1. TSI Plastics, Inc.

2. o TSI Plastics has been servicing the Aerospace & Defense Industries since 1959 as a contract manufacturer of custom fabricated parts and assemblies. TSI specializes in precision CNC machining and injection molding of plastics for a broad range of industries. Specializing in non-metallic materials including Acrylic, Polycarbonate, Nylon, Teflon. TSI helps with both design and engineering services, material selection, and production processes. o TSI is AS 9100 certified and pursuing SEA Certification to continually improve value to the customer. o TSI currently has 15 employees

3.  A kaizen event is a focused improvement activity undertaken by a specially selected team over a short period of time.  An event has three parts: o Preparation o The event week o 30-day closeout and review

4.  Preparation includes steps 1 -4  Step 1: Select an opportunity for improvement  Step 2: Identify the customers’ requirements  Step 3: Define the problem  Step 4: Collect Data

5.  Clearly an event has to be focused in a very specific area, otherwise it is impossible to achieve significant results in the time available. Events should be focused on: o Areas of significant customer dissatisfaction o High levels of waste o Poor flow

6.  Once the goals and dates have been set, the champion and team leader can go on to develop the remainder of the team contract. This should cover: o What will the team look at/not look at o Be clear what is within the scope and what is not o Is there a separate budget or is it self-financing

7.  In an event there are two points at which data must be collected: 1.Prior to the event to help with the scoping and preparation 2.During the event week to understand the detailed performance of the current process Use this data to: o Help in the setting of the goals o Brief the team and those affected on the current situation in the area o Decide what additional data will be needed by the team and the tools to use during the event week to collect it

8.  The event week therefore covers steps 4 – 9 of PDCA:  Step 4: Collect Data  Step 5: Analyze for root causes  Step 6: Find Solution(s) – all the actions that could be taken to dramatically improve performance  Step 7: Develop a plan to implement solution(s) – this is very quick; the emphasis in on ACTION  Step 8: Implement solution(s) – ACTION – quickly!  Step 9: Monitor results and evaluate against plan – even within the week it is usually possible to measur some of the benefits achieved.

9.  The aims of the Lean module when used in an event are to: o Understand the main principles and benefits of Lean Enterprise o Be familiar with the main tools and techniques and their role in achieving Lean Enterprise o Understand the role of events in implementing Lean Enterprise The Lean module is therefore a vehicle to get across to the event team what Lean Enterprise is about; what it involves and why it is important to the business

10.  Before launching into the data collection, etc., it is important to spend some time clarifying what has to be achieved during the week and what this will involve.  The briefing should last no more than one and a half hours and should cover: o Goals and boundaries o Overall time plan o Ground rules o Safety rules o Visit to the area o Review of existing data o Root causes

11.  Start on-time  Say what you are thinking  Everyone participates  Make and meet commitments  No phones or pagers  No such thing as a stupid question  Discussions stay in the room until it is over  Have fun!

12.  In order to keep control over the week, given the rate of the activity, it is very important to have regular reviews: o With the team members to check on progress and agree next steps o With the champion to report actions and get approval where needed.  Each of these is considered in turn.

13.  By the end of day 4, the major actions should have been taken, along with several small steps and a clear plan developed showing what else needs to be done to complete the changes.  The morning of day 5 is spent: o Preparing and delivering a presentation o Deciding the 30 day closeout actions o Reviewing the event week and team performance o Pulling together a visual display for the event area The event presentation is made mid-afternoon.

14.  Purpose  To report o What has been done o What has been achieved o What else needs to be done to make it stick o What has been learned Audience o Sponsor (and possibly other members of the management team). o Others working in the event area. o Supporters. o Other guests. Length o Aim for 30 minutes maximum o Be energetic and focused, do not let it drag

15. o Decreased lead time by 60% which converts into a $16,000/month cash flow improvement. o Decreased WIP by installing a finished goods supermarket. This resulted in a cash flow improvement of $91,000 per year. o Increased productivity by 30% in a assembly work cell which resulted in a savings of $30,000 per year.

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