LDMS Part 3 | Kaizen Action Sheets (KAS) System
Kaizen Action Sheets are a core technique to animate Kaizen… small, incremental change for the better.
The Kaizen Action Sheets (KAS) System
Description: Within the context of the Lean Daily Management System (see inset at right), the Kaizen Action Sheet is a way to capture, submit and manage small improvement ideas and track the work through to closure.
The Kaizen Action Sheet (KAS) is a single piece of paper (see below) that provides a way for individuals to suggest process improvements within their work area. The document is simple. It asks for a description of the current method and the idea for improvement. Drawings are encouraged as this engages the creative side of the brain! We recommend that the KAS be hand-written to remove barriers to completion and to increase ownership of ideas. Sheets are tracked on a register that is posted on the PVD. Everyone sees progress and percent complete.
How the Kaizen Action Sheet (KAS) System Works
Any member of a workgroup can submit a KAS. It is entered into a folder on the Primary Visual Display (PVD) Board for the supervisor or team leader to briefly review with the workgroup during the daily shift start-up meeting. Once agreed to take forward, the KAS moves sequentially through a series of folders on the PVD as the idea is implemented by the workgroup.
The KAS system requires leadership to engage, support improvement, and remove obstacles and barriers to implementation. KAS improvement suggestions eliminate waste, reduce variation and improve safety, workplace organization and quality. When implemented, productivity improves, inventory balances and a multitude of other material benefits result. It should require minimal cost to put in place, ideally being implementable by the workgroup itself without external support. This is another way of saying: “Keep it simple.” There are plenty of basic waste elimination opportunities inside every work group. Within each workgroup, the focus of the KAS improvements is on the worgroup itself – at least at first. The Kaizen Action Sheets System is not intended to point out problems with other departments or functions.
More than anything, the secret element of the KAS System is workgroup engagement. When individuals and teams experience a simple way for them to participate directly in the improvement process, they become more excited and more enthusiastic about the work they do.
Next Time
Thanks for your time on this Kaizen Action Sheets (KAS) System thumbnail! In Part 4, we’ll cover the 20 Keys® for longer-term world class improvement. In the meantime, if you’d like any help with your LDMS journey, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: https://www.kaufmanglobal.com/contact/; or, call: +1.317.818.2430.
