee maturity. Management styles: which style to use, when and with whom. Assessing an employee’s readiness for a specific task. Exercise on choosing a management style, setting tasks and the type of control.

Tools for effective communication: constructive conversation techniques, seven rules of good feedback, handling objections and sabotage — five steps of a two-minute conversation. Practical exercise on interacting with staff.

Employee training and development: identifying training needs, the competency matrix, types of training, TWI (Training Within Industry) — on-the-job training and mentoring.

The manager as a leader: how to build a position in which employees propose solutions themselves. The language of solutions versus the language of problems.

Motivating employees to deliver results: working with individual motivation, tools for assessing motivators, shared interests of the company and the employee, typical management mistakes, how to get the team excited about a project idea. Training film “Is It Easy to Be a Manager?”, part 2.

Q&A session.