Building a Lean Enterprise

A Lean Enterprise is characterized by efficient processes with minimum waste, highly productive value flows,and a culture of continuous learning. 

Having run successful organization-wide Lean transformation initiatives in the past, we can say with a great degree of confidence that every organization can imbibe Lean Thinking into its DNA and enjoy the journey as well!

By design, Lean initiatives are self-sustaining and self-evolving. There are no elaborate procedures or structures to be put in place, learning (training) can be hands-on and embedded within regular work. Since the initiative is driven by its own incremental, continuous successes, no large investments are required up-front.

Kaizen Blitz
Usually, it is good to start with point interventions in critical processes that need immediate attention. We call this a Kaizen Blitz! A Kaizen Blitz project is a time-bound (typically 8-10 days) intervention where a specific process or project is transformed quickly by embedding Lean principles. This includes a 1 day training for the team. The team can taste immediate success and is enabled to continue the Kaizen process.

Sometimes larger, more complex process cycles may need simultaneous intervention in multiple projects or processes - multiple connected Kaizen Blitz projects running in parallel. This would typically be a 6-8 week engagement.


Embedding Lean Thinking in an Enterprise
To sustain process innovation at the organization level, a cadre of Lean practitioners and facilitators would need to be created. We have found a 3-step process to be useful in this regard: Explore, Engage and Empower, each stage lasting 6-8 weeks.

1. In the Explore phase we we facilitate a small set of Kaizen Blitz projects. In the process, a first cadre of Lean practitioners and facilitators is created. 
2. In the Engage phase, 5-6 projects are selected for the Lean facilitators to drive the innovation process. We work closely with the Lean facilitators at this stage. Our intervention frequency is considerably reduced (as compared to the Explore phase). 
3. Finally, in the Empower phase, the Lean facilitators conceptualize and manage the innovation process on their own for a larger set of projects across the organization. We audit the projects (typically, start, mid and end) and facilitate setting up an audit process for the organization.
4. Post this engagement, we can continue to engage with the organization in audit mode, based on the organizational needs. 

Kaizen Blitz

Kaizen is Japanese for Continuous Improvement and Blitz is German for lightening.

Kaizen Blitz is a focused 2-10 days a(usually 5 comprehensive days of work) special event involving every member of the team for crafting radical change in a process. It has following phases

1. Training on Lean principles and concepts of value stream, flow and pull (ranging from half day to full day based on awareness level of the team)
2. Value stream mapping (VSM) for the relevant processes which includes sequence of all activities and cycle times and also the demand arrival rates which help in Takt time computations
3. Analysis of Value streams to find out Non-value adding (NVA) activities and capacity planning using queuing analysis (Identifying problems)
4. Brainstorming with the teams to eliminate NVA and maximizing flow (Using Crafitti’s innovation crafting process and ideation cards based on TRIZ and Vedic Principles)
5. Implementing changes in the process as per the flow based cycle time and Takt time
6. Final report (Kaizen Blitz Diary) and possible routes to solve problems as they emerge in future

Kaizen Blitz Project Report