The Kaizen Way

The most fitting translation for the word "kaizen" is

Change is good

It's time for a change

Change for the better

Big improvement

Change for the better

The kaizen approach always involves

Investing in new equipment for the

process

Breaking apart a process to analyze it

Combining two or more process steps

into one

Drawing a process flow chart

Breaking apart a process to analyze it

The kaizen mindset is only applicable to manufacturing

operations.

(T/F)

False

During a kaizen event, we would expect the kaizen

team members to (choose all that apply)

Spend the majority of their time in meetings

Go to the gemba

Use creativity instead of money to solve problems

Try out many ideas

Rely on the workshop leader to solve the tough problems

Go to the gemba

Use creativity instead of money to solve problems

Try out many ideas

In addition to delivering process improvements, an aim

of kaizen events is to

Identify workarounds to problems

Teach employees critical thinking and problem-solving

Criticize employees who identify workplace problems

Speed up the pace of work

Teach employees critical thinking and problem-solving

A kaizen event is a focused and accelerated application

of improvement techniques in a specific area or

process. (T/F)

True

The question the leaders at Federal Heath asked to

promote kaizen was

Why did you make a mistake?

Who is responsible for this problem?

How do you think we could do this better?

How much will this improvement activity cost?

How do you think we could do this better?

A key to the success of kaizen at Federal Heath was

(choose all that apply)

Requiring every person to submit one improvement idea per month

Involving every person in 6S clean up activity

Establish regular meetings led by Lean Champions

Learn together using book clubs

Bringing in external experts to make rapid changes

Involving every person in 6S clean up activity

Establish regular meetings led by Lean Champions

Establish regular meetings led by Lean Champions

Learn together using book clubs

The kaizen example shared by Federal Heath

demonstrated improvements in

The handling and transportation of materials

The planning and scheduling of production

Inventory cycle count accuracy

Reduction of machine downtimes

The handling and transportation of materials

Challenges that Federal Heath experienced when

practicing kaizen included (choose all that apply)

Lack of interest by employees

Lack of results

Variation in the product

Expanding kaizen culture to information flow processes

Coordinating efforts across multiple locations

Variation in the product

Expanding kaizen culture to information flow processes

Coordinating efforts across multiple locations

The documentation method used to record actions

needed to bridge the gap between the current state

and future state value stream maps is called a

Kanban card

Kaizen check sheet

Kaizen newspaper

Quality newsletter

Kaizen newspaper

A system kaizen can be best described as

Improvement or redesign of a management software system

Taking a systematic approach to improvement

Improving based on priorities identified on an entire future state map

Improvement within a specific section of a value stream map

Improving based on priorities identified on an entire future state map

Value stream maps must always be used to properly

identify system kaizen initiatives.

(T/F)

True

The person responsible for facilitating the kaizen event while developing the team members' skills and knowledge is the

Process owner

Kaizen office manager

Kaizen team leader

Safety manager

Kaizen team leader

The person responsible for the area where the kaizen

event is conducted is the

Process owner

Kaizen coach

Kaizen team leader

Maintenance manager

Process owner

The role of the kaizen coach is to (choose all that

apply)

Help remove major obstacles to the team's progress

Sustain the improvements after the kaizen event concludes

Ask "why?" and "what if?" questions to challenge or inspire team members

Design solutions for the team members to implement

Help remove major obstacles to the team's progress

Ask "why?" and "what if?" questions to challenge or inspire team members

The typical kaizen event timeline spans

Six weeks

Four weeks

Two weeks

One week

Six Weeks

The best description of a well-formed kaizen team is

More than 10 people with a diverse mix of skills and knowledge

Exactly 10 people, half from the process area

Less than 10 people, with a balance of people from within and outside the area

Any number of people as long as they are all experts in the target process

area

Less than 10 people, with a balance of people from within and outside the area

All data gathering, video recording, and fact-finding

should be done during the kaizen event week.

(T/F)

False

During the kaizen event, the team leader should

Encourage people to go to the actual workplace to get the facts

Write down daily goals for the team

Remove people with a negative attitude from the team early in the week

Steer the team toward the coach's preferred solution

Write down daily goals for the team

Who should present the majority of the kaizen event

report-out on the final day?

The kaizen coach

The area manager or process owner

The kaizen team members

The kaizen team leader

The kaizen team members

The kaizen event week often begins with training

unless it's been completed in the

previous week. (T/F)

True

After a kaizen event, we often use a skill matrix to

Track the action items left over from the kaizen event week

Study the time and motion in the process

Identify waste

Cross-train workers

Cross-train workers

The term yokoten means

To rapidly improve a focused area or process

To report successful improvements to leadership

To share best practices and improvement examples horizontally

To establish pull systems where flow isn't possible

To share best practices and improvement examples horizontally

The results of the kaizen team's work from a kaizen

event week should be posited for all associates to see.

(T/F)

True

The Simple Kaizen is based on the idea that the person

who does the work

Is the expert and has ideas for how to improve it

Requires help from a kaizen team to simplify their process

Is responsible for improving their process

Must ask their colleagues for suggestions to improve their work

Is the expert and has ideas for how to improve it

The aim of a Simple Kaizen is to

Quickly achieve big changes

Find simple improvements in another person's work area

Make the work a little bit safer or easier today

Make a list of simple improvements for a kaizen team to address

Make the work a little bit safer or easier today

The Simple Kaizen approach is often combined with a visual display of implemented improvements as a way to provide recognition and motivation for more employee ideas. (T/F)

True

The role of a kaizen coach is to (choose all that apply)

Teach people how to solve problems

Solve the problems people are facing by being hands-on

Provide ideas and insights to support improvement efforts

Help people overcome obstacles and challenges when making improvements

Teach people how to solve problems

Provide ideas and insights to support improvement efforts

Help people overcome obstacles and challenges when making improvements

A successful kaizen coach will (choose all that apply)

Step in and solve the problem when the kaizen team is struggling

Step back and let the kaizen team apply the kaizen process

Follow the kaizen process

Demonstrate passion and enthusiasm for kaizen

Step back and let the kaizen team apply the kaizen process

Follow the kaizen process

Demonstrate passion and enthusiasm for kaizen

During the kaizen event week closing presentation, D.L.

Martin used visuals to

Explain financial calculations of kaizen savings

Help the team members present examples of before and after improvement

Create a value stream map

Explain the details of a time and motion analysis

Help the team members present examples of before and after improvement

When getting started with the kaizen way, the

recommended first steps include

(choose all that apply)

Try out the Simple Kaizen approach

Create a 12-month plan for kaizen events in all departments

Require all employees to submit at least one improvement idea per month

Learn about 5S, the 7 wastes, and how to apply the kaizen event framework

Try out the Simple Kaizen approach

Learn about 5S, the 7 wastes, and how to apply the kaizen event framework