Amazon

Continuous Improvement Manager

Area Manager

Site Manager

Junior Site Manager

Syddansk Universitet - University of Southern Denmark

Junior Research Assistant

Kverneland Group Kerteminde A/S

Master Thesis Project

ForeFlight

Data Consultant

Odense University Hospital

Semester Project

Follow for daily posts about Lean, CI & Innovation | Continuous Improvement Manager @ Amazon

Hi!👋 Ivan here

I'm an industrial engineer with 7+ years of experience in Operations Management and Continuous Improvement.

I serve two main groups of people:

	• Business owners and executives who want to turn their broken processes into brilliant ones (and save so much damn money) through Kaizen and Innovation

	• Founders and consulting firm owners within CI, Lean or Innovation who want to promote their businesses and make LinkedIn a legit revenue channel

(DM me for the details) 


I started writing on LinkedIn in October 2023. 

Since then, I have been sharing actionable, educational, and entertaining content to support LinkedIn community members in their continuous improvement journey. This helped me grow my audience from 9,000 to 100,000 followers in a year.

Join my newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ddQncJM5

Brutal truth: most Kaizen implementations fail within 6 months.

Here's why (and how to fix it):

Common failure pattern..

↓ Launch with great enthusiasm 
↓ Form improvement teams 
↓ Run some workshops 
↓ See initial results 
↓ Get distracted by other priorities 
 ↳ Kaizen activities fade away

The missing ingredient? 
Systems thinking.

Successful Kaizen requires these systems working together:

1/ Total Quality Management

+Customer focus throughout organization
+Process-oriented improvement mindset

2/ Just-In-Time Production

+Elimination of waste in all forms
+Flow-based operations

3/ Total Productive Maintenance

+Equipment reliability and efficiency
+Operator involvement in maintenance

4/ Policy Deployment

+Clear targets cascading from top to bottom
+Aligned improvement efforts

5/ Suggestion Systems

+Employee engagement in daily improvement
+Recognition of participation

6/ Small Group Activities

+Quality circles and improvement teams
+Collaborative problem-solving
	
Most companies try to implement Kaizen 
…without these foundations. 

Remember:

Success requires patience.

+Start with one system
+Build it thoroughly
+Connect it to others gradually

…and never stop improving!

Ivan Carillo

I help executives fix broken processes through Kaizen

Poka-Yoke Level: PRO 


Poka-Yoke is a Japanese term that means "mistake-proofing".
 
It refers to any mechanism helping an operator avoid mistakes 
by preventing, correcting, or drawing attention to human errors as they occur.
 
Key Advantages:
 
+Cost Reduction
+Error Prevention
+Quality Assurance
+Operational Safety
+Process Simplification
+Continuous Improvement
 
Poka-yoke methods often simplify systems and processes. 
 
They can lead to: 
 
+faster setups 
+work easy to do 
+clearer instructions 
+low training requirements

27 Kaizen Leadership Mantras


	1. Make problems visible. 
	2. Slow down to speed up.
	3. Never waste a good crisis.
	4. Seek progress, not perfection.
	5. Challenge the status quo, always.
	6. Small experiments beat big plans.
	7. Make it easier to do the right thing.
	8. Best ideas come from the frontline.
	9. Transform your experts into coaches.
	10. Plan, Do, Check, Act — repeat forever.
	11. Your customer defines value, not you.
	12. Pull improvement, don't push solutions.
	13. No blame, no judgment — just learning.
	14. Problems are  opportunities  in disguise.
	15. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
	16. Data tells you what; people tell you why.
	17. The person doing the work knows it best.
	18. Without psychological safety, Kaizen dies.
	19. Problem-solving skills are non-negotiable.
	20. Gemba never lies; go and see for yourself.
	21. Every defect teaches; every success deceives.
	22. Respect tradition, but don’t be imprisoned by it.
	23. Your job is to remove obstacles, not create them.
	24. Standard work is the foundation for improvement.
	25. See the invisible waste that others walk past every day.
	26. A master knows when to step aside and let others grow.
	27. The hardest part isn't implementing change—it's sustaining it.

True Kaizen doesn't happen overnight.
It's built decision by decision, day by day.

What is your favourite one?

PS. Join 130,000+ leaders receiving Kaizen tips via email & social: https://lnkd.in/dtEPXqg7

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The biggest lie you tell yourself:

"I'm behind"

Behind who? 
Based on what timeline? 
According to whose metrics?

