How to Make Your Organization a Problem Solving Machine With Toyota's 8 step Kaizen Method

How to use Toyota’s Problem Solving Method to Create an Environment of

Continuous Improvement in Your Organization

Problem Solving

On Steroids!!

It doesn’t mush matter what your craft is in business, (i.e. Sales, Marketing, Retail,

Manufacturing) or what your product or service is, if you don’t have a repeatable and reproducible framework in place for solving problems, some

degree of chaos or lack of organization most likely ensues.

Without a structured approach to solving problems in your organization,

problem forecasting probably doesn’t occur as much as it should and a proactive approach to problems might

not exist

Problems are probably perceived as inevitable and are usually only dealt with when they surface.

And usually by people who were assigned to the problem with much kicking and dragging.

When we teach our employees (arguably our greatest asset) how to think, and not what to think,

they become more engaged problem solvers, proactivity increases, and preventable problems

decrease.

So What are the 8 steps of Toyota’s method?

1. Clarify the ProblemClearly identify the problem. Communicate

how it aligns with the goal of the organization. Quantify what the ideal outcome should be in the future state,

what the current state is, and calculate the spread.

2. Breakdown the ProblemThere’s only one way to eat an elephant.

One bite at a time. Break down the problem into manageable chunks. Ask

Who, What, When, and Why to break the problem into Priority, Process, and Point

of Cause

3. Set a TargetSet a target of how much you plan to improve the problem and when the

improvement will be made

4. Analyze the Root CauseConduct a Brainstorming Session to

determine potential causes of problem. Use the 5 Why method to drill down to the root

cause. Go to Gemba (or the physical process) to verify the validity of your findings

5. Develop CountermeasuresBrainstorm with your team potential

solutions to the problem. Establish a criteria to prevent future events, develop action plans

to fix the problem, assign tasks, and gain consensus from all stakeholders necessary

6. See Countermeasures ThroughVerify that all action items are being

completed in time allotted. Make sure all milestones are being reported as well as

roadblocks. Be persistent and see it through.

7. Evaluate Both Results and ProcessesDetermine if the target was achieved.

Evaluate current state process and compare to past state. Calculate results to see if the

original spread has been eliminated or reduced.

8. Standardize Successful ProcessesStandardize Successful Processes, share

results with all key stakeholders and other department heads that can benefit from your successful project completion, and

start your next round of Kaizen.

The End

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