Makigami is helpful for office or administrative tasks, where problems like delays, repeated work, or unnecessary steps are common. Teams use it to find these problems, design a better way of working, and plan how to make the improvements. It’s a practical tool for saving time and increasing productivity.
What is Makigami Analysis?
Simply put, Makigami analysis is a structured process mapping and improvement tool. It is designed to uncover inefficiencies, losses, and non-value-adding activities in various business and administrative processes.
“Makigami” translates to “paper roll” in Japanese. It reflects the traditional method of creating detailed, roll-out process maps to analyze workflows. Initially developed in Japan by Okumura San in 1996 for Fujico. This method has gained widespread use in industries adhering to Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) principles.
Makigami visualises and analyses processes identifies bottlenecks, and proposes actionable improvements. Promoting transparency and collaboration offers a pathway to:
- Optimizing workflows
- Reducing waste,
- Enhancing productivity.
Objectives of Makigami Analysis
The primary goals of Makigami analysis are as follows:
Understand Existing Processes:
To gain a deep understanding of how processes currently function. It includes their sub-processes and dependencies.
Identify Subprocesses:
Break down processes into granular steps. This exposes non-obvious subprocesses that may otherwise be overlooked.
Spot Improvement Opportunities:
Highlight inefficiencies, redundancies, or areas where value is not being added.
Expose Losses:
Make invisible losses, such as delays, rework, and unnecessary steps, visible and actionable.
Develop an Efficient Process:
Create a future state process map that eliminates inefficiencies, aligns with business goals, and meets customer needs.
Phases of Makigami Analysis
Makigami analysis is conducted in three distinct phases:
Phase I: Analyzing the Current State (As-Is Analysis)
In this phase, the team:
- Maps out the current process in its entirety.
- Identifies who is responsible for each step, the tools used, and the time taken.
- Highlights inefficiencies, errors, and information gaps using visual markers, such as red points.
- Differentiates between value-adding and non-value-adding activities.
- Collects key metrics such as throughput time, processing time, and bottlenecks.
Key questions during this phase:
- Who does what?
- What tools, documents, or communication methods are involved?
- How long does each process step take?
- What errors or inefficiencies arise?
Phase II: Designing the Future State (To-Be Process)
Here, the team collaboratively designs the ideal process by:
- Eliminating unnecessary steps and streamlining workflows.
- Reducing errors and inefficiencies identified in the current state.
- Introducing improvements aligned with business goals and customer needs.
- Incorporating feedback loops for ongoing refinement.
While designing the future state, the team considers:
- Which steps can be automated or streamlined?
- How can communication and data sharing be improved?
- What changes can increase customer satisfaction or compliance?
Phase III: Implementation and Improvement Plan
The final phase involves:
- Creating an actionable plan to implement the new process.
- Defining roles, responsibilities, and timelines for process changes.
- Establishing metrics and checkpoints to monitor progress and effectiveness.
- Conducting periodic reviews to validate the improvements.
Key Features of Makigami Analysis
The key features of Makigami Analysis are given hereunder:
- Comprehensive Process Mapping: Makigami visually captures every aspect of a process. This makes it easier to spot inefficiencies and improvement opportunities.
- Collaboration and Transparency: Teams collaboratively map and analyze processes. It ensures input from all relevant stakeholders.
- Focus on Value Addition: Each process step is evaluated for its contribution to value creation, with non-value-adding steps marked for elimination.
- Detailed Metrics: Makigami captures metrics such as processing times, delays, and handoffs. It offers a quantitative basis for improvement.
- Actionable Insights: The analysis results in a clear plan for improving efficiency and reducing waste.
Steps to Conduct a Makigami Analysis
- Define the Scope: Identify the process to analyse and its objectives.
- Assemble the Team: Gather participants from all relevant departments or functions involved in the process.
- Map the Current Process: This step involves:
- Document each step in the process flow.
- Identify the inputs, outputs, and actors at each stage.
- Highlight inefficiencies using markers (e.g., red dots for problem areas).
- Analyze Value Addition: Evaluate each step to determine whether it adds value to the end product or service.
- Identify Losses: Categorize losses into common types, such as:
- Defects: Errors or incomplete information.
- Waiting: Delays in data or task handoffs.
- Rework: Duplicated efforts, copying, or modifying.
- Storage: Unnecessary stacking of documents or files.
- Overprocessing: Excessive searching or inconsistent procedures.
- Motion: Movement of materials or documents without purpose.
- Design the Future State: Put forth an optimized process that eliminates losses and enhances efficiency.
- Develop an Implementation Plan: Define actionable steps, assign responsibilities, and set deadlines for process changes.
- Review and Refine: Monitor the new process, collect feedback, and make iterative improvements.
Advantages of Makigami Analysis
- Clear flowcharts represent the processes, making them easy to understand and analyze.
- Identifies and eliminates waste, reducing cycle times and increasing throughput.
- Encourages teams to work together, breaking down silos and improving communication.
- Each process map is specific to the organization, ensuring practical and relevant improvements.
- Provides measurable insights, such as reduced waste or improved processing times.
Limitations of Makigami Analysis
- Physical mapping using paper rolls can require significant space, making it cumbersome.
- Analyzing multiple overlapping processes may require additional tools or techniques.
- The detailed nature of the maps can result in bulky documentation, challenging to manage and store.
Practical Applications of Makigami Analysis
Makigami analysis is versatile and can be applied in various industries and scenarios, such as:
- Manufacturing: From raw material procurement to final product dispatch, identifying bottlenecks and waste.
- Administrative Processes: Streamlining workflows like invoice processing, data entry, or customer support.
- Healthcare: Enhancing patient care by reducing wait times and optimizing resource allocation.
- Supply Chain: Improving logistics and inventory management through transparent workflows.
- Service Industries: Refining customer-facing processes to improve satisfaction and efficiency.
Example cum Case Study
| Step | Details |
| Current Process | Invoices are received by email and printed by the accounts team. |
| A manager manually approves invoices before forwarding them for payment. | |
| Payment processing takes an additional two days due to manual entry. | |
| Issues Identified | Redundant printing and manual approval. |
| Errors in manual data entry. | |
| Delays caused by dependency on a single approver. | |
| Future Process | Transition to digital invoice approval using workflow software. |
| Automate payment processing with integrated accounting systems. | |
| Outcome | Reduced processing time by 50%. |
| Eliminated printing costs and manual errors. |
Final Words
Makigami analysis is a useful tool for finding inefficiencies, clarifying workflows, and continuously improving processes. Involving teams, visualizing workflows, and systematically tackling losses help organizations create smoother and more effective processes. Although it requires effort and teamwork, the results—better processes, less waste, and happier customers—make it an essential method for businesses aiming for excellence.
