Definition
The baseline value for measuring future progress; per the Policy Deployment presentation (REV22 p50) it is the level at the end of the prior year, while the 2020 glossary allows either the prior year's closing level or its average — the two official sources disagree and both readings are kept. In a kaizen week, the JOP can be the pre-improvement performance.
In detail
The Jump Off Point (JOP) is the baseline value for measuring improvement; the definition takes the level at the close of the previous year, while the 2020 glossary definition allows either the prior-year closing value or the prior-year average, and both coexist. It is used to set improvement targets and ensure improvement is measurable. In a Kaizen Event, the JOP can be pre-improvement performance. Unlike Annual Objectives, the JOP is the starting point used to calculate the increment. The output is baseline data used in tracking tools such as the Bowling Chart.
Example in practice
A factory sets an annual improvement target, using last year's 12 month defect rate as the JOP. Actual defect rates are tracked monthly and compared against the JOP and the Annual Objective. If a month misses the plan, the problem-solving process is triggered. The JOP provides a clear starting point, making the improvement effect obvious at a glance.