Kaizen: Continuous Improvement In The Spotlight

Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) is a strategy where employees at all levels of a company work together proactively to achieve regular, incremental improvements to the manufacturing process.

Kaizen is based on the idea that improvement is a continuous process, not achieved at the first step.

Because of the benefit of continuous improvement, many managers and business owners want to implement Kaizen in their organization.

Actually, Kaizen is part action plan and part philosophy.

As an action plan, Kaizen is about organizing events focused on improving specific areas within the company.

ImportantAs a philosophy, Kaizen is about building a culture where all employees are actively engaged in suggesting and implementing improvements to the company.

Embarking on a journey toward continuous improvement is a long-term commitment and a large, but important, undertaking.

WarningWhile innovation requires a radical, sometimes shocking transformation, Kaizen only asks you to take small, comfortable steps toward improvement.

Kaizen implementation steps can seem ridiculously trivial, but they deliver consistent results.

So why do not learn from the Japanese and try to learn their method that they use in their management? If you want to be successful and proud of the work that you do, Kaizen can help you to achieve this while benefiting your organization.

What Is Kaizen?

Kaizen : Continuous Improvement In The Spotlight Kaizen is the philosophy of continuous improvement. Translated from Japanese, the word “kaizen” translates to “changing something for the better.” Kaizen accepts that more optimization is always possible and it helps empower employees and managers to implement Kaizen in the organization.

Kaizen is typically applied to measures for implementing continuous improvement.

ImportantKaizen refers to any activities that continually improve all business processes and involves every employee from the CEO to the assembly line workers.

Kaizen is an approach to activity organisation based on common sense, self-discipline, order and economy.

Kaizen method is also a strong contributor and fundamental part of a lean production process model in lean manufacturing.

In terms of business, Kaizen means that all activities must be continuously improving.

The idea was codified by Masaaki Imai, an organizational theorist and management consultant, over 30 years ago with the publication of this book, Kaizen: the Key to Japan’s Competitive Success.

The kaizen method is now a base model for other quality improvement methods including: suggestion systems, automation, small group activities, Kanban system, just-in-time, zero defects, total productive maintenance, total quality control, etc.

The Kaizen methodology works at constant improvements through the elimination of waste.

It’s been around in Japan since after World War II, though influenced by quality management ideas from the United States.

It’s part of The Toyota Way, which is a set of principles that support the company’s management approach to production.

ImportantIn a sense, Kaizen combines the collective talents within a company to create a powerful engine for improvement.

Successful Kaizen efforts can result in benefits such as increased productivity, improved quality, better safety, lower costs, and improved customer satisfaction.

Kaizen can also lead to benefits in a company’s culture, including improved communication among employees, improved morale and employee satisfaction, and an increased sense of ownership in the company among employees.

Kaizen: Continuous Improvement In The Spotlight

"Kaizen is like a hotbed that nurtures small and ongoing changes, while innovation is like magma that appears in abrupt eruptions from time to time." — Masaaki Imai Share on X

Five Key Principles

Kaizen : Continuous Improvement In The Spotlight Kaizen is built on a 5S framework with elimination of waste and standardization at the forefront. 5S lays down a strong foundation for future Kaizen activities. 5S establishes an organization system in which everyone in the workplace participates to remove clutter and set spaces efficiently.

The basis of Kaizen method consists of 5 key elements, the famous “5 S”. The 5S gets its name from the five words that are used to remind people of the different ways that a facility can become more organized.

These words are Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain.

WarningWhen implementing 5S many companies find that there is initial resistance from the front line employees, but after each area is organized, cleaned and optimized the way it should be, they are quite happy.

One of the biggest barriers to continuous improvement is clinging to old practices or assuming new methods will fail.

WarningOrganizations should refrain from thinking that just because something worked before means it will continue to work.

A properly handled 5S strategy will not only eliminate waste but also help improve the day to day jobs of every employee.

The goal of any company should be to identify the ideal way to complete a process with as little waste as possible. This is where Kaizen can be extremely helpful.

Seiri (tidiness)

You need to sit down, to think well and make a list of what you want to improve, and what do you think prevents to work more efficiently.

