Practical Problem Solving (1) What is a problem?

During the next posts we will be covering the 8 steps of practical problem solving.

Let's start by defining what a problem is.
According to Toyota, PROBLEMS are the GOLDEN EGGS of KAIZEN.

A problem is not a negative word, on the contrary, a problem is something that it is nice to have, because a problem is an opportunity, an opportunity to improve, an opportunity to get better at something. As Taiichi Ohno once said, no one has more trouble that the person who claims not to have a trouble.

Problems are disguised Kaizens, that we need to aggressively uncover. If we do not uncover them they could lead to increasing cost for the company.



A problem is the deviation from the standard, the gap between the current situation and your goal or target. Please see diagram




Next: 8 Step Problem Solving Methodology

Why vision statemets fail to deliver results? The use of a Blue Sky

Why do vision statements fail to deliver results?

Let's start with the definition of a Vision statement.

Simply put a vision statement is the inspiration, the framework for all the strategic planning that a company does.

The vision statement answers the question about where does a company wants to go.
Having a vision statements is a great start for any company, but having one does not mean that you know how to get to the place you describe in your vision.

But How do we get there?

Well, you have to develop a plan to get there and today in this article I will try to help you get started with this.

One methodology that can help us develop such a plan is called: Blue Sky.

A Blue Sky is the link between the vision and the operational improvements that a company wants to achieve. A blue sky aligns the functional areas to create momentum for change. A blue sky serves a the mecanism to cascade down all the tactical actions required while serving as an excellent mean to communicate the direction that the company is going.

Since the blue sky helps set the vision the operational objectives and the strategy, it is always use withing a policy deployment process or Hoshin Kanri.

It is worth noting that a blue sky is a pictorial representation of the key operational goals.

The process to create a Blue Sky for your company looks like this:

1- Organize a brainstorming event

2- Present the Blue Sky Goals and process

3- Brainstorm elements of the company blue sky

4- Create pictures to describe the elements

Once you have created your blue sky, you will have to develop a plan to achieve the blue sky. This is going to be discussed in a later blog.

Tomorrow we will go into detail about how to generate the Blue sky following the steps mentioned before

These are 3 helpful tips to create effective teams. This is not rocket science but common sense and understanding of the human nature.


1. Communicate, communicate, communicate through a process of listening, speaking, doing to make your goals and intentions known well in advance. Even when the people following you don't completely agree with what you are saying, if you are fair, open and honest at least they will trust and rely on your word. Once you demonstrate credibility by proving that you are there to help them succeed, they will take more interest in your communication and facilitate it by providing you with useful communication, feedback, and ideas for improvement.

2. Model the behaviors they want to see in those who follow you. If you want punctuality from your team members, always be on time. If you want a clean workplace, never hesitate to lift a broom or pick up a piece of trash on the floor. In other words, lead by example. No gesture is too small, as these have a combined effect over time. Every action is like an advertisement and a marketing and ad man will tell you it takes a minimum 7 exposures to an ad for a viewer to retain the message. This is a passive way of teaching but small, deliberate actions can speak more clearly than loud and fancy words.

3. Work through teams to set and achieve goals, solve problems and learn in the process. In the lean thinking philosophy we say "a leader is a teacher". A leader is only as good as their team, so unless you are blessed with a brilliant team, you can only succeed by helping your team mates increase their skills and knowledge.

3 Great Quotes from Peter Drucker

For those trying to implement the latest technological solution without first thinking about solving the underliying problems

"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all."

For those that are satisfied with what they already know

"Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes."

and for those that never reflect on what they just did

"Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action."

10 Guidelines for Leading in a lean organization

1. Lead by example, not by position.

2. Practice the role of manager/leader as a teacher and role model. Trust, respect and honesty are required core values that form the basis for all desirable behaviors.

3. Develop, communicate and stay focused on a simple vision with clear goals. People must know where we are, where we’re going and how we’re going to get there.

4. Encourage problems and solutions. Follow the problem-solving process to the root cause. “Don’t fix blame, fix the problem.”

5. Monitor the process, as well as the results.

6. Managers should have the questions, not the answers. Listen actively and ask those involved what their solution would be. If the proposed solution is OK, then support the implementation. If you can’t agree with the solution, explain why not and be specific.

7. Respect others, including their time. Keep commitments and stay focused on the facts.

8. Express thanks and appreciation for the effort, even if the solution could have been better.

9. Standardize all processes and activities to form a basis for improvement. Improvement is an everyday activity, not a special event.
10. “Do it because I say so” does not work in a Smart environment. “Do it because it is the right thing for the goals of the company and here is why” does. You must be a teacher

How a 5s Map can help you sustain your 5s efforts

A 5s Map is one lean tool that help us set the standard about how a station, an office or an area should look like after 5s.

If you have been trying to implement 5s in your office on in your factory you might be running with one common problem : "Sustainment".

How can you make sure that people are sustaining the 5s efforts?

People tend to forget if they are not reminded about how a place should look like or what exactly needs to be done to maintain a standard. The 5 s map helps you resolving this issue

Please see example of a 5s Map:

The map should idealy have a picture o a drawing of the area, indicating the place where the containers, work in process, tools and cleaning supplies need to be located.
The map should also include a very short description of the task that the operator or employee is expected to complete in order to complete the 5s Activity.
This tools is also an excellent visual aid for supervisors, team leaders of managers to spot problems or opportunities for improvement. Since the map is indicating how things should look like, the supervisor or manager can quickly perform a check and confirm if the standard is being follow. The following Video shows a great way to explain 5S