The Toyota Way Fieldbook phần 9 pptx

exceptional thinking in developing countermeasures. This is not, however, a time for them to “sit back on their laurels.” The nature of continuous improvement means that completion of one problem-solving activity should lead to the start of another. This is a reminder that while one problem has been resolved successfully, there are many more that need attention. At the conclusion of a problem-solving activity the “next steps” or “future steps” are reviewed to remind everyone of this process of continuous improve- ment. This section should address four issues in particular: 1. Describe plans for wrapping up any “loose ends” pertaining to the current activity. These are planned items that may not have been implemented yet, or items that require some modification. 2. Explain how responsibility for sustaining current results and continued improvement of the issue will be assigned and supported by the leadership of the area. This item is crucial since improvement results are often not sus- tained because there has been no responsibility assigned. (Responsibility is often assumed to belong to leadership, but it must be clear what they will do and how and when they will do it.) 3. Identify whether any assistance is needed to resolve any issues that are beyond the control of the problem-solving team. This may include issues with a material supplier that requires support from the purchasing department, or help from an equipment manufacturer. 4. The team, or the individual, must look forward and identify the next prob- lem to “pick up.” This would generally be the next most important issue in the work area. In addition to these four items, in some situations it is important to share the information from this activity within the organization to areas experiencing similar problems, or with similar processes. Generally, ensuring that informa- tion is shared would be the responsibility of management. Members of the team could provide the necessary technical experience to other groups. Examples of possible future steps for the sawing example above are: ◆ Continue improving dirt containment and control activities. ◆ Implement daily 5S review by the team leader and weekly review by the group leader. ◆ Develop an automatic unloading device to further reduce cycle time. ◆ Improve handling to further reduce cycle time. ◆ Begin an activity to correct other causes of late shipments. Finally Some Action The implementation phase of the process is when things finally change. It is a time to develop a plan, begin to implement solutions, and verify the results. THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK372 This is the phase most people can’t wait to get to. It can also be a frustrating time if change happens but the desired results do not follow! It’s likely you will have to train yourself and others to develop the patience and skill necessary to thor- oughly evaluate the problem and carefully analyze to find the root causes. This temporary postponement of implementation gratification (don’t jump to solu- tions) will provide greater returns in the long run. Some key points to remember during the Plan-Do-Check-Act phase are: ◆ Always consider short-term temporary countermeasures for immediate benefits. ◆ Divide larger tasks into smaller segments, with assigned completion dates and measurements for each portion. ◆ Responsibility for an action item does not mean that the responsible person has to do the task. They are responsible for the outcome and for ensuring progress. ◆ The only way to verify results is to ensure that an effective measurement process is in place prior to implementation so that a before and after com- parison can be made. ◆ Once your solutions become a reality, it will probably be necessary to make adjustments. Follow genchi genbutsu, and carefully observe the new process to verify that it is free from major problems. ◆ Always conclude your process with a look to the future. Continuous improvement means forever! Set the expectation that the process of improve- ment is never complete. Chapter 17. Plan-Do-Check-Act 373 Reflection Activities Many people mistakenly place a high importance on the “action” phase of problem solving. It is thought that “making things hap- pen” is the most important step in getting results. In fact, the most important step in getting exceptional results is in effective- ly identifying the root causes. If you have identified the root causes, the necessary corrective actions should be clear, and when implemented will produce the desired result. Take your time to ensure that the correct root causes have been identified prior to beginning the corrective actions. 1. Evaluate performance results in your organization. Do they show the desired improvement resulting from your problem solving activities? 2. Evaluate recent problem-solving or continuous improve- ment activities to determine the overall effectiveness. THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK374 a. Do you find that many items are implemented but the desired results are not achieved? b. What part of the process is being missed that causes this situation? Look specifically at whether the problem was clearly identified and root causes were determined, or whether people just started “shooting” at the problem. c. Were both short-term temporary and long-term permanent solutions used appropriately? 3. For the problem you’ve been working on, complete the follow- ing activities: a. Make sure that defined results are predicted for each action item. This includes the specific measurement and amount. b. Develop an action plan that includes both short- and long-term countermeasures as appropriate. c. If the solutions require significant effort, break the activity down into quartiles, with specific actions and expectations for completion during an incremental time period. For example, a one-month activity can be broken down into 4 one-week portions each having a defined expectation for completion. d. Clearly define who, what, when, and if necessary how each action item is to be completed. e. As part of your action plan, define who will support the transition from the old way to the new way. Someone needs to be in the work area during the change to ensure a smooth transition. 