ISE Magazine

FEB 2017

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February 2017 | ISE Magazine 39 Countless hours observing smart, motivated trainees stum- ble as they started their first project revealed two main con- tributors to this situation that usually lead to project failure: poor project selection and a lack of facilitation skills. This realization led me to develop a faster and better way to address these gaps by complementing traditional problem- solving methods with a step-by-step facilitation approach to identify improvement opportunities for entire value streams, compile them in a prioritized project pipeline and set up im- provement display boards. These boards, or "kaizen kanbans," must be linked to key business objectives and must be visible to everyone. The methodology This approach builds on a process map developed on a wall to capture and display the suppliers, inputs, outputs and custom- ers associated with each step in a process. For a kaizen kanban, this process map usually covers the entire organization. How- ever, the same principles can be applied to an entire depart- ment if it is well-scoped. A traditional SIPOC tends to focus on high-level process maps with fewer than 10 steps, and thus the information shown is often too general. It often fails to clearly show the linkages between suppliers, inputs, outputs and customers and the process step they relate to. Our enhanced SIPOC methodology enables you to capture the information needed for a SIPOC visually and associates it with each corresponding process step. The tool that makes all this possible is the enhanced SIPOC box (ESB), which is shown in Figure 1. The following sections provide a step-by-step recap of how the team should use the ESB to capture layers of information one iteration at a time. First, start by filling out an ESB for each step of the process map by writing in the process step details on the blue section of the ESB labeled "Process." Make sure you follow the verb- noun structure and make adjustments as needed. Note that the "Process" section of the ESB can be used to show process steps and/or decisions. Organize the ESBs in sequential order and connect them using the same connectors used with a regular process map. Capture the information for the process owners and pro- cess operators for each of the process steps during the second iteration, putting this information in the ESB. This step is a facilitation enhancement to traditional SIPOCs that does not require the process owners and operators to be identified for each step. Note that from a facilitation perspective, specifying the process operator and the process owner makes it easier for ev- erybody to visualize who does each step and eliminates a lot of discussions when it comes time to identify suppliers and customers. In the third iteration, identify the outputs and customers for each step and add them to the corresponding section of the ESB for each step. In the fourth iteration, identify suppliers and inputs for each step and add them to the appropriate section of the ESB. The fifth iteration is an enhancement to traditional SIPOCs in which "triggers" are identified and added to each process step. Triggers cause something to happen or let the operator know the conditions are right to proceed to the next step. The best way to identify them or realize one is missing is to work backward from the last process step to the first and ask the process owners to identify the signal that lets them know everything is in place for them to execute their step. If a trigger exists but doesn't come from one of the previously identified steps, the map may be incomplete; a discussion should take place with the subject matter experts, and the necessary up- dates should be made to the map. Every time a trigger is found to be missing, the team should add a starburst directly on the process map to indicate an op- portunity for improvement. The absence of a trigger indicates FIGURE 1 Capture the information The enhanced SIPOC box, or ESB, is the key to kaizen kanban.

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