successfully overseeing a Lean initiative that it is self- sustaining or seamlessly effective.


In 2011, one of my colleagues and I began develop- ment of a series of Lean workshops to be facilitated for print manufacturing firms located throughout western Canada. We designed a one-day course that would cover five simple “tools” of Lean (Kaisen/5S, waste identification, visual management, spaghetti mapping, and work standardization). Our one-day workshop focused on the five primary tools and con- sisted of a combination of lecture (30 minutes) and a supplemental hands-on application (30 minutes).


The results were fantastic. Most of the participants were leaders in organizations and, through the com- bined instruction process, they all left the workshop with an individualized action plan. We were ecstatic, and the attendees seemed to enhance a rejuvenated esprit de corps within their organizations.


After that win, the Canadian Federal Government invited us to submit a grant proposal for federal funding for the development of a three-day on-site program set on the premises of participating compa- nies in western Canada. This program was branded as a Contracted Lean Implementation Plan or CLIP.


The Program in Action For four preselected companies, a three-day hands-on Lean implementation initiative was launched consisting of three consecutive one-day programs but designed to introduce more tools and to integrate all employees in the implementation processes. Tools were introduced in a 30-minute lecture then practiced and demonstrated on the shop floor. Employees were asked to participate and data was observed and collected. The results were incredible in that each individual employee, alongside their supervisor, was given an opportu- nity to see the positive ramifications of Lean in their immediate premise and areas.


After each demonstration or activity, there was discussion that provided further insight to the sig- nificance of each Lean tool. Liker and Convis (2011) refer to this Toyota practice as hansei, the Japanese term for “the conscious process of looking back at


oneself, picking apart what went well and what did not go well, and vowing to be better next time.” Each activity on the floor demonstrated or enacted during the assigned activity produced significant discussion thus enhancing the confidence levels of each of the Lean Implementation Planning Teams.


On day three of the program, each member of the CLIP team selected five measurable one-year goals for review. To exhibit their dedication, they signed a formal document. The signed document intensified their level of seriousness and commitment.


The Results The underlying results were tremendous. All four companies improved processes with measurable financial savings. They experienced less downtime due to equipment failure and damage to product because of transportation accidents. Employees gained insight into company goals through trans- parency and communication. Significant floor space was recovered by successful 5S initiatives. Culturally, most of the companies held CLIP update sessions to show progress made from each employee’s indi- vidual commitments thus gaining further buy-in from the shop floors. Finally, all of the companies extended the CLIP signature ceremony to include every employee. The CLIP (in the form of a wide-for- mat poster) has been framed and proudly displayed in the front reception areas of their plants for all of their customers to see.


The discovery to be yielded from this experiment was that learning one tool at a time in small amounts and then applying the tool through an activity stationed on the very floor for which it was intended with the very people involved has a greater relevance than attempting to push it downward from the offices of management. It is, essentially, a two-way street requiring visual transparency and cultural trust in the form of communication (huddle boards) and celebration (community “win boards” that celebrate progress and results). More importantly, the real suc- cess was found when the management team of these organizations came down to the floor to work with the production crews.


The Magazine 15 3.2017


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