kaizen or kaikaku

Kaizen or KaikakuTwo Approches to Improvement

Scrum Gathering London, October 12, 2011

Agenda

• Continuous Improvement• Kaizen• Kaikaku• Conclusions and Summary

Exercise 1

Think of three things you already know about Continuous Improvement and one thing you want to learn today

Introduce yourself to a person near you and tell this person what you thought of

1 + 2 + 2

Continuous Improvement

• Different Types• Prerequisites• Kaikaku• Kaizen• How to use Hansei to strenghten

continuous improvement

Different Types

• There are different types of Continuous Improvement.

•Kaikaku•Kaizen•Retrospectives (team

based)•Etc.

Learning organizations [are] organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.(Senge 1990)

Continuous Improvement

• Continuous improvement is strongly connected to learning organizations.

• To become a truly learning organization you need to continuously improve.

Characteristics of aLearning Organization

• Management is continuous innovation and improvement

• Leaders as Teachers who help people grow and facilitate learning

• Respect and trust for people• What are we learning? How can we improve?• Autonomy: Broad knowledge and decision

rights

© 2011 Lean Software Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Obstacles to Learning

• Silo thinking• No time for reflection• No compelling long-term-vision• Apathy• Problem denial• Leaders don’t value learning• No systematic framework for learning

© 2011 Lean Software Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Kaizen

http://imperia.info/e_unternehmen_histo.htm

Kaizen (改善 ?), Japanese for "improvement", or "change for the better" refers to philosophy or practices that focus upon continuous improvement of processes in manufacturing, engineering, game development, and business management.

Kaikaku

http://designofluna.blogspot.com/2011/06/en-rod-liten-stuga.html

Hansei

Hansei, "self-reflection") is a central idea in Japanese culture.

Its meaning is to acknowledge your own mistake and to pledge improvement.

http://relationalcontextofteaching.edublogs.org/files/2011/06/critical-thinking-self-reflection-2gm1cp3-150x150.jpg

Continuous Improvement

• Learning Organization

• Kaizen – Evolutionary or Stepwise Improvement

• Kaikaku – Radical Improvement

• Hansei - Reflection

Pursuing Perfection

Never-ending improvement effort

1. Map the current value stream2. Identify sources of waste3. Review improvement ideas4. Select improvements5. Design and document future state6. Implement future state7. Monitor value stream performance

© 2011 Lean Software Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Challenges in Kaizen

• Make people think bigger• Improve business literacy• Break through internal boundaries• Confront skeptics• Invest time in learning• Ensure sufficient resources

© 2011 Lean Software Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Kaizen

Kai - To Break

Zen - For the Better

Kaizen Mindset

Startingpoint: setting the right mindset• Everything can and should be improved• Not a single day should go by without some kind of improvement being

made somewhere in the company• Imagine the ideal customer experience and strive to provide it• Don't criticize, suggest an improvement• Think of how to improve it instead of why it can't be improved• think beyond common sense. Even if something is working, try to find

the ways to make it work even better• See problem solving as cross-functional systematic and collaborative

approach.

The Hansei Attitude

Mastery requires careful observation and reflectionTo get better at what we do, we must build observation and reflection into everything we doIt is not DOING that is the hard problem, it is SEEING the world correctlyReflection yields intellectual LEVERAGE

© 2011 Lean Software Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Observe Capture

Reflect(Hansei)

Solve(A3)

Organizational Learning

© 2011 Lean Software Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Benefits of Kaizen

Systematic organizational learningOpportunity to get better at getting betterImproved business performanceDevelop people through imroved critical thinking skillsImproved motivationImproved clarity – connect strategy with execution challenges

© 2011 Lean Software Institute. All Rights Reserved.

Kaikaku

Radical change

Precursor to Kaizen

AKA Kaizen Blitz

Necessary to break paradigms

Kaikaku commandments 1(2)

• Throw out the traditional concept of manufacturing methods.

• Think about how the new method will work, not how it won't work.

• Don't accept excuses; totally deny the status quo.

• Don't seek perfection; a 50% implementation rate is fine as long as it's done on the spot.

Kaikaku commandments 2(2)

• Correct mistakes the moment they are found.• Problems give you a chance to use your

brains.• Ask "Why" five times.• Ten person's ideas are better than one

person's knowledge.• Kaikaku knows no limits

Key points of Kaikaku

Addition to Kaizen

Rapid change event

Revolutionary

Sometimes precursor to Kaizen

Finally

© 2011 Lean Software Institute. All Rights Reserved.

References

• Senge, P. M. (1990) The Fifth Discipline. The art and practice of the learning organization, London: Random House.

• www.leansoftwareinstitute.com

Arne Åhlander

• arne.ahlander@aqqurite.se• arne.ahlander@leansoftwareinstitute.com• www.aqqurite.se• www.leansoftwareinstitute.com• www.twitter.com/ArneAhl• www.linkedin.com/in/arneahlander