Seiton (order)

After you drop all the excess, you can streamline the process of work, building things in the correct order.

Seiso (cleanliness)

After the end of the day do not forget to clean your office desk and putting everything in its place. To find the right things and documents is much easier when everything is where it should be.

Seiketsu (standardizing)

Once you get rid of affairs, the implementation of which is not part of your duties, have built their workflow and break it down, it's time to make this system. That is, every morning you have to follow all of the constructed scheme.

Shitsuke (discipline)

When the first four of the process are carried out, they become for you a new way of working. You must adhere to the intended path and not to retreat back to old habits and practices.

5S elements are geared towards making every aspect of business organized.

ImportantTherefore, enterprises that embrace the system become more efficient. For instance, if all items in cashier station are uniformly labeled and organized, any of the employees can step in and start serving customers.

5S would not be used to determine how a process should work or how it can be improved, which is why it would not be useful in this situation.

A well-structured workspace reduces accidents and successively creates a safe environment.

When a work area is clean and well organized, there is less tendency of tripping hazards and any other physical dangers to occur.

Kaizen: Continuous Improvement In The Spotlight

"The Kaizen Philosophy assumes that our way of life – be it our working life, our social life, or our home life – deserves to be constantly improved." — Masaaki Imai Share on X

Seven Steps

Kaizen : Continuous Improvement In The Spotlight Implementing the Six Steps of Kaizen will facilitate your organization to achieve a new standard or level of performance and enhance your competitiveness. These steps are about mapping unnecessary waste, inflexibility, and fluctuations in the process.

The continuous cycle of Kaizen activity has seven phases: identify an opportunity, analyze the process, develop an optimal solution, implement it, check the results, standardize the solution and plan for the future.

Kaizen starts with the recognition that a problem exists and that there are opportunities for improvement.

ImportantOnce problems are identified, the organization needs to enlist the cross-functional personnel to understand the underlying cause of it.

The proposed solution are then tested on a small-scale. Using data, the team makes adjustments to the solution.

And finally, the results are spread across the organization and the solution is standardized.

Find Problems

Accept and find problems in your organization. For this, you need to take a 360 degree feedback and involve your employees. You can list out all the processes which needs improvements.

Think & Find Solutions

Write down the solutions, and by using your own experience and the experience of the team, shortlist the suggestions which make the most sense. You can then take these suggestions for implementation.

Implement

Small-scale implementation is the best way to test out new theories especially in larger organizations. Many people delay this stage due to overthinking, complacency or plain ignorance.

Check

You need to ensure that implementation is done to the ground level so that the results are proper. As managers, you need to have the correct person at all points who is responsible for the implementation.

Standardize

If the results are not positive, you need to go back wherein you implement some other ideas which were on the table. If the results were positive and you find the process improving, then standardize the process so that your organization runs more smoothly and efficiently.

Repeat

The true spirit of Kaizen is in “continuous improvement” and “slow and gradual change”. Over a period of time, it becomes a culture in the organization to eliminate waste and to improve processes so that everything runs in a well-oiled manner.

Crucial to these steps is Patience, Empowerment and a vision towards the future.

WarningTo generate a Kaizen, everyone involved must begin thinking about their work in a new way – in terms of now (present condition), next (the desired state) and new (how to reach that state).

Before you proceed to Kaizen, you need to involve your employees because it will later help you to empower them as well.

One of the most fundamental tenets of Kaizen is small, incremental change or one percent improvement each day.

ImportantSmall, incremental changes are easier to implement than large, radical changes but they can have powerful cumulative results.

You know the adage, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

WarningYou cannot do it with a single procedure, in a single day. You need to take small steps and share your experience one piece of information at a time.

Kaizen: Continuous Improvement In The Spotlight

"Where there is no Standard there can be no Kaizen." — Taiichi Ohno Share on X

How To Pave The Way

Kaizen : Continuous Improvement In The Spotlight Kaizen succeeds when all employees can provide suggestions based on their observations and experience. To facilitate this, management’s role is to communicate the need to change, demonstrate a personal commitment to process improvement, educate and train staff in Kaizen, and manage the improvement process.

