To Blitz or not to Blitz....

Traditional Kaizen activities are, by definition, long term. Gradual incremental change results in small improvements throughout the organisation. It is 1000 things done 1% better.

A Kaizen Blitz (or as it is sometimes called, "Kaikaku") is fast and furious. It is up to a week of very highly focussed activity involving everyone in a specific section or department or business process working together to create radical and sudden change.

When could I use a blitz?

A Kaikaku Blitz is not a technique to use everyday but it has its place as part of the change manager's toolbox.

Because it creates rapid results it is a very powerful way of demonstrating that people can make a difference. It also shows that the senior team value the input of everyone and, because a shutdown is involved, it also demonstrates management commitment in a very tangible way.

A blitz could be used to resolve a long standing problem once and for all. Every organisation suffers from issues that seem to get fixed, only to re- emerge some months later. A blitz to attack the issue allows people to focus only on resolving the problem without being diverted into day-to-day work.

A blitz can also be used to completely re-engineer a process in a week. Blitzes have been used to radically change the way products are made or to revolutionise a tired marketing process. Blitzes have been run in every department imaginable and , when planned properly, the results are always remarkable.

It is an exceptional technique to kickstart a change program. The big bang approach isn't appropriate in every case but where it is, the blitz works spectacularly well.

It is also a great way to reinvigorate a change program that has stalled.

In addition to the radical change in processes the blitz will include the development of new documentation to support the new practices and will create new rules for what it's like to work in this area now.

Not only do people change what they do, they also change the way the workplace feels and looks. The success of a blitz is, to some extent, based on how little of the old ways exist afterwards. This will help people to stay with the changes and not be tempted to drift back to the old ways when things get a little difficult. It also helps to demonstrate that the changes are permanent.

What makes for a successful blitz?

There are a number of fundamentals that make up a successful blitz event.

1. Speak with data. Hearsay or opinion have no place in a blitz. Decisions to make changes are made based on real hard data gained from the current state. This will almost certainly involve developing value stream or process maps and an analysis of where value is created.
2. Develop a vision of the future. Having defined what is happening now a future state map is created which defines what should be happening if the world was perfect. Realistic but challenging elements are drawn out from this to create a vision for what life will be like by the end of the week. This could be done during or prior to the event.
3. Involve everyone. For a blitz to work everyone has to be involved. This may mean shutting down a line or a department for the duration of the event. Planning the event and telling the rest of the organisation is therefore critical. If this proves to be impossible, as many people as possible should be released.
4. Prepare the group. It is essential that everyone involved is trained in how to perform a blitz. There will be times during the event when people's paradigms will be seriously tested and, without proper preparation, people will find these times very stressful. Highly visible unilateral belief from the organisation's leadership will be one of the most obvious indicators to people that, while it may be uncomfortable, it is important to stick with it.
5. Plan for success. Choosing the right target for a blitz is also critical. The event must be built for success particularly if it's the first one. Choose something that will have a big impact on the people as well as the organisation. The blitz is not a project tool so selecting something that can be addressed in a week is a challenge. Too big and it will fail, too small and it won't have the impact.

A blitz isn't appropriate in all cases but as an extra weapon in the armoury it can achieve spectacular results in a very short space of time. In one organisation, the use of a blitz in the call centre increased the efficiencies by 30%. In another manufacturing company a series of 5 blitzes on the shop floor reduced costs by £3.5 million. And in an accounts department a blitz reduced the time it took to administer expenses from 3 weeks to 5 days.

This week's call to action:

• Do you find yourself fixing problems that keep coming back?
• Does your change programme need a breath of fresh air?
• Could your change programme roll out use a Formula 1 start?
• Do you want to make a fast radical change in a particular area of your organisation?

If you have answered yes to any (or all) of these, then a Kaikaku Blitz could be the solution.