Author: Trevor Bosen

This is a People Business: TOYOTA KATA – PART III:  This is the last of the three-part post, Toyota Kata – Develop the Science and the Scientist for Process Improvement.  For the previous posts, see Toyota Kata – Part I, and Toyota Kata – Part II.  Thus far I note common lean tools that serve a deeper purpose when applied in a Kata environment.   I couple these Lean tools with the Shingo Principles to illustrate congruency.  I would love to hear your personal stories with Kata and your ideas about how to implement in your organization.  Please contact me directly…

THE IMPROVEMENT KATA:  In the previous post, Toyota Kata – Develop the Science and the Scientist for Process Improvement, I note common lean tools that serve a deeper purpose when applied in a Kata environment.   I would love to hear your personal stories with Kata and your ideas about how to implement in your organization.  Please contact me directly to discuss.  So, what is the Improvement Kata?  Let’s dive in! The Improvement Kata (IK) is a routine that guides the Learner, via the scientific method, to make incremental changes that ultimately reach the target state. Let’s build on some of…

The tool box is chock-full of specially designed implements that serve their unique purpose.  Some tools do well at drilling down to root-cause while others specialize in summarizing activities for the variety of audiences.  Toyota Kata or “Kata” for short, is a bit different than most lean tools in that it has a two-part objective, to drive process improvement, while adding specific emphasis in the development of the learners in the process. This post is written after reading Mike Rother’s Toyota Kata, participating in the University of Michigan class The Improvement & Coaching Kata, and a few years of…