The principles are the guiding lights, the action plan is where Kaizen hits the road running. Now you have to pave to way to “kaizen” your organization.

Typically, implementation of Kaizen occurs in three stages in any organization.

ImportantIt’s all about organizing, so that the focus is always on improvement and its target are every part of the organization.

First, you will encourage participation amongst your employees.

To further encourage employee involvement, promote specific Kaizen activities, and consider distributing monetary or tangible benefits after solutions from Kaizen activities are implemented.

Second, you will facilitate training and education of people involved in the process.

WarningTeam leaders should be trained to understand Kaizen in an organizational vision context, which needs to be followed thoroughly in order to achieve desired business objectives.

Measuring performance against existing benchmarks allows you to demonstrate ROI from your kaizen efforts and keep the company aligned around improvement.

Third, you will measure the impacts of Kaizen in your organization.

By keeping track of the beneficial results from the Kaizen process, the company is more likely to continue investing in it and sustaining it.

Remember: Kaizen has to be supported from the top; Employees need to know that they will get support when they need it.

Kaizen: Continuous Improvement In The Spotlight

"The most dangerous kind of waste is the waste we do not recognize." — Shigeo Shingo Share on X

Best Practices

Kaizen : Continuous Improvement In The Spotlight The very idea of Kaizen is unconventional. Focus on the outcome. Then, come up with all the ways that the outcome could possibly be accomplished. Then, take action. There is no excuse for not trying something.

In order to properly implement Kaizen principles for process improvement, there are some useful hacks towards reaching successful its implementation.

Whatever it takes, you must get rid of any fixed ideas you may have based upon conventions.

WarningJust because you’ve always done something a particular way, doesn’t mean that it’s the best way to complete that task. Instead, allow yourself to scrap conventions in exchange for potentials for growth.

Keep in mind that perfection seeking does not lead to progress.

WarningJust the word “perfect” can stop most people in their tracks. Determine a course of action and follow it until you need to adjust it.

Whenever possible, you should implement the 3G approach for decision making.

ImportantThe 3G approach involves Gemba (place or location), Genbutsu (the product), and Genjitsu (the problem being specifically looked at). By viewing the problem, in a given space, related to the product, it helps you to be specific about the changes you wish to implement.

Documenting improvements, making sure standard work is up-to-date, and training employees on new procedures can help sustain the progress you’ve made in your continuous improvement efforts.

Test and implement small changes.

Approach change in small, incremental steps; if you improve by just 1% every day for a year, you’ll be 37 times better than when you started. This increases the speed to improvement and reduces the pressures and risks of implementing a major change.

When mistakes occur, don’t wait to correct them!

ImportantCorrect mistakes as they occur. Make continuous adjustments throughout the process of implementing improvements.

Kaizen: Continuous Improvement In The Spotlight

"You can’t do kaizen just once or twice and expect immediate results. You have to be in it for the long haul." — Masaaki Imai Share on X

Final Thoughts

The message of the Kaizen strategy is that not a day should go by without some kind of improvement being made somewhere in the company.Masaaki Imai

In today’s situation of having to manage multiple projects and to make decisions quicker, managers often try to apply the latest high-cost technologies to handle problems that can be solved with a commonsense, low-cost approach.

The Kaizen method involves the usage of simple tools, checklists, and techniques.

ImportantKaizen empowers your employees and creates good relations between teams so that the whole organization can holistically look towards further improvements.

The Kaizen method doesn’t require the investment of a great deal of money yet offers substantial benefits to any business.

This is why many Japanese companies adopt the process of Kaizen and which is why they are known as some of the most productive companies in the world.

Kaizen is a long-term strategy and the goal is to develop the capabilities and confidence of workers.

ImportantBuilding a mindset of continuous improvement among your organization’s culture requires daily practice, and with time, you’ll see an increase in the efficiency, productivity, and quality of your operations.

What do you think about Kaizen? Did you have implemented it in your company or organization? Share your thoughts and your personal experience in the comments below!

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