Kaizen Lego

Game
Francisco Trindade (@frankmt)
Patrick Kua (@patkua)
Danilo Sato (@dtsato)
Who are we ?
 Lean Lego Game

“We want to make

it better!”

Why ?
 “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those
who cannot read and write, but those who cannot
learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
Alvin Toffler

Continuous Improvement

What ?
Continuous Improvement
Value Stream Mapping Inventory
Standards Kaizen 5 Whys CFD
Cycle Time Waste Genchi Genbutsu

What ?
Kaizen
Kai = Change and Zen = Good/Better;
together Kaizen stands for a small
methodical continuous improvement steps
that should be implemented daily
www.leancor.com/index.php
Continuously improving in
incremental steps.
leanmfgsolutions.com/glossary.html

literally translates to ‘continuous improvement’ in

English. Kaizen activities are small, incremental activities
performed over time where Kaikaku a radical and one-
off. www.richarddurnall.com
/

define Kaizen
 Toyota Production System

Kaizen
 Toyota Production System

Applied to different areas

(including software...)

Kaizen
 Applied to different areas
(including software...)

The Toyota Way 2001

Continuous Respect For

Improvement People

Kaizen Challenge Kaizen Genchi

Gembutsu
Respect Teamwork
 The Toyota Way 2001

Continuous Respect For

Improvement People

Challenge Kaizen Genchi Respect Teamwork

Gembutsu

Not only practices, but also principles

Kaizen
 Plan Do

Act Check

How are we doing this ?

 Introduce improve standards
concepts
Run
adapt
Process

Evaluate measure

How are we doing this ?

 2 trackers

builders

How are we doing this ?

 Inventory
2 trackers
Cycle Time
builders

How are we doing this ?

Inventory
How much are we spending ?

Cycle Time
How fast are we delivering ?

How are we doing this ?

 1st Iteration

And here we go...

 Retail Price = $25.00

1 Lego Piece = $01.00

1 Seal = 13 pieces

13.00
+ 12.00
Some context
 Trial
&
Standard
And here we go...
 2x
03:00
And here we go...
 Deliver!
Build Seal
QA
Buy Pieces

Cycle Time Tracker Inventory Tracker

How are we doing this ?

 Deliver!
Build Seal
QA
Buy Pieces
How much are
How long are we spending ?
we taking ?

Cycle Time Tracker Inventory Tracker

How are we doing this ?

 Deliver!
Build Seal
QA
Buy Pieces
How can we
improve ?

Cycle Time Tracker Inventory Tracker

How are we doing this ?

 Remember:
G r e e n
Work for the
card!

How are we doing this ?

 “The most dangerous kind of waste is the waste we
do not recognize.” Shigeo Shingo

Waste (Muda)
 Overproduction
Waiting
Overprocessing
Unnecessary Transportation
Inventory
Motion
Defects

Waste (Muda)
“The foundation of the Toyota way
is based upon the simple yet
elusive goal of identifying and
Overproduction
eliminating waste in all work
activities” Jeffrey Liker, The Toyota Way Fieldbook
Waiting
Overprocessing
Unnecessary Transportation
Inventory
Motion
Defects

Waste (Muda)
 “Where there is no standard, there can be no
improvement. For these reasons, standards are the
basis for both maintenance and improvement.”
Masaaki Imai

Standards & Improvement

 “Data is of course important
in manufacturing, but I place
the greatest emphasis on
facts.” Taiichi Ohno

Genchi Genbutsu
 “My car will
not start.”

5 Whys
 “The battery Why?
“My car will is dead”
not start.” Why?
“The alternator is
not functioning.”
“I have not been
maintaining my car Why?
according to the
recommended schedule.”
“The alternator
belt has broken.”
Why? “The alternator belt was
well beyond its useful Why?
service life and has never
been replaced.”
5 Whys
For want of a nail a shoe was lost,
for want of a shoe a horse was lost,
for want of a horse a rider was lost,
for want of a rider an army was lost,
for want of an army a battle was lost,
for want of a battle the war was lost,
for want of the war the kingdom was lost,
and all for the want of a little horseshoe nail.
John Gower's Confesio
Amantis dated approximately 1390 AD.

5 Whys
 2nd Iteration

And here we go again...

 5 Why’s

And here we go again...

 5 Why’s
Why didn’t we
make any
profit ?

And here we go again...

 7:00 Analyse the
problem
1:00 Create new standard
3:00 Run it again

And here we go again...

Thinking
Time!
How did
it go ?
 time
from concept to cash

Value Stream Mapping

 Finance

Marketing

Office Admin
Customer

Customer Care

Sales
 “I want a seal!”

Buy Build
Pieces QA
seal
 “I want a seal!”

Buy Build
Pieces QA
seal

“My seal came in the wrong

colour, I want a new one...”
 Value “I want a seal!”

Buy Build
Pieces QA
seal

“My seal came in the wrong

colour, I want a new one...”
 Value “I want a seal!”

Buy Build
Pieces QA
seal

“My seal came in the wrong Failure

colour, I want a new one...”
Point of Transaction

Buy Build
Pieces QA
seal
 Buy Build
Pieces QA
seal

Demand: 1 Seal/30 sec

Capability: 1 Seal/45 sec

 Buy Build
Pieces QA
seal

Control Chart Capability: 1 Seal/30-45 sec

Time

Orders
As is

Buy Build
Pieces QA
seal

To be

? ? ?
 3rd Iteration

And here we go again...

 Value Stream
Mapping
And here we go again...
Value Stream
Mapping
As is process
To be process

And here we go again...

 7:00 Analyse the
problem
1:00 Create new standard
3:00 Run it again

And here we go again...

Thinking
Time!
How did
it go ?
 Continuous Improvement
It’s not just Reflect and adapt
about Learn by standardizing
practices Long term thinking
Respect People

“Toyota’s real advantage was its ability to harness the

intellect of ‘ordinary’ employees” Gary Hamel

Afterthoughts
 Kaizen Lego Game

Afterthoughts
 Thank you!
Francisco Trindade (@frankmt)
ftrindad@thoughtworks.com

Patrick Kua (@patkua)

pkua@thoughtworks.com

Danilo Sato (@dtsato)

dsato@thoughtworks.com

Questions?