{"id":25851,"date":"2021-03-29T19:58:32","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T23:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/?p=25851"},"modified":"2025-09-30T16:52:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T20:52:05","slug":"kaizen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/kaizen\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for a successful kaizen event"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Kaizen is a <a href=\"https:\/\/theleanway.net\/what-is-continuous-improvement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Japanese word<\/a> meaning \u201ccontinuous improvement,\u201d and it refers to the incremental steps taken to create a more efficient, optimized workplace. As the concept of kaizen has gained popularity in North America, many companies have started holding kaizen events to improve specific areas or processes, as <a href=\"https:\/\/shoplogix.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shoplogix<\/a>\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/martinboersema\/?originalSubdomain=ca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Martin Boersema<\/a> explains in this video.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/vregisflexpipe.github.io\/video\/tips-for-a-successful-kaizen-event\/en\/\" width=\"100%\" height=\"910\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>What is a kaizen event?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25782\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/groupe_815x485.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"815\" height=\"485\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/groupe_815x485.jpg 815w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/groupe_815x485-768x457.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/groupe_815x485-375x223.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/groupe_815x485-24x14.jpg 24w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/groupe_815x485-36x21.jpg 36w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/groupe_815x485-48x29.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 815px) 100vw, 815px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The goal of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isixsigma.com\/dictionary\/kaizen-event\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">kaizen event<\/a> is to make improvements to a particular area or process within a business. In the manufacturing sector, this involves a kaizen facilitator meeting with operators and supervisors, usually over a few days. The aim is to analyze the current process and identify potential improvements.<\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2>How to lead a successful kaizen event<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25839\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/happy_815x485-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"815\" height=\"485\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/happy_815x485-3.jpg 815w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/happy_815x485-3-768x457.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/happy_815x485-3-375x223.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/happy_815x485-3-24x14.jpg 24w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/happy_815x485-3-36x21.jpg 36w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/happy_815x485-3-48x29.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 815px) 100vw, 815px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re facilitating a kaizen event, here are a few things to keep in mind.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t try to solve the problem yourself.<\/strong><br \/>\nTo understand the problem and identify the right solutions, speak with the people most familiar with the process you\u2019re analyzing: the operators. Ask them what problems they deal with on the job every day. Their answers will help you determine the appropriate improvements.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Choose your team carefully.<br \/>\n<\/strong>Most <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.kainexus.com\/improvement-disciplines\/kaizen\/who-should-participate-in-kaizen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">participants in your kaizen event<\/a> should be directly involved in the process you\u2019re reviewing. Include the operators, but also the supervisor, as they will be the one overseeing any changes you decide to make. It\u2019s also a good idea to invite an employee who is not involved in the process\u2014they can often provide a fresh perspective on the problem at hand.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Understand the company\u2019s goals.<br \/>\n<\/strong>As leader, you\u2019re responsible for ensuring that any proposed changes are in line with the company\u2019s strategic objectives. This means finding a balance between optimization and what the company needs. For instance, you might find a way for an assembly line to produce 300\u00a0parts per hour, but if only 200\u00a0parts per hour are required, this \u201cimprovement\u201d may not be necessary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How to handle reluctant participants<\/h2>\n<p>Some employees may be reluctant to participate in a kaizen event. They may feel that their work process is fine the way it is. Or, they may have reported problems with their work process in the past and feel frustrated that no one listened to them. They may think the kaizen event isn\u2019t going to solve anything.<\/p>\n<p>The best way to deal with reluctant employees is to talk with them on the shop floor. Ask them to walk you through their work process and what problems they have with it. If there\u2019s room for improvement, it will most likely come to light during your discussion.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The key is to have these conversations at the worksite, not in a classroom. The kaizen event participants will be able to show you the challenges they struggle with, and you\u2019ll get a more complete picture of the situation.<\/p>\n<h2>A common pitfall of kaizen events<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25808\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/operator_815x485.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"815\" height=\"485\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/operator_815x485.jpg 815w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/operator_815x485-768x457.