Organizations with deeply embedded, full-scale "daily kaizen programs" will often cite that the development of such a program takes incredible commitment, focus, and dedication. It does not happen overnight. A strong understanding of the PDCA cycle is critical and leaders must foster a culture that encourages everyone to make problems visible. Problems must be opportunities to use everyone's creativity.

The following template package is provided as a resource to help those considering the daily kaizen journey to take a first exploratory step. It contains a short overview, a basic pareto template, and a simple action template.

There are many ways organizations can set goals and manage the execution of plans aligned with those goals. This process goes by many names (policy deployment, hoshin kanri, etc.), but the PDCA cycle is again deeply rooted. Achieving true alignment is about understanding "currency" at all levels of the organization. An understanding of inter-linkages and dependencies must be established between "currencies." A "market share" problem at an executive level may be a "lead time" issue at a value stream level which may actually be an "ease of work" problem for the people doing the work.

The following template package is provided as a resource to help those involved in setting organizational goals begin the process of translating "currencies."

Related literature on this topic:

- "Getting the Right Things Done" by Pascal Dennis
   First chapter plus additional downloadable material can be found at www.lean.org/gtrd.

- "Hoshin Handbook" by Pete Babich
   Can be purchased online at www.tqe.com/hoshhdbk.html.

- "Hoshin Kanri" by Yoji Akao, editor
   Can be purchased online at www.productivitypress.com.
 

"Value Innovation" is the cornerstone concept behind a book called "Blue Ocean Strategy, How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant." "Value innovation is the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost."

Business does not exist without customers. In fact, businesses exist firstly to provide value to customers. If a business can provide that value to customers at a price that exceeds the cost, that business is profitable. This fundamental idea is what drives valuestream thinking. Extend that thought to business development and/or new product development and it becomes a conversation centered around understanding what unsatisfied needs exist and how a business could be created around meeting those needs.

- "Blue Ocean Strategy" by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
   An overview of the frameworks and various case studies can be found on
   www.blueoceanstrategy.com.