A small office kaizen team identified errors resulting from not using a mistake-proofing tool and revised and updated that tool. They also increased the visual work flow to identify areas that needed more training and allowed for better planning in their department.

1. Office Non-Conformance
Kaizen Team
10/17/11 to 10/24/11

2. Office Team Charter
Problem Statement:
Overwhelming non-conformances in the office
effecting business and cost of quality.

3. Office Team Charter
Problem Statement (continued):
There is no current method for trending and
identifying non-conformances with a plan of
action and monitoring the effectiveness of the
actions taken.
The Story Begins……..

4. Team Charter
GOALS:
1.Confidential survey taken by the office.
2.Trend current non-conformances.
3.Identify root causes (use C.A.R. as a tool).
4.Create checks and balances to minimize
non-conformances.
5.Test all new procedures.

5. Office Survey Says….
1. Everyone feels rushed to do their job. It is a fast
paced atmosphere.
2. Training is inconsistent or not done at all.
3. Large amounts of interruptions throughout the
day. (ex. phone calls, meetings, questions)
4. Quote forms are not being used or properly
completed.
5. 63.6% believe the office is following ISO, 36.4%
believe they are not.
GOAL 1 on team charter: Confidential survey

6. 5S scores by kaizen team
New form used. 2.66 and 2.90

7. 25 Current Non-Conformances
17 Failure to use Docket Checklist
5 Lack of training
3 Undetermined
Our Baseline
GOAL 1 on team charter: Trend current non-conformances.
GOAL 2 on team charter: Identify root cause

8. We don’t have
enough time to do it
right, but we have
time to do it over?
Docket Check List
Pictured is 17 Non-conformances resulting from not using the docket checklist.

9. BEFORE AFTER
NEW Checklist and Overlay
GOAL 3 on team charter: Create checks and balances to minimize NCs.
Visual tools for error-proofing.

10. EXAMPLES of PULL
Lean principles state to create pull where flow is not possible.
See what your department’s day looks like.

11. Visual Office BEFORE
At a glance, can you see the production levels?

12. Visual Office AFTER
Pull system to help productivity, communication, and lower errors.
Productivity levels evident for areas that need help.
Top 2 concerns on survey: Feeling rushed and lack of training.

13. Visual Office: HOW IT WORKS
.

14. Kaizen Team Follow-up:
1) 30 day observation on Pull System with
collaboration.
2) Trend root cause on future NCs from the office.
Observe mandatory use of Docket Check list
and Overlay.
3) Propose weekly analysis of Office NCs by
metric owner and Office member with C.A.R.
training to increase dialogue with all Office
members.
Docket Check List, Overlay, Visual Pull
GOAL 5 on team charter: Monitor effectiveness of actions taken.

15. Summary
1. Kaizen team respected the office’s confidentiality and
listened to their concerns. A pull system is in place to
evenly distribute the work load and allow time to train.
2. Current NCs were trended and a large amount resulted in
not using a current tool to increase quality, the docket
checklist.
3. The docket checklist was revised and an overlay was
created.
4. The Kaizen team will monitor all the above improvements
after a specified time.