4. Prior to implementation, determine how the effectiveness of each action item will be measured. a. Verify that a preimprovement baseline measurement is completed. b. Determine a measurement process and verify that results are being captured correctly. c. Chart the results in the work area and review with every- one regularly. d. Monitor the process regularly and determine whether adjustments to the plan are necessary (if you are not get- ting the planned results). 5. After the problem-solving process is “completed” (continuous improvement implies that improvement is never complete, but at some point you move on to other issues), identify appropriate future steps. Chapter 17. Plan-Do-Check-Act 375 a. Complete any outstanding items from the action plan. b. Develop a plan for sustaining the results. This includes those who will have direct responsibility for sustaining the results daily. c. Identify whether additional support will be needed to fully correct the issue being addressed. Arrange for the necessary support. d. Evaluate other problems, and determine which will be the next to be corrected. Make plans for correcting these issues. Less Can Be More in Report Writing Problem solving is about thinking. But writing things down can help thinking. How can you document key information and decisions at each step in a way that you can share it with others, get their input, and make appropriate modifications using their input? Documentation of a complex problem-solving process brings to mind mountains of data, reams of paper, or in this day and age, perhaps an online database, which can be queried in multiple ways. Toyota has a simpler approach. It involves pencil, eraser, and one side of a piece of paper. It is often referred to as the “A3 report.” Why A3? Originally it was because much of the communication within Toyota across the various sites and across nations was by fax, and this was the largest size paper that could fit in a fax machine: 11 by 17 inches. What can you possibly fit on one side of a piece of paper? Well, if you look at the A3 reports generated by experienced Toyota managers, the answer is a remarkable amount of information. What information is on the A3? The answer is: Only the most essential. What is important about A3 reports is not the finesse with which you fill in the boxes and draw fancy graphics. It is the communication process. The A3 is an integral part of the problem-solving and decision-making process. It allows only the most critical information to be shared with others for careful evalua- tion of the thought process used, as a means of requesting support or advice, and for arriving at a consensus. Many people outside of Toyota do not realize that the aggressive pursuit of waste elimination extends to all activities within the organization, including the presentation of information and the decision-making process based on the Telling the Story Using an A3 Report Chapter 18 Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click here for terms of use. information. These presentations at Toyota are clear and concise, and it takes very little time to share the message. Formatting the activity in this way requires the distillation of information into a complete, clear, and easy to understand presentation. The story is told with a minimal number of words and is pictorial in nature. When properly presented, the information can be read or explained in five minutes or less so everyone understands and decisions can easily be made. A well-prepared A3 prevents a condition Winston Churchill once quipped about concerning a cumbersome report: “The length of this document defends it well against the risk of its being read.” Outside of Toyota, most presentations of lean activities we’ve seen have lacked a basic structure that maintained focus and direction. They tended to wander, and the usual result is that many people are presented with excessive information with no clear logical flow, and much time is wasted on side con- versations and sorting through the information. Notebooks of course notes and operating procedures and discussions of lean principles sit on the shelf, never to be read. The A3 report is designed not only to be read, but to be used as part of the problem-solving process. Determining How to Use an A3 An A3 is used for many different types of story presentations at Toyota. They are not “reports” per se, but each should tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Figure 18-1 shows four different common types of A3 reports. One type makes proposals; the others are various types of reporting—from a problem Chapter 18. Telling the Story Using an A3 Report 377 PROPOSAL STORY PROBLEM- SOLVING STORY STATUS STORY INFO STORY PROPOSAL TYPE STORIES REPORT TYPE STORIES Problem Consciousness Current Situation Figure 18-1. Four types of A3 stories solving story, to a story that gives the status of a project, to an information story. There is a natural flow between these story types. Often, projects will begin with a proposal story to get approval to invest resources in the project, and then, as the project progresses, there will be a story of the problem-solving process, sta- tus stories at key milestones in the project, and an information story to present the results. Each person crafts the A3 for the specific purpose of their “story,” but there are some standard formats taught within Toyota. In some cases the A3 is used to propose a change, for example, in a process or the purchase of equipment (called “business