You're comparing your Chapter 3 to someone else's Chapter 30, 
then wondering why you feel inadequate.

Everyone's running a different race. 
Stop looking at their lane.

Work hard and be patient.

Innovation 101: 
 
Don’t try to change something that works for your customer. 

Innovation isn't a way to justify your salary.   
It's about doing better things. 
 
The process of innovation begins with identifying the customer needs. 
 
Don't innovate for the sake of novelty.  
Turn customer input into innovation instead. 
 
You just need to: 
 
-Listen to your customers 
-Focus on solving real-world problems 
-Leverage existing knowledge, technology, or methods 
-Hire someone who already knows how to make things work 
 
Starting from scratch isn't always the right thing. 
 
P.S. Are you reinventing the wheel, too?

Uncomfortable truth:
 
Your team members love change…
as long as it doesn't require them to change.
 
Main reasons behind their resistance can be:
 
-fear of the unknown
-lack of trust in leadership
-comfort with the status quo
-loss of control or job security
-past negative experiences with change
 
Here are 7 effective ways to deal with resistance to change:
 
1/ Communicate openly and frequently
 
 ↳ Share information about the change as soon as possible
 ↳ Explain the reasons behind it, and address any concerns
 
2/ Involve employees in the change process
 
 ↳ Collect employee input before making changes
 ↳ Involve key team members in the implementation
 ↳ Agree on the timeline and plan
 
3/ Provide training and support
 
 ↳ Ensure employees feel prepared for the change
 ↳ Offer ongoing support and resources
 
4/ Celebrate small wins
 
 ↳ Recognize and celebrate employees who embrace the change
 ↳ Use gamification and social recognition to inspire others
 
5/ Lead by example
 
 ↳ Model the desired behaviours and mindset for change
 ↳ Be an energized, persuasive leader who focuses on opportunities
 
6/ Understand the root causes
 
 ↳ Take time to identify why employees are resistant
 ↳ Address the underlying causes to alleviate resistance
 
7/ Make change manageable
 
 ↳ Break large-scale changes into smaller, achievable steps
 ↳ Set clear, progressive goals to make the change feel more manageable

Your team isn't only as strong as its weakest link. 

It's as strong as the connections between all its members. 

When we 

+support each other
+share knowledge freely
+and celebrate wins together

We all rise. 

Remember:

Great teams don't happen by accident. 
They're built on trust.

Organizations treat Poka-Yoke as an afterthought. 

It should be the first principle of process design.

Poka-Yoke is a Japanese term that means "mistake-proofing".

It refers to techniques designed to 
prevent, detect, and correct errors during a process.

The concept was introduced by Shigeo Shingo in the 1960s 
as part of the Toyota Production System.

Here are 5 reasons why Poka-Yoke is crucial in manufacturing and beyond:

1/ Error Prevention

Poka-Yoke approaches transform how organizations prevent mistakes.

They move beyond traditional inspection methods 
to proactively design out potential failures.

***
2/ Cost Reduction

Mistake prevention translates to economic advantages.

By eliminating errors before they occur, organizations can reduce

+warranty claim costs
+rework expenses 
+scrap rates 

***
3/ Quality Assurance

Poka-yoke principles transcend traditional QC methodologies.

These principles ensure that products are made
according to specified quality standards and requirements. 

They embed quality directly into process design.

***
4/ Workforce Protection

Poka-yoke extends beyond product quality to human safety.

For example, safety mechanisms that prevent machinery 
from operating when guards are not in place.

***
5/ Process Simplification

Poka-yoke methods often simplify systems and processes. 

They can lead to:

+faster setups
+work easy to do
+clearer instructions
+low training requirements

Most companies create fantastic value stream maps.

Then file them away. (I've seen it dozens of times) 

Video credit to Nilson. Give him a follow

Teams spend weeks mapping their current state. 

They identify waste. 
They draft the future state

Then ...nothing changes.

You know why?

No one is responsible for the customer experience.

Traditional organizations are function-based.

→ Finance reports to CFO 
→ Operations reports to COO 
→ Sales reports to CRO

Each leader knows their department.
But nobody understands how value flows end-to-end.

No single leader owns value stream performance.

"Everyone" is responsible = No one is responsible

VSM needs an owner with authority. 
One leader who can make decisions across silos.

