CHAPTER
9

The Third Question: How Do We Know Where to Improve?

Even if we have educated our workforce about the tools needed to eliminate waste and our people are motivated to improve the operation, how do they know where in the operation they should apply their tools and efforts if they are to make improvements? Who decides? Should we empower everyone who has been trained to decide for himself? Should it be up to the leader or a steering committee? Should we target quick wins so that our efforts build momentum? How we approach the topic of where to improve next is directly related to how fast the operation improves. The question of where to improve next may be a little more interesting than the previous two, and it is likely to provide insight into how the team views the need for improvement. It will also stir up some good debate and provide insight into the team’s thoughts and feelings on who decides where to improve and how. The list of typical answers to the question, “How do we know where to improve?” may include responses such as