cases” in some companies). For these “proposal stories,” it is necessary to complete an A3 with the problem statement, analysis of current conditions, a proposed action (the change or purchase), and the anticipated result (both cost and improvement expected). Sufficient information should be presented so a decision can easily be made. At Toyota any major expen- diture is an important decision, and if sufficient information was not presented, the A3 preparer would surely be sent back to gather additional facts. A format for the proposal story is shown in Figure 18-2. A “status story” reports at key milestones in an important project (Figure 18-3). Examples include an annual plan, a review of a project, and a design review in engineering a new product. This story must start with clear objectives, the THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK378 Basic concept, Background, or Basic Strategy, and How it fits into the big picture INTRODUCTION How to deploy Basic Concept (Vital Points) PROPOSAL PLAN How to deploy plan Schedule / Timeline ACTION PLAN (SCHEDULE) THEME AUTHOR:______________________ DATE: ______________ WhoWhatWhy? What? / How? Responsibility Expected Effect Reason for Required Condition Required Condition Unresolved issues and How to overcome obstacles i.e., How to negotiate with related departments, anticipated problems and resolutions UNRESOLVED ISSUES Figure 18-2. Proposal story approach to implementation, the total effect to date, and unresolved problems with accompanying actions. All proposal, problem-solving, and status A3 reports must have some action plan. An “informational story” is intended to convey information only. There is no evaluative component. It does not require a description of a problem; the only objective is to convey general information to an audience, inside or outside the company. Visualization is very important for an informational story, and there are many possible ways of organizing this type of presentation. An entire book could be written about each of these applications. Instead we will focus on one of the most complex and in-depth uses of an A3: problem solving. The A3 Problem-Solving Report Process Problem solving uses multiple formats at different stages of the process depending on what is being presented and when in the process the information is presented. There are three distinct stages in the problem-solving process. First is the proposal stage, when the proposal story is used. There are actually two levels during the proposal stage. The initial proposal is made to gain consensus on Chapter 18. Telling the Story Using an A3 Report 379 I. BACKGROUND II. OBJECTIVES III. IMPLEMENTATION IV. TOTAL EFFECT V. UNRESOLVED PROBLEMS / FUTURE ACTIONS THEME AUTHOR:______________________ DATE: ______________ Figure 18-3. Status report story whether a problem should be addressed. If agreement to move forward is estab- lished, the next level of the proposal stage comes after the identification of root causes. At this time a proposal is generally made to gain acceptance and approval of the proposed solutions. After the proposed countermeasures are accepted and implementation begins, the process moves into the second stage, the status reporting stage using a status report story. This stage provides information and updates to others to verify that the activity is progressing on schedule. It is also an opportunity to question and explore the completeness of thinking, and to provide additional resources if necessary to complete the activity as scheduled. The third stage is the final reporting at the completion of the activity. At this time there is generally no need to further question the details of the activity itself. The focus is on the completeness of the result. Generally, the final presentation is not made until the countermeasures have successfully eliminated the problem and the desired results have been achieved. The primary purpose of the final report is to acknowledge the activity and the success of the team or individual. It is a celebration of good thinking and good process. It’s also a time to ask, “What’s next?” What is the next problem that will be “picked up”? Table 18-1 shows the three stages during the problem-solving process and how the A3 is used during each. Before actually deciding to begin a problem-solving activity, it is important to evaluate the problem in the context of other issues. If the problem statement step is completed as outlined in Chapter 14, this information can easily be used for comparison. Alternatives can also be explored, such as who should work on the problem, how many people, and what time frame (depending upon the urgency of the problem). The initial proposal of a problem should bring THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK380 Before During After Overall comparison with other problems Clarify objectives Provide guidance Consider other options Gain consensus and approval Progress check Verify direction of activity Provide guidance Provide additional support Provide additional resources Verify successful completion and achievement of results Celebrate success Evaluate further considerations Proposal Presentation Status Reporting Final Report Table 18-1. A3 Problem-Solving Report Process up many questions to ensure that the problem has been correctly identified and that approval to move forward is warranted. After agreement has been reached to pursue a proposal, frequent status reports occur. Depending on the activity, it may be weekly or monthly. The initial portion of the A3 (problem statement and analysis, discussed in Chapter 15) does not change for each update. That information is of a historical nature and is briefly reviewed as a “refresher,” but the data does not change (unless an additional cycle of PDCA was necessary). The A3 is used to show the status of implementation and current improvement results. The status update