SMALL IMPROVEMENTS VS
COLLABORATIVE IMPROVEMENTS
PART OF THE LEAN MINDSET
Small Improvements vs Collaborative Improvements
Sometimes an employee may identify a waste, but be unsure how to improve it or change it themselves. Whilst typically it is important for the employee themselves to come up with a solution, there are many times where it may need some extra people involved.
Small Improvements
Small Improvements are very closely linked to Quick Wins and 2-Second improvements. They are quick and easy to implement, and often involve just one person. They will normally only affect a single area or process and won’t have any larger effects company-wide.
Collaborative Improvements
When you bring in extra people to help, these are called Collaborative Improvements. They will typically require more planning and consideration than a small improvement and may involve multiple people and departments. Collaborative improvements can tackle more complex problems that affect multiple processes or departments within a company. The advantage of a collaborative improvement is the depth of knowledge. By bringing together different people with different skillsets, you will get different and fresh ideas.
Both types of improvement are essential to truly implement 2-Second Lean. Small individual improvements empower employees to make immediate, changes every day that improve their work. Collaborative improvements can address larger problems and bring people together, encouraging teamwork. Together, these approaches help contribute to continuous improvement.
Example
In the toy factory, an operator may label their tools, and store them on a wooden wall. They have been labelling them for quite some time through individual improvements and use screws to hang each tool from.
Grabbing the tools is causing excess motion though due to the need to unhook them from the screws. The layout isn’t as optimal as it could be. The operator has spoken to a leader about having a look at the workbench with him. The leader then identifies that a more bespoke tool wall is needed so that the tools can be placed in the optimal positions.
He works with the operator to decide a good layout and takes this to the drawing department to design a bespoke item. The drawing department design it, the production team then make it.
To ensure that the standards are followed, the marketing department get a photo and make a label to go on the wall. This photo shows the correct standard for placing tools back on the wall.
This collaborative improvement has involved the initial operator, a team leader, the drawing department, the production department and the marketing department. The improvement may not have been possible without all of their input and it has encouraged teamwork in the factory.
