A kaizen event (sometimes "kaizen blitz") is a structured 2-5 day workshop focused on improving a specific process. When they work they move mountains; when they fail it's usually because the setup was rushed.
Prerequisites
- Clear scope - one process, one shift, one location.
- A current-state map done before the event starts.
- The people who do the work in the room (not just their managers).
- Leadership commitment to implement changes immediately, not "take it to committee".
- 5 uninterrupted days blocked out.
A typical structure
- Day 1: Walk the process, refine the current-state map, agree the target state.
- Day 2: Root-cause the biggest gaps. Identify 3-5 experiments.
- Day 3: Run the experiments. Try things on the actual line, not in PowerPoint.
- Day 4: Standardise what worked. Document the new standard work.
- Day 5: Present to leadership. Set up the 30-day sustainment check.
Sustainment
The single biggest failure mode of kaizen events is regression - the process quietly reverts within a month. Build in a 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day check where you re-record and compare against baseline. If it's slipped, come back.