Community Kaizen #1 – Recipe 4 Change

Following our KAIZEN CONNECTION launch event in November 2016, a pilot group of LEAN dot Group volunteers were invited to meet with the team at Recipe 4 Change (Rowville Community Kitchen) for a Go See, Ask Why Gemba Walk to determine how a Lean approach would help them deliver more value and further their purpose:

 

NAME AND LOCATION OF THE ORGANISATION BEING HELPED:

• RECIPE 4 CHANGE T/A ROWVILLE COMMUNITY KITCHEN

DESCRIBE THEIR PURPOSE / REASON TO EXIST:

• TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE AND FOOD POVERTY TO CHANGE LIVES IN OUR COMMUNITY

WHAT PRODUCTS / SERVICES DO THEY PROVIDE TO FULFILL THEIR PURPOSE?

• COMMUNITY MARKET
• COMMUNITY LUNCH
• FOOD4KIDS
• RETAIL FOOD
• EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS TRAINING

WHO ARE THEIR CUSTOMERS?

• COMMUNITY MEMBERS
  • THOSE EXPERIENCING FOOD POVERTY
  • SOCIALLY ISOLATED
  • SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
  • GOVERNMENT
• TEAM MEMBERS
  • JOB SEEKERS
  • VOLUNTEERS
  • EMPLOYEES
• ENVIRONMENT
  • EFFECTIVE USE OF TOTAL RESOURCES

WEBSITE:

http://rowvillecommunitykitchen.com.au/

We would like to give our sincere thanks to our Community Kaizen Participants who dedicated theirs and their organisations' time to join us in assisting the team at Recipe 4 Change:

 

• Tim O
• Jill B
• Frank (R4C)
• Jo (R4C)
• Oliwia S
• Christine (R4C)
• George P
• Brad H
• Nick A (not pictured)

OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT	TARGET CONDITION	ROOT CAUSE(S)
Lack of storage from both statement by Christine and from our observation. i.e. Trestle tables, excess food in the way.	Adequate Storage for all required food and materials needed for our activities.
Team Members spend a significant amount of time moving and transporting ingredients, cooking tools, crockery, etc. across the workplace and between locations. This time and energy could be spent on producing more meals for the community. This is quantifiable (Spaghetti Diagrams, Time & Motion, etc.)	Everything required for each value-adding activity is closest to the point of use, openly visible, only in the required quantities at the right time.	Effects: 1. Team Member burden shifting food from pavilion to kitchen. 2. Ongoing knowledge of "what is where" needed by all to keep track of what I need to do my job. 3. Leadership burden of coordinating Team Members and their tasks of movement/transportation. 4. Unknown goods being received and having to "do what we can" to find storage.
Every day Team Members makes the same mistakes. There is no clear instructions of workstations, all knowledge based on few days training and depend on Trainer. Possibility to prepare workstation instruction in 'step by step' or video format.	Possibility to make workstation training based on instructions only. Explanation of workstation responsibilities shouldn't take more than few minutes.	Effects: Clear and standardised work conditions for Job Seekers. The same training for everyone. Less responsibilities for Trainers.
No online stock information. Inventory done each week with no possibility to work with data and make fast calculation.	Using forms from incoming and outgoing deliveries. Standardised spreadsheet for data collecting.	Implementation of online stock information. Possibility to predict ingredients quantities after each cooking. Collecting data for future analysis.
Unknown/Undefined Customer's needs means that we'll take everything we can then work out the plan vs. seeking the right inputs to make food to meet the demand in the community.	Eliminate waste from entering the organisation by considered design and planning.	Effects: 1) The R4C/RCK team 'makes do' with what has been given. Now, we have the opportunity to define what we want given the abundance of supply in many cases. 2) Having to find a place of the unknown incoming ingredients/materials in an ad-hoc way causing re-handling, physical waste and storage issues.

 

Based on our observations, priorities from Recipe 4 Change and our personal reflection on the current state, we narrowed our support to two main areas for improvement within the value stream:

 SO OFF WE WENT!

However...

As we wrapped up our first day together, we began to question whether the 'right things' were being worked on driven by our new observations?

The Community Kaizen team made a brave decision to adjust how best to help Recipe 4 Change.

The following morning we presented a new support activity to:

1. Help the Recipe 4 Change team visualise the value needed by their Customers against the current activities they perform to deliver that value in line with their core purpose.
2. Work with the Recipe 4 Change Leadership to clarify for whom the organisation wanted to increase the value it provided, by how much and by when.
3. Assist the Recipe 4 Change team members brainstorm and prioritise Good Changes that could be made to improve the way the needs of their Customers were being met.

We received agreement to proceed and got to work!

So, what happened?

• R4C Team Members were empowered to share their thoughts from their perspective in a supportive environment.
• The Community Kaizen team members drew on experience from different industries and disciplines to add insights and build on R4C suggestions.
• Many small, simple suggestions that will be able to be implemented were committed to and will be supported by R4C Leadership.

 

To feed more empty bellies and reduce food waste, the Recipe 4 Change Team are moving forward to:

• Implement suggestion raised in our Community Kaizen initiative
• Focus on priorities clarified with the Recipe 4 Change Leadership
• Use metrics to visualise their improvement progress and adjust as necessary towards their goals
• Provide progress updates and opportunities for team feedback

The LEAN dot Group would like to thank Christine, Jo and Frank and the rest of the Recipe 4 Change team for allowing us understand more how they provide much needed support to the Melbourne community and to help them Make Good Change.

If you would like to find out more about Recipe 4 Change, visit their website (http://rowvillecommunitykitchen.com.au/) or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/rowvillecommunitykitchen/)

To our Community Kaizen Team Members, thank you very much for investing your time and making such a worthwhile contribution to R4C while learning Lean through doing.

We believe that For-Profit Organisations play a significant and pivotal role in improving the world we enjoy. All of our initiatives align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Vision.

To Make Good Change in our communities in a sustainable way, we need Corporate contributions in order to:

• Facilitate Community Kaizen activities with Charities in need;
• Provide unique live sharing and learning events through our Kaizen Connections;
• Establish operations with modern infrastructure to deliver the best possible value to all of our Members.

Corporate Members will receive incredible benefits by joining the LEAN dot Group Community and contributing to our mission.

These benefits include:

• The opportunity to involve their team members in Community Kaizen initiatives to learn Lean through doing;
• Make real and measured social impact in areas that align with their Corporate Social Responsibility vision and objectives;
• Connect with and provide benefit to the communities they operate within.

Contact us today to discuss how you can help us Make Good Change.