ABSTRACT
Daniel wanted to start the presentation of Standardized Work documents by talking about what he called this bizarre Japanese word he had been using thus far without much explanation. He started:
I saw some of you raising your brows when I used the Japanese word Yamazumihyo during the presentation of today’s agenda. Maybe you were thinking “Oh another Japanese word!” Look, I know in the Lean community it is not uncommon for people to use Japanese words to create a sense of secrecy or belonging to a small inner circle of a happy few in the know. Frankly, I am not a big fan of this approach because the ultimate objective is to communicate the knowledge. So if we use Japanese words to disrupt or block communication, then that becomes counterproductive. Therefore, if you will, feel free to use indifferently the word Yamazumihyo, its short Yama, or Process Analysis Chart. By the way, does anyone know the meaning of Yamazumihyo?
