LEAN ROADMAP

Implemenation advice from Jay Watson

Phase 1 (Get Ready): Planning for Improvement

Conduct a coaching session with Jay Watson on Managing Change to develop and deliver a clear strategy for operational excellence. Start by taking a quick review of the Critical Success Factors required to prepare your organization for the journey to lean thinking.

Understanding how to manage change requires careful thought and preparation of the leadership team. I recommend the formation of a corporate or site level cross-functional steering committee, meeting once a month. Members should read the first five chapters of Lean Thinking and the following resources available in paperback: Leaning into Six Sigma; All I Needed to Know About Manufacturing I Learned in Joe's Garage., and Creating a Lean Culture. Purchase a couple of copies of each resource and share with all staff members and future Lean leaders. Design and implement a Lean Leader Development Process.

Next, develop five to seven key performance metrics and a straightforward and simple Continuous Improvement Plan, to begin your effort. Communicate your plan to everyone throughout the organization. Conduct an operational excellence audit of your facilities. From the results, use the concepts of Hoshin Planning, and a Lean Leader Development process over a six-month period to define and interject specific improvement initiatives within your management process. Gain a greater understanding of the Role of the Operational Excellence Champion(a FREE Lecture), and develop a mentoring process.

Conduct a coaching session with Jay Watson to practice mentoring newly minted lean leaders and their Champions.

Phase II (Get set): Conducting a Pilot Program

Conduct a 5-day kaizen event, usually around a 5S effort. Use this as a train-the-trainer with a Lean Leader / Facilitator from your facility and an outside consultant. Duplicate efforts in another location without outside consultant. Evaluate lessons learned and best practice sharing. Implement an employee suggestion system for individual contributors. Encourage submittal of ideas. Adopt and implement good ideas. Thank people for their ideas.

Conduct a coaching session with Jay Watson on Instilling a Kaizen Culture.

Phase III (Go!): Team Problem Solving/ Skills Development

Send Lean Advocate(s) and five to eight Lean Team leaders to the Team Facilitation/ Leadership session on how to conduct effective meetings and manage progress.

From 'Kaizen hopper' of items (problem areas) needing improvement, conduct Kaizen events or Lean/ Green Belt projects around: 5S, VSM and Analysis of Waste, Kanban, Visual Management, TPM, Set-Up reduction et al. On the very first project, send a Champion, a Lean Leader and the Lean Team members (5 to 7 participants) to attend the 3-hour introductory Lean Team Workshop (Foundational Lean Thinking orientation).

Conduct a coaching session with Jay Watson on Promoting Kaizen Success to sustain the gains.