Lean-Kaizen is a process improvement method that involves mapping out current business processes, identifying issues and waste, and designing new systems before development begins to reduce costs. It uses a diverse team over an intensive week to investigate, analyze, and develop an entire process. The newly designed system is documented as a roadmap and improvements are owned by team members. Kaizen provides a systems view of a process that all stakeholders can understand and relies on an empowered team that takes ownership of innovations and implementation.

1. In a nutshell, Lean-Kaizen
Rapid Business and Technical Process Improvement
In a nutshell… map and understand the systems processes, customer requirements, and streamline the
system before any development is started. Lean is a significantly less expensive development expense
and cost of ownership from the very start of creating an application to meet business needs.
Kaizen is an intense weeklong event that investigates, analyzes, and develops an entire business process
system with a very diverse team. Lean develops a solid understanding of who the customer is, what they
expect, and how DEQ delivers a quality product that meets their needs.
Kaizen contains a series of tools that identify the process wastes that all business have. The team maps
out the current business process, identifies all issues and determines solutions that have a high
improvement impact to the business. The newly designed system is mapped and documented as a
roadmap for development. All improvements are owned by team members who are fully responsible for
completion. Kaizen assists in understanding who your customers are, what they require, and how to
achieve and maintain meeting these services or products efficiently.
 Set of interlocking tools and methods that deliver stellar results
 Improvements before technology
 Removes ambiguity between stakeholders, customers, and developers
 Clarifies roles and responsibilities
 Significantly decreases both development/implementation costs and ongoing cost of ownership
Kaizen provides a self discovering “systems view” of a business process that everyone who touches it can
understand. Kaizen relies heavily on empowered team that while did not create the processes, takes
ownership of the situation, the innovations, the implementation, and the success of the entire new system.
REEL_InaNutshell.doc