10 · Daily Kaizen
1. GEMBA WALK STAGE
During the Gemba Walk
2. BRIEF DESCRIPTION
A Daily Kaizen is essentially a Kaizen event that can be carried out on the spot where the work is done, by anyone, at any time. Daily Kaizens are typically made and reviewed in a matter of minutes or hours. Although these improvements are usually the smallest ones, over time, they add up to a significant improvement of efficiency, safety, and ease of work for the employees.
Daily Kaizens are one of the simplest and most effective ways to sustain the continuous improvement culture in the organization.
3. HOW TO USE THE DAILY KAIZEN IN THE GEMBA WALK
The Daily Kaizen occurs during the Gemba Walk when the entire Gemba team is present on the spot of the observation or problem. As the team identifies an opportunity, it quickly assesses if it can be solved as a Daily Kaizen or if it needs to become a formal Kaizen event. If the opportunity can be addressed within minutes or a few hours, then the entire team brainstorms on the possible solutions, implements the most promising one and monitors the results.
4. ROLES AND ACTIVITIES
Leader: Starts the Daily Kaizen activity when a suitable improvement opportunity has been identified, engages the team to identify solutions and supports the implementation
Facilitator: Supports Daily Kaizen activity, offers support and advice during the Daily Kaizen and coaches leaders
Team member: Participates in Daily Kaizen and actively proposes improvements
5. EXPECTED BENEFITS FOR THE GEMBA WALK
Enables the discovery of improvement initiatives and projects by the team
Encourages on-the-spot problem-solving
Enables rapid reflection, learning, and skill-building
Empowers employees
6. ORGANIZATIONS THAT PERFORM DAILY KAIZENS
Airbus Defence and Space, Barry Callebaut, Bocar Group, CEMEX, IMC, Interface, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Swisscom and Thermo Fisher Scientific