The Six Steps of Kaizen Poster articulate the six improvement steps that are practiced by Toyota during the past decades. It focuses on the skills, methods and analysis techniques. Implementing the Six Steps of Kaizen will facilitate your company or organization to achieve a new standard or level of performance and enhance your competitiveness. The poster comes in two themes: color and monochrome. Formatted in PDF and in editable PPTX, the poster can be easily printed on an A3 or A4-sized paper from an office copier machine and displayed on employee workstations, or distributed together with your workshop handouts. The poster complements the 'Six Steps of Kaizen' training presentation materials. It serves as a takeaway and summary of your Kaizen presentation. Contents in the Six Steps of Kaizen poster include: Step 1: Discover Improvement Potential Step 2: Analyze the Current Methods Step 3: Generate Original Ideas Step 4: Develop an Implementation Plan Step 5: Implement the Plan Step 6: Evaluate the New Method

1. Six Steps of Kaizen
© Operational Excellence Consulting. All rights reserved.
The Six Steps of Kaizen articulate the six improvement steps
that can be implemented in a company or organization to
achieve a new standard or level of performance.
Evaluate the results of the action items
performed in order to verify the actual level of
improvement. Standardize work practices and
follow up to ensure gains are sustained.
Guidelines:
§ Verify the results in a simple and quantifiable
manner
§ Be clear how you measure improvement and make
the basis for comparison consistent and meaningful
§ When improvement has not occurred, revisit the
analysis, generate new action items and try out new
implementation items
§ Document and share the kaizen story
6. Evaluate The New Method
Create a positive atmosphere and attitude
toward implementing kaizen. Communicate
thoroughly with affected parties in the
organization. Follow up on implementation as
needed.
Guidelines:
§ Get agreement with stakeholders on the
improvements that will be implemented
§ Assign resources as needed for implementation
§ Ensure that team members play to their fullest
ability and display good teamwork
§ Manager should ensure that people are aware of
the upcoming change and why it is occurring
5. Implement The Plan
Create effective plan for implementation,
including communication and tracking purposes.
When possible, make changes quickly and
effectively as the situation allows.
Guidelines:
§ Create an implementation plan that includes the
activities, person(s) responsible, and completion
dates
§ When possible, make changes quickly and
effectively as the situation allows
§ Communicate with stakeholders and track progress
4. Develop An Implementation Plan
Learn to see waste or improvement potential
around the work areas. Develop mindset and
attitude required for people to be successful in
process improvement.
Guidelines:
§ Adopt the kaizen attitude
§ Acquire analytic skills for kaizen, e.g. data analysis
§ Develop awareness for opportunity or problem by
having an open inquisitive mind
§ Uncover waste and identify improvement
opportunities – compare performance to standards,
observe using the eight types of waste, or
implement 5S to expose problems/opportunities
1. Discover Improvement Potential
Analyze current methods of various work-related
processes. Examples of analytical methods
include work analysis, motion analysis, time
study, standardized work, machine loss analysis,
and material flow analysis.
Guidelines:
§ Develop skills in basic analysis methods such as
work analysis, motion analysis, time study,
standardized work, machine loss analysis, and
material flow analysis
§ There is no analysis technique that will work all the
time; selection of the right tool for the right
situation is part of the kaizen skills development
2. Analyze The Current Methods
§ Get the facts from the source
§ Don’t be swayed by preconceived notions
§ Practice through observations (use 5 whys thinking)
§ Adopt a calm attitude (be rational)
The Kaizen Attitude
Apply techniques for stimulating original ideas
and synthesizing solutions.
Guidelines:
§ Understand common roadblocks to creativity, e.g.
Not Invented Here Syndrome, preconceptions, etc.
§ Separate idea generation from judgment
§ Think from different angles, combine ideas with
others, and/or review previous analysis
§ Synthesis ideas
§ Methods for developing ideas, include:
brainstorming, Osborn’s checklist, rules for motion
economy, review 5W1H, etc.
3. Generate Original Ideas
Six Steps
of Kaizen
1.
Discover
Improvement
Potential
2.
Analyze
the Current
Methods
3.
Generate
Original Ideas
4.
Develop an
Implementation
Plan
6.
Evaluate
the New
Method
5.
Implement
the Plan

