5S – A five step method to organize space. The steps are: Sort, Shine, Set in Order, Standardize, and Sustain.
Big Idea Sheet – Document that says a Kaizen team’s purpose, objectives, current problem statement, company significance, and outcome requirements. A.K.A. charter or scope document.
Clouds – Specific Issues, opportunities, or questions noted by team members during observation. Best when they show root causes.
Common Cause – An unwanted result that regularly comes from a system. It is a symptom, to fix it understand the root cause and address the system, not the symptom.
Constraint – Any process step that cannot meet demand. Occurs when: cycle time / resources > takt time
Crew Size – The amount of staff or resources necessary to complete a task. The ideal is calculated as: cycle time / takt time
Cycle Time – Hands on work content and processing time. Can be recorded for one step, or totaled for all work.
Engagement – Doing extra for the organization.
Error Proof – Design that makes user mistakes physically impossible.
Kaizen – Team based method for improving work. Used to implement Lean principles. Follows the Plan – Do – Check – Act cycle. Literally translated from Japanese as rapid improvement for the better.
Key Performance Indicators – Live metrics that show how the most vital workflow is doing. The metrics call out quality, time, and productivity. A direct metric is better than an index.
Lead Time – The total duration of a process. It’s the entire time of all activities and waites, from the moment a product or service is sought until it’s fulfilled.
Lean – A system of methods and tools proven to increase value, often by decreasing waste. Lean is a general term, and while the principals are consistent, they’re applied differently based on the setting.
Necessary Work – Work that does not directly create value and cannot be eliminated. A prime target for reduction and improvement.
Observation – Seeing work happen, in the work area, by the people who do it, and recording relevant process information: who, what, where, when, why, and how.
One Piece Flow – Doing work on one item from start to finish before doing any other activity, and passing down one item at a time. A fundamental tenet of Lean process design, and likely the most powerful.
Operator Instructions -A guide for workers to follow that clearly details how to complete a task. Best done with simple descriptions and images of the work, and expected results.
Productivity – The units of work done by a person, team, or organization. It can be measured as units / person, or person / units; what’s most important is consistency across the organization.
Pull – A way to organize work so that the downstream resource takes on an assignment as they become available to complete it. The result is higher quality and an ability to instantly reallocate work. This method is the greatest contributor to lead time reduction.
Push – A way to organize work by scheduling tasks for individuals to complete. Typically, a manager will try and balance the workload evenly among their team members.
Quality – The amount of work completed within a range of desired requirements, on first pass, without rework.
Safety – The elimination of potential accidents to workers and customers. To do this use error proofing methods and always address near misses and small events.
Softball Coaching – A 21 day, on-site supervision, to reinforce positive behavior and correct errors.
Special Cause – An outcome that is out of the ordinary for a system. To fix it, address the issue directly, but don’t mess with the entire system.
Standard Work – A management playbook that visually details how coordinated actions are best accomplished. It includes: timing, content, sequence, and expected outcome of work. If something has gone wrong, it shows why, and how to get back on track.
System – Multiple parts that act together to produce a result that none of them could have produced alone. Systems produce predictable outcomes within a measurable range.
Takt Time – The rate of customer demand. Calculated as: available time / number of units. It sets the pace for all activities and is also used to tally crew size needs.
Target Sheet – A document of numerical goals for the kaizen team, and where the team records its progress. The goals are stated as process requirements.
Timeliness – The measure of how well customer demand and satisfaction are met by a process. Reflected as process lead time, or the cycle time of a primary constraint.
Try-Storm – A mashup of brainstorm and try. It’s the use of small rapid experiments to learn what works.
Value Adding Work– What the customer is willing to pay for, or the fundamental purpose of a given function.
Value Stream Map – A type of process map that shows where value is created, and what areas of opportunity exist. It’s elements are always: value added time, cycle time, lead time, process steps, push vs pull, work in process, tools used, people, information systems, and clouds.
Visual Management – Tools to induce specific behaviors towards a desired outcome. In order of increasing effectiveness, they are: signs, signals, controls, and guarantees.
Waste – Anything that does not contribute to create value for the customer. Categorized as: defects, overproduction, waiting, neglect, transportation, inventory, motion, and excessive processing.
