“We like to work in a clean environment.”
“Because the boss said we need to.”
“It helps the quality of the product.”
“It is part of our 5S program.”
Each of these answers is true and valid, but tend to indicate issues that can-
not be challenged: “good reasons,” and therefore “the way it needs to be.” Who
could argue, for instance, that a clean workplace will provide a safer environment?
Who would challenge the boss’s request? But none of these answers support the
effort to resolve the problem! They’re a dead end. They presume lack of ability
and responsibility for improvement. The answer to the question “Why?” must
be related to the goal of capturing lost time opportunities and must be solvable.
Think about the issue in terms of the goal of reducing the time required for
cleaning. The current loss of time is 90 minutes per day. What would the possible
benefit be if the total time could be reduced to 45 minutes per day—a reduction
of 50 percent? It is very simple to calculate the additional production possible
with 45 extra minutes of production time available. It is possible to set a goal of
reducing the total cleaning time by 50 percent and establishing a new production
target. This is a key point of the analysis—the result mustbe quantifiable, and
there must be a clear understanding of the impact of the cause on the problem,
which is the goal.
Notice what happens when the answer to the question “Why do we clean
up?” is changed to “Because it gets dirty.” Continuing to ask “Why does it get
dirty?” at this level would begin to yield the root causes. The objective is to
reduce the time spent cleaning, so the perspective must be that of preventing
the dirt, or minimizing its impact, thereby reducing the cleaning time required
and enhancing the time to produce the product. A visit to the work area to see
first hand how and where the dirt is generated will provide a clear under-
standing. Is the dirt being contained effectively? Does it leak from equipment?
Identify areas that accumulate dirt: Is it possible to keep the debris from accu-
mulating? Certain areas, such as under machines and tables, may be enclosed
to prevent the accumulation. Observe the method of cleaning: Is it effective?
Could the method be improved to reduce cleaning time? So you can see how the
answer “Because it gets dirty” provides a perspective that yields numerous possi-
bilities for improvement.
When the true point of cause is understood by following the genchi genbutsu
method, many opportunities will surface that are well within the control of the
problem solver and produce great results. Careful consideration of the causes,
and by answering “Why?” in a way that will produce answers within the con-
trol of the problem solver, will generate tremendous opportunities.
singke
(singke)
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