The Seven Kata of Lean: TWI & Toyota Kata
Patrice Botier and Conrad Soltero

“The Seven Kata; Toyota Kata, TWI and Lean Training”. a set of practiced skills that facilitate the modification of organizational culture, one’s that capitalize on the entire workforce’s involvement in creative problem solving and continuous improvement, reaching beyond the competition by innovatively developing best practices The Seven Kata provides specific business skills that are easy to practice. Learning these skills allows cultural modification to actually begin, while providing immediate benefits to the organization. TWI is often not as beneficial as it could be. This happens because the application of these programs is not thought of, as Kata, so practice is not emphasized. Improvement happens through practice and dedication to a pattern. This methodology is extremely important as it provides the core routines for people to learn. Once these become nearly instinctive, the individual is prepared to adapt as changing circumstances merit. Much too often Lean seems to be about the tools. Lean is about the skills of the Seven Kata, it is about identifying problems, with the skills that move a workforce towards continuous improvement.

Upon completion of this session, participants will learn…

• That TWI Job Relations, Job Instruction, Job Methods, & Job Safety are Kata.

• That Toyota Kata; Coaching, Improvement & PDCA are the way to move a company to a learning culture.

• That these Seven Kata, are the basics for moving the workforce in the direction of continuous improvement.

About the Presenter(s)

Patrice Botier

Pat has over 30 years of technical and business experience and assists companies to learn, experiment and manage the implementation of RFID solutions. Along with understanding the RFID mandates of Wal-Mart, DoD and many others, he works with companies in implementing and increasing their deployment of Lean Enterprise techniques working with processes that cover a wide variety of equipment and services. He is a Shingo Prize Examiner, and is certified as a “Training Within Industry” trainer in Job Relations, Job Methods, Job Instructions, Job Safety, and Problem Solving. His professional background includes gaining a wide range of expertise from engineering, production, purchasing, accounting, finance, mentoring, business tactics and negotiations allowing him to assist companies in a holistic approach to increasing their competitiveness.

He started his career as a Microwave design engineer with Motorola and over 16 years worked in various engineering and manufacturing positions as an Engineering Manager and Production Manger. As a Vice President of Operations for a Contract manufacturing company, he turned a bankrupt operation into a profitable venture within one year. Later he managed multiple plants directing their purchasing and manufacturing operations for computers at Tandy Electronics. He then founded and managed his own company designing and manufacturing vision systems for handicap and municipal applications.

He has a BSEE in Microwave Quantum Effects & Feedback Control from Marquette University and a MBA with marketing option from Loyola University. Along with being CompTia RFID + certified, a Training Within Industry Institute certified trainer, a SHINGO Prize Examiner, a Black Belt in LEAN Six Sigma and received his Bronze Certificate in Lean. He in addition continues to expand his knowledge and involvement with many other certifications including ISO lead auditing, and Toyota Kata

Conrad Soltero

Conrad has been involved in technology transfer for the past 16 years through the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), first with New Mexico Industry Network Corporation (New Mexico INC), and for the last 15 years with the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC). Previous to his tenure in industrial extension, he was involved in technical services and quality systems in the plastics industry. Mr. Soltero matriculated at the University of Texas at El Paso and holds a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering and an M.S. in Materials Engineering.

Mr. Soltero has delivered technology transfer services to over 100 different businesses within and outside of manufacturing. His main area of professional interest is in the systems approach to management. He has a working knowledge of ISO 9000, TS 16949, AS 9100, ISO 14000, Total Quality Management, Lean Practices, Green Manufacturing, is a Six Sigma Black Belt and a Shingo Research Prize Examiner. Mr. Soltero feels privileged to have had the opportunity to become a certified trainer in all 5 of the TWI Institute’s TWI offerings. As such, Conrad specializes in preparing the workforce for Lean implementation through TWI skills development.