Kaizen — Seven Steps

A comprehensive, printable toolkit to run a full improvement cycle on the warehouse floor. Plain language, minimal clicks, and export-to-JSON when you’re done.

Overview of the 7 Steps

1) Prepare

Define goal, scope, team & roles, schedule, and constraints.

2) Gemba Walk

Observe at the place of work; log waste using TIMWOODS or DOWNTIME.

3) Measure

Capture times and variation; note blockers and rework.

4) Analyze

5 Whys, cause categories, lightweight Pareto.

5) Improve

Action plan with owners, due dates, expected effects.

6) Standardize

One-page “current best way” with ownership and versioning.

7) Review

Compare before/after and set 30/60/90-day follow-ups.

Step 1 — Prepare

Goal (specific & observable) Global scope & boundaries Constraints / risks

Start date

Target end

Existing documentation

SOP available Work instructions available Risk assessment available 5S map available

Doc notes / links

Process steps

#	Step name	Included?	Notes	Actions

Use “Included?” to mark which steps are within this Kaizen’s boundaries.

Tasks

Task name	Related step	Notes	Actions

Link tasks to steps so everyone sees where work fits.

Task elements (with standard time)

Element name	Task	Std time (HH:MM:SS)	Std time (s)	Notes	Actions

Totals per task

Pick time with the clock. Seconds auto-calc. Totals update per task.

Team & roles

Name	Role	Email (optional)	Notes	Actions

Suggested roles: Facilitator, Area Lead, Operator rep(s), Maintenance, Quality.

Step 2 — Gemba Walk & Waste Log

Click any chip to insert categories into the focused “Observed waste” cell.

Timestamp	Area/Location	Observed waste	Notes / photo ref	Actions

Step 3 — Measure (basic time & stability)

Task / element

# of samples

Cycle #	Start time	End time	Duration (HH:MM:SS)	Observed time (s)	Operator	Notes	Actions

Average (s)

Shortest (s)

Longest (s)

Variance (s², sample)

Std dev (s, sample)

Per-operator summary

Operator	Count	Avg (s)	Min (s)	Max (s)	Var (s²)	Std (s)

Duration and seconds fields stay in sync. Operator list autocompletes from entries.

Step 4 — Analyze (root cause)

5 Whys

Cause categories (notes)

Method Manpower Machine Material Measurement Environment

Pareto (short form)

Enter a numeric frequency/impact (e.g., occurrences or weighted score). The chart updates automatically.

Issue	Frequency / Impact (number)	Comment	Actions

Step 5 — Improve (action plan)

Action	Owner	Due date	Expected effect	Status	Actions

Prefer small changes that can be tested this week. Add larger items only if clearly justified.

Step 6 — Standardize (one-page current best way)

Process title Roles & responsibilities

Key steps (numbered) Visuals / cues (locations, labels, signals)

Version

Owner

Step 7 — Review (before / after)

Lead time

Before

After

First pass yield

Before

After

WIP / queues

Before

After

Notes & follow-ups (30 / 60 / 90 days)

Export

“Email JSON” opens your mail client with the exported JSON in the body. If the JSON is large, saving the file and attaching it is usually better.