CEO could, but they operate too high to manage CI.

So it's key to assign executive-level VSM ownership. 

Before you map your next value stream, answer this:

Who owns the complete customer journey?

If you can't name them...
save yourself the effort.

P.S. Does anyone in your organization have E2E accountability for value delivery?

Want to change your life?

Burn your ships.

In 1519, Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico with his 600 men.

He faced a difficult choice.

Behind him: 

The ocean and 11 ships that could carry them back to home.

Ahead: 

The Aztec Empire.
Millions strong, battle-tested, defending their homeland.

Cortés didn't give a motivational speech. 
He didn't create a vision board.

He burned the ships.

No escape route. No safety net. No turning back.

His men had two choices: 
Conquer or surrender.

You know how it ended. 

Your ships aren't made of wood. 

They're made of 

→ maybe-later 
→ what-if 
→ I'll-keep-this-just-in-case.


The dead-end job you won't quit because 'at least it's stable.'

The dream you won't chase because 'at least I'm comfortable.'

The toxic relationship you won't end because 'at least I'm not alone.'

Comfort is a liar, man.

When your only option is forward, 
you find reserves of strength you didn't know existed.

Are you looking to kick off your path to Operational Excellence?
 
Start with recognizing the 8 wastes of Lean.

(also known as TIMWOODS) 

Waste is something the customer is not willing to spend money on
Being able to see the wastes of Lean is always the first step.

Here's a breakdown of each:

1/ Transport
 ↳ Unnecessary movement of products or materials

2/ Inventory
 ↳ Excess stock or materials not being processed

3/ Motion
 ↳ Unnecessary movement of people or equipment

4/ Waiting
 ↳ Idle time between processes or steps
 
5/ Overproduction
 ↳ Producing more than needed or before it's needed

6/ Overprocessing
 ↳ Performing unnecessary steps or using wrong methods

7/ Defects
 ↳ Errors or mistakes requiring rework or replacement

8/ Skills
 ↳ Underutilizing people's skills, knowledge, or abilities

As you cut one waste, new opportunities for improvement will arise.

P.S. What's your secret weapon for killing Mr. TIMWOODS?

5S isn't just about cleaning.

It serves as the foundation for all continuous improvement.

The 5S system comes from five Japanese terms:

1/ Seiri (Sort)
 ↳ Keep only what you need, remove everything else

2/ Seiton (Set in Order) 
 ↳ Arrange items so anyone can find them in 30 seconds

3/ Seiso (Shine) 
 ↳ Clean and inspect equipment daily

4/ Seiketsu (Standardize) 
 ↳ Create systems to maintain the first 3S

5/ Shitsuke (Sustain) 
 ↳ Make 5S a habit, not a one-time event

5S benefits reach far beyond organization:

+Reduces waste motion by 25-40% 
+Improves floor space utilization by 10-30% 
+Decreases safety incidents by 30-70% 
+Makes abnormalities immediately visible 
+Builds discipline for advanced improvement

Without 5S, other improvement efforts will struggle.
With 5S, everything else becomes easier.

PS. Join 130,000+ leaders receiving Kaizen tips via email & social: https://lnkd.in/dtEPXqg7

Have you noticed? There are several companies full of A-players delivering poor results. Here is my idea on the matter:


Some companies are proud of their best performers,
without realizing one important thing:

Operational Excellence is a team sport,
and top performers might be killing their Kaizen culture.

Why might this happen?

"Me" mindset.

Top performers with this mindset are more self-centred 
and it leads to selfish behaviours and actions.

"Me" mindset focuses on individual goals,
often at the expense of others.

Shifting from "Me" to "We" thinking requires:

1/ Cross-functional problem solving
↳ Problems don't respect department boundaries

2/ Collective accountability
↳ Win together, lose together

3/ Shared knowledge
↳ Expertise becomes organizational, not personal

I've seen it countless times:

Strong individuals working alone = Weak organization
Average individuals working together = Strong organization

Stop celebrating heroes.
Start building systems where heroes aren't needed.

TL;TR

Individual brilliance ≠ Organizational excellence.

Your operators are running around like Mike the Headless Chicken? Not a big deal.


Mike is a famous chicken who lived 18 months without the head. 
Running around. Making noise. Zero direction.

Sounds familiar?

I watched an operator a few days ago. 

27 trips to the tool crib in one shift. 
Each trip: 3 minutes. 

