domingo, 18 de mayo de 2014

KATA Coaching : el alma del LEAN


Estimado/a amantes del LEAN:



Los aprendices de Karate tienen que trabajar una serie de movimientos básicos hasta conseguir que su subconsciente los automatice….en eso consiste el KATA


De igual forma, las Empresas que creen en el LEAN como herramienta estratégica, deben entrenar a sus personas clave para conseguir que interioricen / lleven a su subconsciente la búsqueda de despilfarros y la eliminación de las barreras que impiden el flujo: eso es lo que pretende el KATA Coaching


Una de las claves (no la única) del éxito de las implantaciones LEAN es disponer de estos expertos capaces de “mirar donde todos miran y ver lo que nadie ve”, con las gafas especiales que le ha proporcionado su entrenamiento LEAN KATA    


Sirva esta pequeña introducción para recomendaros una libro de lectura obligada en la bibliografía del LEAN : TOYOTA KATA, de Mike Rother


Más detalles sobre el libro en enlace adjunto :



En el libro hay un extracto muy bueno que explica a la perfección la diferencia entre un Plant Manager pre-LEAN y uno que ya ha recibido KATA Coaching ( páginas 50 y 51 ):


… we pointed out the potential for smaller batch sizes to the management team.  … closer to 1×1 flow, less inventory and waste, faster response to different customer requirements, less hidden defects and rework, kanban systems become workable and so on.

Almost immediately the assembly manager responded and said “We can’t do that,” and went on to explain why. [… the usual excuses here …] “Those extra non-value-added activities would be waste and would increase our cost. We know that lean means eliminate waste, so reducing the lot size is not a good idea.”

The plant manager concurred, and therein lies a significant difference from Toyota.

A Toyota plant manager would likely say something like this to the assembly manager.

You are correct that the extra paperwork and first-piece inspection requirements are obstacles to achieving smaller lot size. Thank you for pointing that out. However the fact that we want to reduce lot sizes is not optional nor open for discussion because it moves us closer to our vision of a one-by-one flow. Rather than losing time discussing whether or not we should reduce the lot size, please turn your attention to those two obstacles standing in the way of our progress.”

By clearly defining what “progress” is – outside of the scope of the daily debate – the debate is shifted away from whether or not there is a problem to a discussion on how best to solve it.  This, in my view, is one of the most important policy decisions a management team can make. It gives people a foundation of consistency. But for this to work, there must be no caveat such as “when it makes sense to do so.” Adding one provides an “out” that allows people to accept the status quo rather than focusing people’s attention in solving the problems so it does make sense. 



Un cordial saludo

Alvaro Ballesteros


Tf 696 463434