KAIZEN is not Random

As organizations evolve to identify and implement the perfect process they migrate through a series of kaizen activities. Although often placed under the banner of Lean it truly is the migration from Batch to JIT to Jidoka. The following indicates the progressive steps of process evolution;

1.Process Flow

2.Conveyance

3.Set-Up Reduction

4.Kanban

5.Purchase Parts Management

6.Ordering System

7.Production Instruction

8.Multi-Process Handling & Standardized Work

9.Visual Control & In Process Control

The three main types of Kaizen (and many derivatives) revolve around the method of

1.Man

2.Material

3.Machine

Manpower Related Kaizen attributes include;

•Time Study

•Motion Analysis

•Work Element Analysis

•Standardized Work & Kaizen

•Daily Report-Outs & Stand-Up meetings

Material Related Kaizen

Typically most organizations use standard Value Stream Mapping based on Mike Roether’s book “Learning to See” to identify opportunities to improve flow which can incorporate the following

•Takt Time

•Flow – Material & Information

•Inventory

•Process Information

•Lead-Time

Machine Kaizen

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is an excellent tool to

identify and prioritize equipment improvements;

•Availability (Breakdowns & Changeover)

•Performance (Cycle Time & Small Stops)

•Quality (Scrap, Rework, Yield and Start-Up Losses)

.Categorize your Kaizen activities for best results and success.

As the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores is on a mission to determine the social and environmental impact of every item it puts on its shelves. And it has recruited scholars, suppliers, and environmental groups to help it create an electronic indexing system to do that.

The idea is to create a universal rating system that scores products based on how environmentally and socially sustainable they are over the course of their lives. Consider it the green equivalent to nutrition labels.

Wal-Mart plans to begin by asking its more than 100,000 suppliers around the world to answer the following 15 simple questions about the sustainable practices of their companies. Here is an opportunity to see if you can answer them about your own organization.

Energy and Climate

Reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions

1. Have you measured your corporate greenhouse gas emissions? (Y/N)

2. Have you opted to report your greenhouse gas emissions to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)? (Y/N)

3. What are your total greenhouse gas emissions reported in your most recently completed report? (Enter total metric tons CO2e, e.g. CDP6 Questionnaire, Section 2b – Scope 1 and 2 emissions)

4. Have you set publicly available greenhouse gas reduction targets? If yes, what are those targets? (Enter total metric tons and target date; 2 fields or leave blank)

Material Efficiency

Reduce waste and enhance quality

Scores will be automatically calculated based on your participation in the Packaging Scorecard in addition to the

following:

5. If measured, please report total amount of solid waste generated from the facilities that produce your product(s) for Wal-Mart Inc for the most recent year measured. (Enter total lbs)

6. Have you set publicly available solid waste reduction targets? If yes, what are those targets? (Enter total lbs and target date; 2 fields or leave blank)

7. If measured, please report total water use from the facilities that produce your product(s) for Wal-Mart Inc for the most recent year measured. (Enter total gallons)

8. Have you set publically available water use reduction targets? If yes, what are those targets? (Enter total gallons and target date; 2 fields or leave blank)

Natural Resources

High quality, responsibly sourced raw materials

9. Have you established publicly available sustainability purchasing guidelines for your direct suppliers that address issues such as environmental compliance, employment practices, and product/ingredient safety? (Y/N)

10. Have you obtained 3rd party certifications for any of the products that you sell to Walmart? If so, from the list of certifications below, please select those for which any of your products are, or utilize materials that are, currently certified.

People and Community

Responsible & ethical production

11. Do you know the location of 100% of the facilities that produce your product(s)? (Y/N)

12. Before beginning a business relationship with a manufacturing facility, do you evaluate their quality of production and capacity for production? (Y/N)

13. Do you have a process for managing social compliance at the manufacturing level? (Y/N)

14. Do you work with your supply base to resolve issues found during social compliance evaluations and also document specific corrections and improvements? (Y/N)

15. Do you invest in community development activities in the markets you source from and/or operate within? (Y/N)