Single Minute Die Exchange (SMED)

For more videos on SMED as well as other Lean topics, try out our Premium Membership. It’s free for 7 days when you use the discount code: “access30free”

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Visual Management Playlist on Youtube

Like what you see? We are now offering 30 days of free access to our Premium Membership. This will require you to create a login, but no payment info is required. Once you create your Uttana account, you will have unlimited access to our entire library of over 400 Lean training videos for 30 days. Just go to our sign up page and enter coupon code “access30free” when prompted.

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Intro to 5S Playlist on Youtube

Like what you see? We’ve got even more good news. We are now offering 30 days of free access to our Premium Membership. This will require you to create a login, but no payment info is required. Once you create your Uttana account, you will have unlimited access to our entire library of over 400 Lean training videos for 30 days. Just go to our sign up page and enter coupon code “access30free” when prompted.

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Our mission at üttana is to continuously provide innovative ways for individuals and organizations to acquire and spread knowledge of Lean practices for process improvement. Based on the Japanese principle of Kaizen, our eLearning content is aimed at a wide variety of professions and skill sets, and we believe these principles can be applied to any endeavor. In the spirit of continuous improvement, we are introducing a new subscription option for our users. This option will make it easier to find the content you are looking for and access it on demand

With a Premium Membership, you will have access to our entire library of Lean training courses for a low monthly subscription fee of $45. We have over 400 videos on subjects ranging from Autonomous Maintenance to Lean Office Management. Our courses include transcripts, presentations, and helpful images, so you can share your newly acquired knowledge. Certificates and badges will track and document your progress through a wide variety of process improvement topics. All of our content has been created through collaboration with industry experts. Their years of experience applying Lean methods have been refined to an essential collection of knowledge that can be yours at the click of a mouse or the tap of a touch screen.

For those who need an even more flexible learning management system, we offer Organizational LMS accounts that offer everything in the Premium Membership, plus more advanced features. With the Organizational LMS, you can create 5 trainee accounts with custom learning plans, analytics, progress reports, and a certification system for all students. We also partner with consultants to provide quality, on-demand, Lean learning to their clients.

Have a look through the complete list of our Lean training courses.

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Using Video as Part of an Improvement Workshop

Improvement Workshops, or Kaizen Workshops, are learning events first and improvement events second. They give people the skills and knowledge necessary to conduct Kaizen activity on a daily basis. The workshop itself usually last 3 to 5 days. It incorporates both classroom training, and hands-on improvement exercises. The classroom training component is a chance to introduce the tools that the team will be using for analysis. These tools typically include time observation forms, stopwatches, motion diagrams, distance measuring wheels, and waste observation forms. This is a good time to introduce the video equipment and assign people their responsibilities. That way, they can focus on the process during the hands-on segment.

Technical Considerations

Selecting a process to target is an important element of the Improvement Workshop. It will determine what equipment you use and how you use it. Here are the main factors to consider:

• Length of Process
  • A process of a few minutes lends itself well to using mobile phones or handheld camcorders.
  • Longer processes are a good time to consider the use of tripods and time-lapse photography.
• Size of the Work Area
  • For large work areas you should consider multiple cameras, unless there is a clear path for the camera operator to follow the worker with a handheld camera and still maintain a steady shot.
• Number of People Working
  • For processes that involve a lot of people, you should consider action cameras that can be attached to workers or even their equipment for multiple perspectives.
  • With that said, it is good to support POV shots with a wide “master shot” to help people understand the close up footage in its proper context.

Interpersonal Considerations

A 2012 paper published by the U.K.’s National Centre for Research Methods covers the topic of using video for research in some detail. Much of this paper is focused on the use of video for sociological studies. This might seem somewhat removed from the nuts-and-bolts atmosphere of a Lean manufacturing facility, but as the Lean mantra goes, “Kaizen is about people.” Video has arguably the most immediate and personal connection of any research tool. It can capture subtle gestures and expressions that could not be recorded on a timetable or a motion diagram. Always take any insecurity people express seriously. If your team is uncomfortable with the analysis format, they will not perform their job the way they usually do, and the information you collect might be inaccurate. The comfort of participants always comes first. Building support for Lean efforts can sometimes be a challenge, but you can’t make real progress with out it.

