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
In Part B of your Course Project, you will 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 your Course Project to identify improvement opportunities in the process
you mapped that are suitable for Kaizen events or Work-Outs.
1. Identify and describe at least three potential Kaizen or Work-Out events.
2. Select one event to be deployed and justify your selection of this event over your other options.
3. Define the Kaizen objective and scope for the selected event.
4. Develop a detailed agenda for your selected event. Use a tabular format, showing:
• Days and Times
Explain how your agenda supports the Kaizen objective and scope for the event. In your
explanation, include your rationale for:
Duration of sessions (granular enough to be effective)
Number of days and sequence for session topics
Lean tools to be used and outputs from each session.
Your explanation must be specific to your processes andorganization/department/function so that
all stakeholders in your organization can relate to the agenda.