Key Issue Identification-Lean Kaizen Consultancy & Training for Process Improvement and Quality Improvement

Key Issue Identification

Key Issue Identification - What is it?

Key Issue Identification is a technique for getting consensus around the
important issues that a group are facing using a lightning fast process.

It is a great way to get people thinking about the current issues and
challenges facing them in a very short space of time.

Key Issue Identification - Who should be involved?

Basically, anyone who has experience of, and a vested interest in, resolving the issue that you are currently
looking at.

Key Issue Identification - When should you use it?

This technique can be used at any time to drill down to the vital areas that are affecting performance.

It is a great way to get a common list of key issues at the beginning of a kaizen blitz week.
(or any reasonable sized project)

It can also be used at an Operational Team level to let people share their current issues in a constructive
way. (Rather than the usual whinging session)

Key Issue Identification- Where should you do it?

You can do this anywhere.
The only real requirement for creating a key issue chart is a large piece of wall and enough space round
about the wall to allow people to move post it notes about on the wall.

Key Issue Identification - Why use it?

It is very fast.

It is a great technique to very quickly get a lot of facts about a particular issue and then drill down to the
key issues that are affecting the group's performance.

Key Issue Identification- Preparation

You will need to prepare the following ahead of time:

Prepare for Lean Equipment/Facilities

You will need the following to create a Key Issue Chart

Stick Notes (2 colours)

Flip Chart Marker Pens

Flip chart paper

Sticky tack

Dot labels (3 colours)

A room with large free wall space

Prepare for Lean Team Members / Facilitator

The team should be made up with people who are knowledgeable about the issue being reviewed.
(typically 8-12 people)

It is always useful to have an experienced facilitator to lead the activity who is neutral to the process.

Prepare for Lean Timing

This depends on the size of the task .It can take anything from an hour, up to a full day depending on the
level of detail you go into.

Key Issue Identification - Steps in Creating the Key Issue Chart

Step

Join 4 pieces of flip chart paper together and blue tack them to the wall (Experience will tell you how big
this backdrop should be - using flip chart paper allows you to add or take away as required, and allows the
sticky notes to stick)

Step

Agree in the group the business issue that you want to explore together. This should be written up on a flip
chart so that everyone can see it and agree it. The more precise you can be with the statement, the better
you will find the process .e.g. Write up on the flip chart...

"What is preventing us from turning around client applications in less than 1 working day?"

There should be group consensus that the statement is a meaningful articulation of the business issue
affecting the team. We should rework the statement till everyone is happy with it.

Step

Give everyone in the group at least 7 post it notes each.-Each person then should write down facts about
the statement -There should only be 1 fact per sticky mote.

-The post its should be printed legibly as everyone has to be able to read them.
-We are looking for at least 7 facts from each person.

People should only write down facts in a reporting style and not in an affective style. e.g. The last three
applications I received had missing contact details not - the application forms are rubbish...

Step

Each person in the group then reads out their facts from the post it notes, to ensure understanding.

They should be challenged by other members of the group if they are not facts or not written in a reporting
style. (They should be re-written until acceptable)

Once all of their post it notes are explained they should then place the post it notes on the blank chart
on the wall. This process should continue until all of the group have their post it notes on the wall.

Step

No talking
In silence ... yes in silence, the group arranges the sticky notes on the wall with
like facts.

(Why in silence? .. experience shows that if you are allowed to
speak at this stage one or two individuals can dominate proceedings.
Doing it silence gives a better grouping.)

At the end of this stage you should end up with several groups of like facts clustered together on the wall.

Key Issue in action

Example of a team grouping facts
in silence during a Kaizen Blitz Event
facilitated by Graham Ross

Step

The group should then take the groups of facts and write a summary post it (in a different colour) for each
group.

Key Issue - Sorted facts

Example of sorted facts
with a pink summary sticky
note for each group of
similar facrs

Step

Voting - Again in silence each person should vote for their top 3 issues as detailed on the summary stickies
using different coloured dot labels.

(We need to assign a score to each dot)

e.g. red dot =3, blue dot=2, green dot = 1

Each person only gets 3 dots (3 votes)

Points make prizes...

The summary post it note that they feel is the biggest issue should get the biggest score.
(i.e. they should stick a red dot on that summary sticky mot)

Step

Key issue adding dots

Example of a summary sticky
with dots added.This one would
have a total score of 10
(1red=3, 2 blues= 4, and 3 greens= 3)

Once everyone has voted then we add up all the scores on the post its (Usually there are two or three
issues that come out as clear favourites)

Don't get too hung up on the scores! This is a quick and dirty way of drilling down to the top few issues
affecting performance.

Step

You can now tidy up the chart and try and draw relationships between the different summary issues.

Summary

Key issue identification can help you understand the collective current issues very quickly and can prove
a sound basis from which to make improvements.

By using and insisting on "facts" about a particular issue it drills straight down to the key issues affecting
performance.

It's a great technique for focusing a group quickly on a particular business issue.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

Graham Ross

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