Using Video for Daily Kaizen Analysis

This is what Kaizen is all about: ongoing improvement activity that is built into daily work. Remember that this is about empowerment. Employees need to take charge, and this logic should be applied to your approach to video recording and analysis. Employees need the means and motivation to document problems when they find them to ensure they don’t happen again. Video is a great tool for documentation and it is becoming increasingly easy to share. Instead of simply jotting down the issue on a suggestion board, workers can provide images and in-the-moment verbal explanations that can be uploaded and shared almost instantly. Naturally you don’t want anyone getting carried away and trying to be a YouTube star (or do you?). However, incorporating an interactive social element to the problem solving process has a lot of untapped potential. We’d like to see more companies experiment with video as an improvement tool and we hope this series of articles will help inspire creative new solutions.

Capturing great footage is very satisfying, but as any filmmaker knows, sorting through that footage to find the most valuable shots is no small task. You will need to edit your footage, and more importantly, identify key moments in the process that can be improved.

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Choosing Video Equipment

In the past, equipment was one of the main barriers to using film and later video for process improvement activities. For much of the twentieth century, cameras were expensive, heavy, and difficult to operate. With advances in digital technology, anyone can now shoot video in high definition at the touch of a button, but this doesn’t mean that there is no skill required, or that all equipment is created equal. Quickly browsing YouTube will reveal huge gaps in quality between professional productions and a video your neighbor shot vertically on his iPhone. That’s not to say you can’t use a phone’s built in features and achieve great results, but you need to choose your equipment based on your improvement initiative. Although people’s phones are readily available, there are other options for cameras, not to mention other equipment. Here are a few to consider, along with their pros and cons:

An “Action Camera”

Cameras

Camera phones
Pros: Simple to operate, readily available.
Cons: Inconsistent video quality, uncomfortable to operate for long periods
Uses: Great for spur of the moment analysis. They are also great for getting large numbers of people involved to generate multiple angles and points of view. Just make sure everyone stays off of Facebook while they’re working.

Consumer camcorders
Pro: Consistent quality, easy to handle.
Cons: Prices vary, bulkier than other options, can be fragile
Uses: This is the most versatile option. Excellent for use in scheduled kaizen workshops

DSLR cameras
Pros: Great image quality, many lens options, time-lapse features
Cons: Relatively expensive, steep learning curve, time limits for video clips
Use: The clip limit restricts their video function to shorter processes. On the other hand, time-lapse photography is an option for very long processes (over a few hours).

Action cameras (i.e. GoPro)
Pros: Small, light and durable, wearable, many accessories
Con: Fewer shooting options, can be expensive.
Uses: The most personal perspective. This is great way to get a first-person view without distracting the workers or inhibiting their movement.

Accessories

Tripods
Pros: A fixed and stable shot, the camera can be left on for long periods unattended
Cons: Takes up space, limited mobility

Selfie sticks
Pros: Allows videographer to join the shot, easily shoot high and low angles
Cons: Tiring when used for long periods, distracting

Wearable mounts
Pro: Greatest mobility, frees up both arms, easy POV recordings
Cons: Limited perspective of work area, might seem intrusive

Professional video lights (left) and simple work lights (right)

Lighting and Audio

Lighting and sound are major aspects of professional video production, but for process analysis and improvement there are just a few major factors to consider.

Adequate Visibility
Today’s digital cameras can offer amazing image resolution in a small package, but their small lenses and sensors make it difficult to capture clear images in low light. Unless your process requires a dimly lit environment (in that case you’ll want to make sure your camera has low light or night vision modes), a well-lit work area should be the standard to begin with. Good lighting is a requirement for safety and a visual work environment. If you need to invest in lighting equipment to get a clear shot, you might just consider inverting in better facility lighting in general. Work lights are cheaper than video lighting equipment. In fact, many videographers on a tight budget make their own lighting gear by modifying work lights.

