Online Kaizen Training – Offline Kaizen Culture

üttana Support — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 21:54:31 +0000

The modern world is full of distractions, and technology often makes it much easier for distractions to find you. It’s easy to want to tune out and go low-tech just to keep people from getting sidetracked. When it comes to the internet, educational institutions have long been weary of students logging in during class time, but this is changing. More teachers are realizing the benefits of online learning, and so too must industry trainers. The idea of letting your trainees bring smartphones and tablets to the workplace might seem risky, but like many things in management, it is not the tools, but the culture that drives activity. So it is with online kaizen training. The right approach will get people familiar with the tools of process improvement and ensure that they are using technology in the right way.

Every day, the internet gives us choices. We can get the latest international news, find out what our friends had for breakfast, learn a new skill, create cute animal memes, buy an anniversary present, or have an affair. Obviously some activities are a lot more virtuous than others. Technology gives us the choice but it doesn’t make it for us. Just like a kid hiding a comic book behind their biology textbook, people in the workplace can try to appear productive while “liking” pictures of dogs in Christmas sweaters on their smartphone. A culture of Kaizen, or continuous improvement, will keep people engaged and motivated in their job, so using online training programs should do the same. In fact, showing this kind of trust in the workforce by letting them take command of their own learning process will get the ball rolling toward a culture of empowerment. This is a major factor for sustaining continuous improvement. If employees don’t feel trusted, they wont feel empowered, and they wont seek out solutions on their own when faced with a problem.

Allowing employees to access online kaizen training material in their own way and at their own pace sends the clear message, “We believe you have the power to improve, and we trust you with that power.” In this way, training itself becomes an act of continuous improvement, and the method of training becomes the first lesson. Ultimately, if you want people to learn to manage themselves, you have to let them manage their own learning. Online learning management systems are great tools for achieving this. People should be held accountable for how they use their time online, but you shouldn’t automatically assume they would spend it on Facebook.

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Using Video for Process Improvement – Part 2: Preparation and Equipment

Shop Manager — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 22:29:57 +0000

As a company that specializes in Lean training videos, using video for process improvement seemed like a natural fit. In addition to being teachers and continuing students of Lean methods, our team consists of videographers, photographers, and graphic designers. One of us even plays jazz flute! We realized that making instructional videos focused on Lean is not the only way to combine these skills. Another way is to apply the tools of the videographer’s trade to the Kaizen process. In our last blog post, we discussed the history and potential of using video for process improvement. In this entry, we will focus on equipment. The methods and equipment to use will vary depending on your subject of study as well as social conditions with the people participating in the study.

Choosing Video Equipment

In the past, equipment was one of the main barriers to using film and later video for process improvement activities. For much of the twentieth century, cameras were expensive, heavy, and difficult to operate. With advances in digital technology, anyone can now shoot video in high definition at the touch of a button, but this doesn’t mean that there is no skill required, or that all equipment is created equal. Quickly browsing YouTube will reveal huge gaps in quality between professional productions and a video your neighbor shot vertically on his iPhone. That’s not to say you can’t use a phone’s built in features and achieve great results, but you need to choose your equipment based on your improvement initiative. Although people’s phones are readily available, there are other options for cameras, not to mention other equipment. Here are a few to consider, along with their pros and cons:

An “Action Camera”

Cameras

Camera phones
Pros: Simple to operate, readily available.
Cons: Inconsistent video quality, uncomfortable to operate for long periods
Uses: Great for spur of the moment analysis. They are also great for getting large numbers of people involved to generate multiple angles and points of view. Just make sure everyone stays off of Facebook while they’re working.

Consumer camcorders
Pro: Consistent quality, easy to handle.
Cons: Prices vary, bulkier than other options, can be fragile
Uses: This is the most versatile option. Excellent for use in scheduled kaizen workshops

DSLR cameras
Pros: Great image quality, many lens options, time-lapse features
Cons: Relatively expensive, steep learning curve, time limits for video clips
Use: The clip limit restricts their video function to shorter processes. On the other hand, time-lapse photography is an option for very long processes (over a few hours).

Action cameras (i.e. GoPro)
Pros: Small, light and durable, wearable, many accessories
Con: Fewer shooting options, can be expensive.
Uses: The most personal perspective. This is great way to get a first-person view without distracting the workers or inhibiting their movement.

Accessories

Tripods
Pros: A fixed and stable shot, the camera can be left on for long periods unattended
Cons: Takes up space, limited mobility

Selfie sticks
Pros: Allows videographer to join the shot, easily shoot high and low angles
Cons: Tiring when used for long periods, distracting

Wearable mounts
Pro: Greatest mobility, frees up both arms, easy POV recordings
Cons: Limited perspective of work area, might seem intrusive

Professional video lights (left) and simple work lights (right)

Lighting and Audio

Lighting and sound are major aspects of professional video production, but for process analysis and improvement there are just a few major factors to consider.

Adequate Visibility
Today’s digital cameras can offer amazing image resolution in a small package, but their small lenses and sensors make it difficult to capture clear images in low light. Unless your process requires a dimly lit environment (in that case you’ll want to make sure your camera has low light or night vision modes), a well-lit work area should be the standard to begin with. Good lighting is a requirement for safety and a visual work environment. If you need to invest in lighting equipment to get a clear shot, you might just consider inverting in better facility lighting in general. Work lights are cheaper than video lighting equipment. In fact, many videographers on a tight budget make their own lighting gear by modifying work lights.

The Value of Sound
The first question to ask regarding audio equipment is “how much do I need to hear?” This will vary greatly depending on the process. In most manufacturing settings, the machines and processes generate a lot of noise. If you need to monitor the sound of a particular machine, or document people’s conversations, you may need specialized equipment such as directional microphones, lapel microphones, and portable audio recorders. For most other purposes, the built-in mic of your video camera should be good enough, especially if sound is not relevant to the processes being examined

This should give you a good idea of what you will or will not need in order to capture your processes on video. Let us know if you have any more insights on video equipment based on your own experience. In our next article, we will discuss the process of capturing video for process improvement using a variety of techniques.