Cameras and the Kaizen Blitz

A Kaizen Blitz is a short-term project focused on improvement of a single process, work center, or product line. It is designed to give an immediate, sustained benefit to the organization, and requires process analysis, planning, re-arrangement of equipment, and training of workers. Value Stream Mapping, including the current state map and future state map, often precedes the kaizen blitz event.

Installing cameras around your manufacturing plant or warehouse can help your continuous improvement efforts and process improvement events such as the Kaizen Blitz. Video footage offers a candid view of the operation that is valuable in each step of the Kaizen event: plan, do, check, act.

Plan: Review camera footage of deficient events. Observe the process and document the current state. Gather baseline data. Look for the seven wastes: transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, over-processing, overproducing, and defects. Wastes such as transportation, motion, and waiting are very apparent when video footage is reviewed. This may also help with participant buy-in; it’s hard to argue with camera footage of a deficient process that involves a lot of wastes that are visually apparent.

Do: Monitor and review your Kaizen Event as it is in process. Perform a process review of the “Do” phase of the Kaizen Blitz to improve processes related to the Kaizen Event.

Check: Review changes. Monitor the new process to ensure that changes stick. Use camera footage to prepare and deliver the final report to management.

Act: Utilize camera footage to aid follow-up meetings and training. Camera footage is a good tool for evaluating and rewarding participants. The new process should also be reviewed for wastes and additional continuous improvement efforts.

Cameras for aiding process improvement and Kaizen Blitz events is just one way we can help improve your operation. To get more information about our cameras, or how they can add value to your company, give us a call at 800-440-1662 or fill out our online quote request form today!

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