if the process has been followed carefully and everyone clearly understands the
root cause, reaching agreement on a proposed solution is relatively simple.
Consensus is gained at each step of the process, and by this stage most people
are “on board” with the solutions and ready to implement them!
Test Ideas for Effectiveness
It’s important to verify the effectiveness of the planned solution before imple-
menting it. This is done prior to developing an implementation plan. There is lit-
tle to gain from pursuing a solution that has little likelihood of success. Toyota’s
ability to create significant results is largely dependent on the certainty of those
results, priorto beginning any implementation.
How does Toyota prove an idea without actually implementing it? Following
the scientific method, an experiment is designed, allowing the effect of imple-
mentation to be simulated. This simulation is “real world,” occurring in the
workplace whenever possible. When it’s not practical to test in the real world
(such as machinery movement), a cardboard or even wood mock-up of the
work area is used to verify the idea.
For example, take the following root cause: “Excess walking due to poor lay-
out.” For a simulation technique, the implementer can “assume the waste,” with
a team member presenting material to the operator “as if” it were already relo-
cated. In this way the operator can perform the work with the waste temporarily
removed. The team member can also experiment with the most effective material
placement by holding the material in different positions. This allows the operator
and the team member to see firsthand the most effective presentation, and it
aids in the design of material presentation devices such as carts, flow racks, chutes,
etc. The operator can provide direct feedback, and the team member can expe-
rience the pluses and the minuses of any method.
The operator work flow during the simulation is diagrammed in Figure 16-1.
The dashed lines represent the steps of the team member who will return to
the parts supply to retrieve the next part and present it to the operator at Step 1,
demonstrating the effect of improved material placement. This will shorten the
operator’s walking time, and the resulting reduction in cycle time can easily be
measured with a stopwatch.
Further tests can be conducted to demonstrate the effects of relocating the
inspection process and the finished parts container. Completion of the improved
work flow is shown in Figure 16-2.
It is important during a simulation to respect the needs of the person doing
the work. The simulation must be accomplished without disrupting the work
process or stopping the operation. It is the implementer’s responsibility to be
aware of the situation and stop any testing if it’s having a negative impact on the
operator. Of course, safety is always the first consideration, and the implementer