Chris Bartlett After 20 years in the tool and construction markets, Chris Bartlett became Managing Director of Sigma 6 Works, which supplies a problem solving road map that can be applied to any business function, from the shop fl oor to the boardroom.


www.sigma6works.com Lost for ideas


PROBLEM solving is an activity that we all do every day, most of which is automatic.


We all have set routines for working with, say, a jigsaw: select the correct blade, prepare, measure and mark the timber, etc. In fact, if you mapped each of these procedures you would fi nd routines and decision points.


We need to be aware of the routines that we have developed and ask whether they are still relevant in today’s environment.


Kaizen refers to activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees. It has since spread throughout the world and has been applied to all industries - we have even seen it used to develop weight loss programmes.


The ethos is: little changes can make a big diff erence.


One method from kaizen is a ‘kaizen event’, or as we prefer to call it, a ‘scrum’.


What is a scrum? It’s a focused improvement activity which is great for when you want to generate rapid results or ideas.


Kaizen scrums are full of energy, rapidly moving to create a large list of ideas which will eventually be boiled down to a smaller list of priority items later.


If you had a one-hour kaizen scrum every week, imagine the changes that could be made.


We have all heard that ‘curiosity killed the cat’, but in kaizen its ‘curiosity saved the day’.


If we don’t know something, its natural to fi ll in the blanks with assumptions. Assumptions become a problem when we


Each of the decision points are problems to be solved – routine, yes, but problems nevertheless!


These routines are born out of experience and preferences and we develop a comfort with a way of doing things.


Once we have developed a preferred approach we then try to apply it to all similar situations that we encounter. This is often on the premise that what works in one situation may work in another.


We continue to use our old routines to solve problems even when the situation has changed. We have all seen companies within our industry which have carried through this process with devastating results.


20 TBH February, 2019 www.toolbusiness.co.uk


KAI ZEN CHANGE for GOOD


forget that they are simply a shorthand way for us to get through the day.


The good news is that there’s a simple way to find the answers. Using this technique will free you from limiting assumptions about challenges that might be undermining your company’s performance.


Begin by writing down your assumptions – dig deep to consider everything you are assuming about a situation.


Next, turn your assumptions into questions and make a mental shift from belief to curiosity. To do that, you may have to ask yourself questions such as: “Why do I think this?” “Could I be mistaken about this?” “Does recent experience support my belief?” “How can I add information and value to my understanding?”


Many companies are using kaizen to improve their business across all departments from accounts, sales and distribution to manufacturing. This gives them a leading edge against their competitors in today’s tough markets.


If you only take one thing from this article, it should be: never get stuck for ideas. Kaizen has a way of helping you.


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