The Value of Sound
The first question to ask regarding audio equipment is “how much do I need to hear?” This will vary greatly depending on the process. In most manufacturing settings, the machines and processes generate a lot of noise. If you need to monitor the sound of a particular machine, or document people’s conversations, you may need specialized equipment such as directional microphones, lapel microphones, and portable audio recorders. For most other purposes, the built-in mic of your video camera should be good enough, especially if sound is not relevant to the processes being examined

This should give you a good idea of what you will or will not need in order to capture your processes on video. Let us know if you have any more insights on video equipment based on your own experience. In our next article, we will discuss the process of capturing video for process improvement using a variety of techniques.

The post Using Video for Process Improvement – Part 2: Preparation and Equipment appeared first on uttana.com.

Despite the current buzz over compact and easy to use video cameras, moving pictures have been used for work observation and scientific management for over 100 years. The pioneers of motion study, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, used film for their observations when the technology was still in its infancy. Around the same time the first silent film stars were establishing careers, the Gilbreths used a simple hand cranked camera to capture the details of motion in a variety of work processes. Their ground-breaking motion studies can now be easily viewed online. With this sort of history, it’s surprising that video is not more commonly used by businesses today to analyze their processes. In looking at some of the barriers that hold this technique back, it becomes clear that successful video analysis is more a matter of interpersonal interaction than of technology.

Though organizations have been slow to adopt video for process improvement, they adopted the technology for another purpose early on. You’ll find video cameras in many places of business. They are usually tucked away in high corners and often covered in mirrored domes or flanked by grainy monitors. Security has become the most common use of video across many industries, and this is a problem for anyone who wants to use it for current state analysis and process improvement. Unfortunately, when you put a camera on someone at work they tend to think they are being spied on. They think they aren’t trusted let alone respected. Anyone can capture a video on a cellphone, but doing it in a way that is productive and unobtrusive can be a challenge. The key to overcoming this challenge lies in one of the fundamental principles of process improvement. Called Kaizen in Japan, this principle states that the people who actually perform the work should implement improvements to processes on an ongoing basis. In other words, its about autonomy, responsibility and ownership. Instead of observing the people you lead, let them observe themselves.

The process of using video for current state analysis must be one of empowerment rather than criticism. As much as people tend to object to being “recorded” without permission, they are eager to record themselves and share it with the world. How do you use this Instagram and Youtube culture as more than self-indulgent vanity? In our next article, we’ll talk about the specific video equipment you will use to capture your processes. Later, we’ll show you ways to get people using video to analyze and improve their own processes.

The post Using Video for Process Improvement – Part 1: The Case for Video appeared first on uttana.com.

Let’s make one thing clear. We’re not saying it’s okay to use this technology instead of actually going to the place of work. Using email, Skype, video, and photos to stay in touch should supplement gemba walks to keep the conversation going when you can’t be physically present. Here are few ideas of how you can stay in touch digitally:

Online Kaizen Newspaper

It doesn’t take much to keep in touch with the problems being addressed at the workplace. The Kaizen newspaper technique is a simple way that workers can document problems and potential solutions. Unless employees do most of their work on a computer, a Kaizen newspaper works best as a physical document at the place of work. This way, work does not have to be interrupted to document problems. However, having access to this document while away from the workplace can be a huge asset. Mirroring the Kaizen newspaper on a sharable online spreadsheet, like those offered on Google Docs, is one way to do this. A simpler, but less dynamic option is to have photos or scans of the document sent via email at the end of the day.

Morning Meetings on Web Cam

Morning meetings are a great way to keep the whole team up to date on current objectives and challenges. When done well, these can even be morale booting exercises. If your schedule permits, you should try to participate even when you are out of town. Online services like Skype, Apple’s FaceTime, and a huge variety of other options make this a lot easier than it once was. Keep the meetings quick and on topic. It’s also best to avoid yelling “JETSON!” from an oversized monitor.

Kaizen Vlog

Until the Oculus-Rift ushers in a new age of virtual reality, video is still the best way to get a sense of another location from afar. You might initially think that putting up cameras so you can monitor daily work is a good idea. Wrong! That’s a horrible idea. Not only will this destroy morale by making people think they are being spied on by Big Brother, it also does not involve or engage them in any way. Keep your security cameras for security, but when it comes to process improvement, a Lean manager needs to let the workforce take control.

