When it comes to Lean, a lot of information is available about the big picture, and even about the details of all the tools. But there is little information on the actual steps you need to take, and how to take them, as you move through the application of the methodology.

But last month the experts at Breakthrough Management Group launched a book that is first of its kind – a guide written for Kaizen Event team leaders who have already been trained in the principles and tools of Lean, but are looking for a step-by-step process for conducting a successful Lean Kaizen Event.

Co-authored by Lean Masters William Wes Waldo and Tom Jones, the book provides users with the roadmap, tools and templates needed for moving efficiently through a Lean Kaizen event using the SCORE™ methodology. The SCORE (Select-Clarify-Organize-Run-Evaluate) process was designed by Breakthrough Management Group, the world’s leading provider of training and consulting for performance excellence programs including Lean, Six Sigma and Innovation.

As the most practical guide of its kind, it provides readers with a roadmap and all the tools and templates they need for moving efficiently through the Kaizen/ SCORE process. Kaizen, meaning “change for the better” in Japanese, is used in Lean transformations to break down the “project mentality” of an organization and create a “bias toward action.” SCORE expands Lean’s traditional Kaizen event with four additional improvement steps, adding critical project selection, planning and evaluation to the traditional Kaizen event.

Neil DeCarlo, Vice President of Publishing for Breakthrough Management Group, believes the guide will be an invaluable resource for Lean practitioners, especially beginners. “It’s one thing to learn all the material in class,” he says, “but it’s another to apply it under the pressure of making a real-time improvement. The guide serves as an armchair coach for those who are leading Lean Kaizen Events within their organization.”

SCORE can accelerate organizational improvements such as worker productivity; help save time, space and money; and reduce waste in areas such as lead times, work in progress, scrap, defects and rework. BMG typically recommends SCORE to clients who are looking to improve their existing processes quickly and efficiently and who wish to gain more measurable results from their efforts.

• A brief synopsis of Kaizen and the SCORE methodology.
  
• Descriptions of the different functions a Team Leader is expected to fulfill.
  
• A roadmap and step-by-step instructions for moving through a Kaizen Event.
  
• Four appendixes with templates and matrices to assist team leaders with each phase of the event.
  
• A bonus CD-ROM with over 30 templates, team charters and worksheets, plus 13 Lean workplace posters.
  
  

To get your copy, visit BMG’s online store here, or go to Amazon.com.

About the Authors

	William Wes Waldo - Wes Waldo is a Lean Master with more than 12 years experience in diverse environments. Recognized as a results-oriented leader, and an expert Kaizen Event facilitator, Wes quickly identifies performance problems and supplies solutions that positively impact the bottom line.
	Tom Jones - Tom Jones is a Lean and Six Sigma Master Black Belt and an experienced operational leader. As BMG's VP of Training and Consulting, Tom leads the company's instructors and consultants who deliver Lean Six Sigma and other performance excellence programs.