2. Six Steps of Kaizen
© Operational Excellence Consulting. All rights reserved.
The Six Steps of Kaizen articulate the six improvement steps
that can be implemented in a company or organization to
achieve a new standard or level of performance.
Evaluate the results of the action items
performed in order to verify the actual level of
improvement. Standardize work practices and
follow up to ensure gains are sustained.
Guidelines:
§ Verify the results in a simple and quantifiable
manner
§ Be clear how you measure improvement and make
the basis for comparison consistent and meaningful
§ When improvement has not occurred, revisit the
analysis, generate new action items and try out new
implementation items
§ Document and share the kaizen story
6. Evaluate The New Method
Create a positive atmosphere and attitude
toward implementing kaizen. Communicate
thoroughly with affected parties in the
organization. Follow up on implementation as
needed.
Guidelines:
§ Get agreement with stakeholders on the
improvements that will be implemented
§ Assign resources as needed for implementation
§ Ensure that team members play to their fullest
ability and display good teamwork
§ Manager should ensure that people are aware of
the upcoming change and why it is occurring
5. Implement The Plan
Create effective plan for implementation,
including communication and tracking purposes.
When possible, make changes quickly and
effectively as the situation allows.
Guidelines:
§ Create an implementation plan that includes the
activities, person(s) responsible, and completion
dates
§ When possible, make changes quickly and
effectively as the situation allows
§ Communicate with stakeholders and track progress
4. Develop An Implementation Plan
Learn to see waste or improvement potential
around the work areas. Develop mindset and
attitude required for people to be successful in
process improvement.
Guidelines:
§ Adopt the kaizen attitude
§ Acquire analytic skills for kaizen, e.g. data analysis
§ Develop awareness for opportunity or problem by
having an open inquisitive mind
§ Uncover waste and identify improvement
opportunities – compare performance to standards,
observe using the eight types of waste, or
implement 5S to expose problems/opportunities
1. Discover Improvement Potential
Analyze current methods of various work-related
processes. Examples of analytical methods
include work analysis, motion analysis, time
study, standardized work, machine loss analysis,
and material flow analysis.
Guidelines:
§ Develop skills in basic analysis methods such as
work analysis, motion analysis, time study,
standardized work, machine loss analysis, and
material flow analysis
§ There is no analysis technique that will work all the
time; selection of the right tool for the right
situation is part of the kaizen skills development
2. Analyze The Current Methods
§ Get the facts from the source
§ Don’t be swayed by preconceived notions
§ Practice through observations (use 5 whys thinking)
§ Adopt a calm attitude (be rational)
The Kaizen Attitude
Apply techniques for stimulating original ideas
and synthesizing solutions.
Guidelines:
§ Understand common roadblocks to creativity, e.g.
Not Invented Here Syndrome, preconceptions, etc.
§ Separate idea generation from judgment
§ Think from different angles, combine ideas with
others, and/or review previous analysis
§ Synthesis ideas
§ Methods for developing ideas, include:
brainstorming, Osborn’s checklist, rules for motion
economy, review 5W1H, etc.
3. Generate Original Ideas
Six Steps
of Kaizen
1.
Discover
Improvement
Potential
2.
Analyze
the Current
Methods
3.
Generate
Original Ideas
4.
Develop an
Implementation
Plan
6.
Evaluate
the New
Method
5.
Implement
the Plan

3. © Operational Excellence Consulting. All rights reserved. 3
Operational Excellence Consulting is a management training and consulting
firm that assists organizations in improving business performance and
effectiveness. Based in Singapore, the firm’s mission is to create business
value for organizations through innovative design and operational excellence
management training and consulting solutions. For more information, please
visit www.oeconsulting.com.sg