4TH STANDARDISE Find the 10 words below Improvements to system A line through the word is acceptable No need to make the off below since the system is clear…….
Trainers Notes The concept of the game is a simple one. To demonstrate the problems associated with a poorly organised workplace and how through the application of the simple principles of the 5’s, rapid improvements in efficiency can be made. Use the game to re-enforce your training programme and to provide a light hearted interlude to you training.
The game. Explain to the students that you are going to demonstrate the power of 5’s by using very simple version of a everyday puzzle. Set the scene like a classroom exam, but asking the ‘class’ not to turn over the papers until they are asked to and not cheating !!!! (keep it light) Check all students have a pen Explain they will have 60 seconds (you need a stopwatch at hand) to simple find 10 words associated with lean/Kaizen in the grid. To make things easier all the words are listed on the bottom of the page. At the end of the 60 seconds they must put there pens down. All words must be encircled in a normal word search manner (discourage simple striking through the word because in the initial runs you wish to slow down the process a little. In the final run, the improvements allow for striking through as an improvement to the process). Hand out the initial sheet only, face down. Check for cheating !!! Start the 60 seconds and ask the students to turn over the paper. On a white board / flip chart write the number 1 to 10 down the side while you wait. Draw 4 columns by the side, and number the columns 1 to 4. This will be used to chart the results.
At the end of the 60 seconds, ask the students to put their pens down. Jokingly say ‘how easy that should have been to find 10 words’ Ask who got 10 words (look surprised when nobody does). Ask if anyone got 9 then 8 etc counting down. Complete the chart with the results in column 1. (The amount the people find should be low 1 to 4.) Sum up, Ask the group what was wrong with the process. Relate this to the 1st S of the 5S programme. Ask ‘If we removed the numbers that are not required would the process improve’ Relate this to a relevant example in your process, too many tools in a tool box, an inbox that is overflowing, high levels of stock, mixed stock etc. 2nd run Explain on the second run you have removed all the letters that are not required. Repeat the process handing out the 2nd sheet and timing the 60 seconds. At the end of the second run again record the scores. The norm is for the group to improve. The scores should be in the range of 4 – 7. Reinforce the simple message of how powerful just completing the 1st S is. Again ask what stop people scoring more. Relate the conversation to the 2nd S, How straightening the process in someway, putting in a system could give further gains. 3rd run. Explain you have put ‘a’ system in place using colours to provide a level of visual control. Do not explain that the initial letter in each word is in bold. This will be used later to explain the importance of training) Repeat the process handing out the 3rd sheet. This time there is a chance that someone may finish, so ask the group to indicate when they have done so. The norm is again to see improvement. The scores should be in the range 5 – 10 Again ask what was good and what could be improved.
Ask how many people spotted the bold initial letter. Use this to explain the importance of training of any new process changes to maximise the benefits and reduce errors in the process. 4th run This time explain that one of the key principles is that you must go back and revisit and new process to look to errors and make further improvements possible. This is the key action that the 3rd S addresses. Revisiting the process allowing the ‘shining’ of the process to happen quite often is misunderstood. Explain this time the words have been ‘un-muddled ‘ Repeat the process this time using the 4th sheets. Check that people are still ringing the words and marking them off at the bottom of the sheet as per instructions. Expect people to finish well within time. When they do, acknowledge the fact. Again reinforce the principles. Ask what we could do to further improve the process. Final run. This time give full training as to the improvements. •
All words are in the same order as the list at the bottom of the sheet so there is no need to make off the works, since any abnormality will be obvious.
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There are no word spelled backwards, all words are correctly aligned and because of this the bold letter is no longer required. So all words begin on the left of the grid.
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The process has been ‘Kaizened’ and a line through the word is the new standard ( not need to circle the word fully)
Reduce the time to 30 seconds. The reality is that most people will finish inside 10 seconds.
Summary Explain that at the start of the game the process was full of wastes and the 5s process has allow us to see the waste and address it is a structured manner The process has not changed. Finding 10 word in a grid. However we have improved the process to allow the task to become easy. Relate this learning to a real situation in your process etc before closing the game.