Make sure the content stays focused on objectives, and don’t expect anyone to become a Youtube star or Werner Herzog, but with the right approach, employee video journals can help you keep in touch with their challenges concerns and achievements. It also helps the entire team keep in touch with their story as important members of the organization.

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1. They feel entitled (That’s a good thing)

The word “entitled” might conjure up the image of a screaming, whining, Veruca Salt demanding a goose that lays golden eggs (or a trained squirrel for those of you more familiar with the Tim Burton adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). What does entitlement really mean though? It is the belief the one has the right to something. This isn’t a bad thing. Where would America be today without its Bill of Rights? Entitlement is only a problem if it’s unreasonable. So what do millennials typically feel entitled to? Flexible schedules? Creative opportunities? The chance to solve problems and reach their full potential? These are totally in line with the Kaizen philosophy’s respect for people and their work. Don’t fight it. Even if these are unrealistic expectations, when people feel deprived of an entitlement, they typically work hard to get it back. Use the expectations of your employees as expectations for the organization has a whole, and people will work hard for the organization’s success.

2. They’re not lazy. They just don’t like waste

Lean is not about working harder, or working faster. It’s about working smarter. How many times do people need to be reminded of this? Remember that whole “flexible schedule” thing we mentioned earlier? Isn’t that compatible with the Lean mindset? Why should you produce something when there’s no demand for it? Why fill your schedule with busy work that doesn’t add any value? Why close up shop at 5:00pm when you have people who would rather work the night shift? The laziest thing someone can do is to maintain an ineffective standard. Flexible means adaptable, and adaptability means Kaizen.

3. They can adapt to big changes

One of the defining characteristics of millennials is that they came of age just as the internet was redefining how people communicate, work, and socialize. In fact, they will be the last generation to remember life without email, smartphones, and online shopping. Needless to say, they got used to adapting to changing technology at an early age. The typical image of the millennial zoned out on their smartphone is a bit misleading. Someone born in the 80’s most likely didn’t have a mobile phone until high school or later. Smartphones didn’t really catch on until around 2005, so many millennials adopted this technology as adults, just like Gen. X and the Baby Boomers. Come to think of it, Gen. X’ers were using PDA’s and Blackberries a long time before that millennial icon the iPhone was released. The point is, we’re all trying to figure out how to use technology in a valuable way, and flexibly tech savvy millennials might be the perfect candidates for advancing Jidoka (Intelligent Automation). This also helps you create a more flexible workforce. Millennials are eager to acquire new skills and quickly devour knowledge through online learning.

4. They are learning to work with fewer recourses

If millennials started out with unreasonable expectations, then the result has been learning to be happy and thrive with less than they expected. Many millennial were just joining the workforce when the global recession hit in 2008. As a result, they learned the value of work, as they struggled to find it. Even those with decent employment often prefer bikes over cars, and small apartments over sprawling suburban homes (just look at the “tiny house” and “freegan” movements to see how thrifty millennials can be). This new economy, one that almost requires a Lean approach to succeed in business, is where millennial are getting their start. You might say they are Lean natives.

5. They are dedicated to solving problems

The environment, net-neutrality, gender equality, racial equality, and religious freedom are just a few of the issues that millennials are passionate about. They might come across as whiney to those who feel they grew up in more difficult times, but this doesn’t change the most important fact. When millennials see problems, they want to solve them. Wouldn’t you like to channel that energy into your daily operations? Give millennials a cause and they will rally for it. As stated previously, waste elimination, and Just-in-Time production are well aligned with typical millennial values.

With that said, even people who are hungry for change can be resistant to the unfamiliar, and millennials are particularly resistant to top down management techniques (good thing Lean management isn’t top down). If your have trouble spreading a Lean culture through the organization, remember to frame things in a way that will not only speak to the needs and desires of your employees, but also to their values. Make Lean part of their cause and let them rally for it.

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