Kaizen events or Work-Outs are one- to five-day rapid improvement events widely used in the deployment of
Lean and Operational Excellence. Jack was a huge fan of Work-Outs, which were so named because the focus
was on getting the unnecessary work out of the system. These events were NOT just brainstorming sessions,
but were well-planned and highly structured events that had:
A well-defined process and set of expectations going in
Sufficient time and freedom from distraction so participants could focus on the issues being discussed
Participation by key stakeholders all the way from line workers to senior management
Clearly defined requirements for decision and action
The second component of your Course Project is to construct a detailed agenda for such an event. The
agenda must demonstrate how you will get input from key stakeholders involved with the selected process,
use the correct Lean tools, and conclude the event with actionable improvement outcomes.
Instructions
Use your work from Part A of the Project to identify improvement opportunities in the value stream that are
suitable for Kaizen events or Work-Outs.
1) List the potential Kaizen events, select the one to be deployed, and justify your selection. Then, define the
Kaizen objective and scope for the selected event.
2) Develop a detailed agenda for each Kaizen event. Use a tabular format, showing:
• Days and times
• Session topics
• Lean tools to be used
• Deliverables or outputs
• Rationale
3) Explain your choice for number of days and sequence for session topics, and justify the Lean tools to be used and outputs from each session. Show how your Kaizen agenda supports the Kaizen objective and scope for the event. This discussion should be specific to your value stream and organization.