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/operator_815x485-375x223.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/operator_815x485-24x14.jpg 24w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/operator_815x485-36x21.jpg 36w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/operator_815x485-48x29.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 815px) 100vw, 815px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s say you lead a successful kaizen event that yields a list of useful improvements to be made and a plan for how to implement them. But then, weeks later, you discover that the work process has reverted to its former inefficient state. Why? It turns out that the manager wasn\u2019t on board with the changes.<\/p>\n<p>When leading a kaizen event, you must make sure the people in charge approve of the proposed changes. They will be the ones <a href=\"https:\/\/beyondlean.wordpress.com\/2012\/05\/28\/importance-of-kaizen-event-follow-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">deciding whether to follow through<\/a> on your recommendations, so be sure to take the time to explain how the changes will benefit them, their team, and the company as a whole.<\/p>\n<h2>The impact of a successful kaizen event<\/h2>\n<p>The improvements that come out of a kaizen event will ultimately lead to a better return on investment for the company. Small improvements (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.6sigma.us\/kaizen\/what-is-a-5s-event\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">5S activities<\/a>, for example) may not have a major impact on the bottom line in and of themselves, but over time, they add up.<\/p>\n<p>For the employees, however, even small changes tend to have an immediate impact: suddenly, they have a solution to a problem they\u2019ve been struggling with, in some cases for a long time. In this way, kaizen events often lead to happier, more engaged employees.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-25918\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/02-Presentation_Guest_speaker-ANG.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"595\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/02-Presentation_Guest_speaker-ANG.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/02-Presentation_Guest_speaker-ANG-768x457.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/02-Presentation_Guest_speaker-ANG-375x223.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/02-Presentation_Guest_speaker-ANG-24x14.jpg 24w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/02-Presentation_Guest_speaker-ANG-36x21.jpg 36w, https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/02-Presentation_Guest_speaker-ANG-48x29.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>About Shoplogix<\/h2>\n<p>With its industry-leading smart factory platform, <a href=\"https:\/\/shoplogix.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shoplogix<\/a> helps manufacturers reduce operating costs and maximize profitability by unlocking hidden production performance improvements. Headquartered in Oakville, Ontario, the company has an international presence, with offices around the globe.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>____________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<h2><strong>WHAT CAN FLEXPIPE DO TO OPTIMIZE YOUR PLANT EFFICIENCY?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/structure\/rack\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Flexpipe Modular industrial pipe racking system<\/a>\u00a0can help you with implementing\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/modular-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">continuous improvement principles<\/a>. Your team\u2019s creativity can result in a 10% increase in productivity per year. It has been a proven system for more than 50 years now.<\/p>\n<p>See how the modular system can increase <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/case_study\/hologic-increased-production-efficiency-with-modular-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">production efficiency by 25% i<\/a>n manufacturing processes at Hologic.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"hs-cta-embed hs-cta-simple-placeholder hs-cta-embed-194885758787\"\n  style=\"max-width:100%; max-height:100%; width:1000px;height:379.25px\" data-hubspot-wrapper-cta-id=\"194885758787\"><br \/>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com\/web-interactives\/public\/v1\/track\/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLJ%2BPuGEFt70lVQp8WYKNASDJ4AQIaodkGl%2B81Q0IgltdatB3AgdCkHjmVvElSm4lVNm0sxh1ru57eBuXscC831Ixxv%2B1NrJG2ZsRiYmuRlP5A05D%2FV%2Fv4RmshN%2BN6pGLaBW2kmrWMkgmvGFPQwmhv2ph%2FjFkf1%2BX09zTc3KuH5g6qugI5AkZp1okGRsnocS2hc4AnYJk5ts7fBz50NNKrLUqfcjC4MxBag%2B2w%3D%3D&#038;webInteractiveContentId=194885758787&#038;portalId=2641120\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><br \/>\n    <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Build Your Own Moonshine Shop from Scratch This checklist includes everything you need to set up a lean, efficient Moonshine Shop&mdash;tools, parts, and components all in one place to kickstart your project. &nbsp;\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/2641120\/interactive-194885758787.png\" style=\"height: 100%; width: 100%; object-fit: fill\"\n      onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" \/><br \/>\n  <\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kaizen is a Japanese word meaning \u201ccontinuous improvement,\u201d and it refers to the incremental steps taken to create a more efficient, optimized workplace. As the concept of kaizen has gained popularity in North America, many companies have started holding kaizen events to improve specific areas or processes, as Shoplogix\u2019s Martin Boersema explains in this video. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/kaizen\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":25846,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","_eb_data_table":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[325],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lean-manufacturing"],"acf":[],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":5,"sum_votes":25},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25851\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}