The "Kaizen Event" is a widely used technique for implementing Lean principles towards process improvement.
This event is typically a three to five day event, which requires a large investment of time, energy, and money,
making it crucial it is used to greatest benefit. When utilizing a traditional Kaizen which was refined for use in the
manufacturing sector, some difficulties arise from application to hospital processes, most notably in staff scheduling
and process observation. In this research, we studied the results of six different Kaizen Events, conducted under
three differing event styles: a traditional three-and-a-half-day event, a two-and-a-half-day event, and a three-half-day
event. While the event structures may be altered, the original Kaizen methodology and goals are maintained. This
paper compares and contrasts how each different event structure did in reducing the impact on the day-to-day
operations, staff scheduling, and maximum utilization of time, while still focused on achieving the process
improvement results which is the main objective.