All companies today are participating in fierce and global competition. For that reason they must continuously improve their products and services quality. The Lean Approach has become a major force behind development and growth of many world-class companies. Lean process improvement, properly introduced and implemented, changes the corporate culture, way of thinking among employees, and intensifies improvement processes by releasing initiatives of all employees.
- Goals and Objectives of the Training
Main objective of training is to provide employees with tools and methodology for systematic and effective problem solving within the company. Such skills are the base for implementation of formal Continuous Improvement System, which should become main channel of management and problem solving. To achieve full benefits of such system, all employees should be trained and actively involved in continuous improvement. After 30% to 50% of employees are trained, the training of internal trainers begins who will continue to train the rest of employees. The final step is a setup of formal procedures for Lean Problem Solving system in the company.
- Training Format
Training consists of 40 hours (5 times 8 hours) and is conducted on company premises for groups of 30 people. The most effective way is to select two groups of 30 people each and conducting training parallel during two consecutive days. Each group will spend four hours in training each day. That way 60 employees will be trained during five consecutive 2-day visits. During practical exercises part of the training, participants work in small groups (about 3-5 people) under continuous supervision of the instructor. The results of this training consists of, not only learning new skills, but also practical solving of selected problem of the firm with formal presentation to the management and calculating of the economical benefits for the company. The training is conducted in five sessions every 3 to 5 weeks.
- Training Materials
Participants will receive two sets of training materials:
- Seven Paradigms of Lean Process Improvement.
- Problem Solving for Continuous Improvement manual.
- Program and Organization of Training
Session I:
| Lecture |
Work in Groups |
- Introduction - Seven Paradigms of Process Improvement (principles, definitions, place of continuous Improvement in Lean organization).
- Introduction to Methodology of 6 steps problem solving.
STEP 1: Problem Definition
- Identification of Problems
- Definition of Problems
- Definition of Goal
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- Mutual introductions of participants.
- Exercise - define the goal of your company.
- Forming interdisciplinary work groups.
- Selection of group leaders and establishment of work principles for the groups.
- Initial definition of 20 problems in your company.
- Specification of tasks to be performed by participants before next session.
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Session II:
| Lecture |
Work in Groups |
STEP 2: Collection and Analysis of Data
- "you can not control what you do not measure"
- Forms and documents to collect data
- Graphs and other graphical tools
- Pareto diagram and its use
- Cause and effect diagram (Fishbone or Ishikawa diagram)
- Control charts
STEP 3: Generation of Potential Solutions
- Principles of innovative thinking
- Principle of physical movement
- Flow diagrams
- Osborn List
- Brain storming
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- Selection of 5 most important problems in each group.
- Evaluation and ranking of the problems using Problem Selection Form.
- Selection of the problem to be solved by the teams.
- Proper definition of the problem and goal.
- Development of action plan for data collection and analysis.
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Session III:
| Lecture |
Work in Groups |
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STEP 4: Evaluation and Selection of the Solution
- Quantity evaluation
- Qualitative evaluation
- Typical mistakes to avoid
- Break Even Analysis
- Payback period
- Evaluation forms
STEP 5: Implementation of the Solution
- Planning of the implementation
- Gantt chart
- PERT/CPM method
- Computerized planning techniques
- Planning forms
- "For" and "Against" forces (how to overcome resistance to change)
STEP 6: Calculating effects and how to "sell" your Solution (presentation and report)
- Results monitoring after implementation of solution
- Standardization of solution
- Identification of new problem
- Preparation of final report
- Principles of preparation and conducting visual presentation
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- Verification of data collected by the groups.
- Evaluation of the results of conducted analysis.
- Discussion on the list of potential solutions.
- Specification of additional tasks to be performed to complete analysis.
- Preparation to ranking of solutions.
- Visit to the place where problem exists.
- Assignment of tasks to:
- prepare solution implementation
- prepare final reports
- prepare presentation
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Session IV:
| Lecture |
Work in Groups |
| Individual meetings with Teams |
- Review and approval of final solution
- Review of materials for final report.
- Approval of implementation plan.
- Preparation of materials for final presentation.
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Session V:
| Lecture |
Work in Groups |
- Formal presentation of the results by each team to the management and all other teams.
- Final conclusions by instructor and management.
- Presentation of Certificates of Accomplishment to all participants.
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- Individual meetings with teams.
- Review and final approval of reports.
- Rehearsal presentation.
- Evaluation of presentations and final recommendations.
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- Certificate of Accomplishment
Every participant of training who will finish all sessions will receive Certificate of Accomplishment and Continuing Education Credit, issued by Robert Morris University ¿ Center for Applied Research in Engineering and Science
- Expected Benefits for the Firm
- Acceleration of change and improvements in company due to concentration of all employees on common goal, which is profit.
- Elimination of ¿borders an walls¿ between functional areas thanks to experience during work in interdisciplinary teams.
- Identification of at least 200 problems during each sequence of training.
- Professional and systematic solution of 12 - 15 selected problems including detail analysis, documentation, identification of benefits and implementation plan.
- Preparation to change of company culture to accept philosophy of continuous improvement by implementing formal Problem Solving system.
- Creation of Lean organization