will include information regard- ing the remaining time until completion, delays in the progress and plans to return to the plan, and any challenges or issues requiring support from others. One com- monly made mistake is to wait too long after the plan falls behind schedule before making a contingency plan. This can put an activity behind schedule. Outline for an A3 Putting your story together on a single piece of paper always follows the same basic format; however, the actual content and space dedicated to each section will vary. Figure 18-4 shows the basic layout of an A3 “problem-solving story,” with each section identified and the flow of information shown with arrows. Begin with a heading that has the “theme” of the activity, the preparer’s name, Chapter 18. Telling the Story Using an A3 Report 381 A3 Report Title and Description Problem Definition and Description Problem Analysis Implementation Plan Future Steps Results AUTHOR:______________________ DATE: ______________ Figure 18-4. A3 problem-solving story format and flow [...]...382 THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK the date, and any other relevant information such as plant or department Then the page is divided into two parts down the middle In most cases, the Problem Definition and Description (the problem statement) and the Problem Analysis fill the entire left-hand side of the sheet, as can be seen in the figure Of this half of the paper, the bottom two-thirds... right side of the paper These are guidelines, not hard and fast rules because the format should fit the story, not the other way around If a section of the story requires more or less space, then adjust accordingly The right-hand side of the paper is generally reserved for the Implementation Plan, as the figure shows, the Results, and the Future Steps The results section usually fills most of the right-hand... to the input, there is no point in showing it to them The A3 is then modified as you go In some cases it’s the product of a team project, and the team must all agree to the report By the time the A3 is presented to an executive group for decision making, everyone in the 388 THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK room should have seen it and agreed to it At Toyota it is common to have just five minutes to present the. .. complete the following tasks 1 Starting with a blank sheet of paper, complete the heading of the A3 report Include: a Your name b The theme of the problem (describe the objective of solving the problem) c The name of the work area, department, facility, etc d The date of the report 2 Complete the problem situation section a Depict the problem graphically b Show the effect of the problem on other important... represents the relative importance of each section in the process The entire purpose of the activity is to improve results, so this should be the focus of the right side of the A3 Remember when we said that if the analysis is thorough and accurate the root causes would be obvious? If the root causes are obvious, the solutions will be as well This connection must be clear in the story If it is, there’s... other week dramatically turned around a plant About 40 percent of the workforce were “kaizened out.” Within one year they worked through every area of the plant, moving hundreds of pieces of equipment, making new shipping 398 THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK and receiving docks near the point of use, and basically remaking the place The dramatic savings led to great management attention, and helped spur the. .. problem? b Is additional support needed from others? c How will you transition responsibility for sustaining the results? 390 THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK d Explain whether you will pick up another problem and what it will be 7 Review the completed A3 with others to solicit feedback Pay particular attention to any questions or clarification that is needed These are indications of items that are lacking... implementation right away Sometimes this starts by 396 THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK clearing the floor of the current process, painting the floor, then moving equipment back in the new layout ◆ Thursday: Evaluate process (Check), improve (Act), and keep going through Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) until you have a good approach ◆ Friday: Develop a presentation for management Present to management Celebrate (Often the event... Chapter 18 Telling the Story Using an A3 Report 3 4 5 6 3 89 c Use arrows to show the flow of information and lead the reader’s eye along the correct path d Use no more than four bulleted statements to explain the problem situation, the effect, and the rationale for “picking up the problem.” e Is there a compelling reason to solve this problem? (The significance should be clear.) Complete the analysis section... properties of the data, and developing slick reports, that the analyst can get distracted from the true purpose of the project and lose focus on the gemba 2 Six Sigma anoints individuals as Green Belts or Black Belts and gives them a special status in the organization, yet their main skills are the analysis methods and not necessarily deep understanding of the processes they are improving 3 The Black Belts . Your name b. The theme of the problem (describe the objective of solving the problem) c. The name of the work area, department, facility, etc. d. The date of the report 2. Complete the problem. should fit the story, not the other way around. If a section of the story requires more or less space, then adjust accordingly. The right-hand side of the paper is generally reserved for the Implementation Plan,. open to the input, there is no point in showing it to them. The A3 is then modified as you go. In some cases it’s the product of a team project, and the team must all agree to the report. By the