That's 81 minutes of pure waste.

The kicker? 

His workstation was 15 feet from the crib.

Motion waste is due to excessive movement to get the work done.

When people don't have: 

→ Tools where they need them 
→ Information at their fingertips 
→ Materials within arm's reach

They turn into Mike. 

Running. Searching. Wasting.

Remember: 

Busy ≠ Productive

Does your team ever laugh at work?

If not, your Kaizen culture is dead.

Well, I'm not talking about frivolities.
I'm talking about joy in making Kaizen happen.

Watch any Kaizen organization. 

You'll see something unusual:
People smile while solving problems.

Why?

When you involve people in the process of improving,
they become excited about it.

Because when improvement is done with people,
not TO them, it becomes infectious.

Signs your Kaizen culture has joy:

+Problems energize
+Small wins get celebrated
+Failed experiments generate curiosity
+Monday morning feels like opportunity
+People volunteer for improvement projects
+Teams create their own improvement challenges

Signs it doesn't:

-Efficiency is a dirty word
-Only managers suggest changes
-Improvement feels like punishment
-People hide when consultants arrive
-CI terminology triggers visible anxiety
-Kaizen events are mandatory suffering

You spend 2,080 hours per year at work.
That's too much life to waste being miserable.

Remember:

Excellence doesn't require suffering.
It requires engagement.
And engagement requires just a little bit of fun.

P.S. Join 130,000+ leaders receiving Kaizen tips via email & social: https://lnkd.in/dtEPXqg7

Uncomfortable truth:

77% of global employees are disengaged at work. (Gallup report, 2024)

Your company might be investing millions in new technology and processes, 
but if your culture doesn't support Kaizen, you're building on quicksand.

Culture isn't just a nice-to-have. 

It's the foundation that determines if 
your improvement efforts stick or fade away.

Here are the 10 essential characteristics of a strong Kaizen culture:

Mindset Shifts: 

+Transparency over secrecy 
+We over me thinking
+Action over analysis paralysis 
+Accountability over blame 
+Clarity over ambiguity

Behavioural Changes: 

+Focus over organizational ADD 
+Scientific problem solving 
+Respect for people 
+Customer obsession 
+Joy in the work

Remember: 

You can't build excellence on a weak foundation.

A fast-food restaurant on the main street was losing over $2,000 in baskets every single month. Let me tell you the story:

Local customers were used to throwing fast-food baskets 
in the trash with their food wrappers.

First solution:
"Please don't throw away the basket" signs.

Result:
Baskets still in the trash. Every day.

Then a waiter had a revelation…
"Why are we begging people to be careful when we could make it impossible to fail?"

Second solution:
They installed trash bins with smaller openings.

The opening fit cups and wrappers.
Not baskets.

Result:
Lost baskets dropped to zero.

Overnight. Problem solved.

But here's what happened next:
They replaced the scolding signs with "Thanks for your business"

From enforcement to appreciation.

From distrust to respect.

The hierarchy everyone ignores..

Prevention > Detection > Mitigation > Warning

Yet every factory has..

"CAUTION" signs everywhere
"BE CAREFUL" reminders
"DON'T FORGET" labels

Let me be honest with you, each sign screams:

"We couldn't figure out how to make this safe, so it's on you."

P.S. In the photo, you have another Poka-Yoke example
from a fast food I visited in Barcelona last Spring.

Any other example to share here?

Your Kaizen culture won't be ready by tomorrow morning.
 

Building a REAL Kaizen culture takes 3 years minimum.
 
Not three months.
Not three quarters.
Three years.
 
Here is how it works:
 
Year 1
Excitement and early wins
 
→ Quick improvements
→ Low-hanging fruit
→ Enthusiasm high
→ Results visible
 
Year 2
The Valley of Despair
 
→ Harder problems surface
→ Old habits fight back
→ Resistance emerges
→ Progress slows
 
Year 3
The Breakthrough
 
→ Results start compounding
→ Momentum building
→ New habits solidify
→ Culture shifts
 
Yet most organizations give up around the 18th month.
Right before the breakthrough.
 
Would you stop at mile 25 of a marathon?
 
You probably wouldn't stop there,
because the hardest part is behind you.
 
You can see the finish line.
 
Well, if you don't give up, you will see this:
 
Improvement stops being something you do,
and becomes something you are.

Taplio

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