Seven gates. Right sequence. Fix overburden first. Stabilize variation second. Remove waste third.
Pre-loaded example study — Door Panel Sub-Assembly
⬇ Save Backup appears in the header bar after setup. Tap it at any time to download your study file. Auto-saves locally · Use backup before closing tab
🔒 AFTER-STATE · Setup Locked
Original setup preserved as the before baseline. Skip directly to Capture.
Gate 1 of 7
Study Setup
Process information, time standards, and cost basis before you touch the floor.
Process Information
⚠ Non-bottleneck station. Improving this station may not change line output. Identify and study the bottleneck first.
Takt Calculator
Time Standards
Operating Schedule
Labor Cost
Efficiency Target
What % of takt are you targeting? Accounts for fatigue, minor delays, and line variation. 95% = industry standard. 85% = conservative buffer for unstable processes.
Effective Target CT
—
🔒 AFTER-STATE · Baseline Reference
Gate 2 of 7 — Muri Setup
Baseline + Gemba Log
Record the before number. Observe before capturing. Confirm conditions are representative.
2A — Baseline Time
Before you time anything — record the current cycle time. This becomes the locked before number for your ROI calculation.
Built-in Stopwatch
0:00.0
Avg of 0 laps
CT vs Takt
—
—
Units at Risk/Shift
—
—
$/Shift Exposure
—
—
Annual Exposure
—
—
2B — Gemba Observation Log
✓
Full cycle observed
Watched at least one complete cycle start to finish without interruption
✓
Operator informed
Operator knows this is improvement work — not a performance review.
✓
Material flow confirmed
Materials are staged correctly. Supply is not a constraint during this study.
✓
Equipment condition noted
No breakdowns or abnormal equipment conditions.
✓
Quality standard known
Acceptance criteria for this station is understood before timing begins.
✓
Normal conditions confirmed
Production is representative of a typical shift.
📋 Logged --:--
Gate 3 of 7 — Mura Setup
Cycle Capture
Video-synced or free-running. Minimum 3 cycles — 10 preferred. Cycle 1 discarded (Hawthorne). More cycles = more reliable low-rep CT.
00:00.0
🎬
Load Video
Optional but recommended. Video pauses automatically on Step End.
Cycle 1 will be discarded. Operators adjust pace when first observed (Hawthorne effect). Capture it — only cycles 2+ are used for analysis.
Target 10 cycles. 3 is the minimum to proceed. With only 3, you get 2 usable data points — not enough to confirm a reliable low-rep pair. 10 cycles gives the variation analysis real signal and makes the lowest-repeatable CT defensible to anyone reviewing your work.
Tap ▶ Start. When operator finishes a step — tap ◼ Step End. Video pauses. Name the step. Save & Continue.
Cycle 1
0.00s
Gate 4 of 7 — Mura Analysis
Variation Check
Variation is analyzed before waste. Short-cycle steps use an absolute threshold, not a percentage.
CT basis for all downstream calculations:
Lowest Repeatable mode. Using the lowest pair of times within 10% of each other.
Step Variation — Cycles 2+
Step
Avg
Low Rep
Variance
Threshold
Status
Cycle Time vs Takt
⚠ Document your root cause hypothesis before proceeding — this is what drives your first experiment.
Gate 5 of 7 — Muda
Waste Classification
Classify work content. Steps with Every Cycle / Frequent ergo flags or high variation are locked.
Work Content — select one per step. Locked steps show the reason. CLEAR recommendation auto-generates from your classification.
Gate 6 of 7 — Priority Output
Diagnostic Output
Fix first. Stabilize second. Remove waste third. Simulate future state on the chart.
Work Balance Chart — Current vs Future State
Step Time Chart
Tap a bar to toggle it in/out of future state
Future State — Adjust Step Times
Gate 7 of 7 — Scientific Thinking
Scientific Thinking
Five questions. One step at a time.
The Five Questions
01
Where do you want to be?
02
Where are you now?
03
What's stopping you from getting there today?
04
What step will you take?
05
When will it be ready to see what you learned from that step?
Scientific Thinking in Gate 7 is informed by the Improvement Kata developed by Mike Rother.
Recommended further study: Toyota Kata Practice Guide — Rother, 2017.