What is Kaizen?

Kaizen is very important and use world wide nowadays due to its importance and easyness. It is simplest type of improvement techniques with which we can improve the process.

Today we are going to discuss on What is Kaizen? Key steps to implement. this topic because of its importance. Topic we will cover below mentioned contents one by one

• What is Kaizen?
• What is Lean methodology?
• Kaizen and Lean methodology
• What is Toyota Production System?
• Kaizen and Toyota Production System
• Introduction to Kaizen
• Fundamentals of Kaizen
• How to implement Kaizen in process
• Implementation of kaizen by think small approach:
• Advantages of Kaizen
• Disadvantages office Kaizen
• Key Summary points

Okey without wasting time Let’s discuss above mentioned contents one by one in brief.

What is Kaizen?

It is a Japanese terminology which means “change for the better” or we can say it “continuous improvement.” It is a philosophy related to business process that help to improve processes continually with employee involvement. This is carried out by the persons who are involved directly in the process which they want to improve because they are well aware about the process related issues.

Kaizen can be any type related productivity improvement, safety improvement, quality improvement etc.

Basically KAIZEN™ means improvement.  It means continuing improvement in any process or activity which may include from industry space, house life, Personal behaviour etc. It involve each individual who is involved in such process where we going to implement kaizen.

The term Kaizen introduced by Masaaki Imai in his book Over 30 years ago on Kaizen published under McGraw Hill. This explain the success of Japan industries later on the term Kaizen used worldwide for achieve ground breaking success and business improvement.

What is Lean methodology?

It is defined as a methodology used to improve the process with use of tools and techniques. It is used in manufacturing or service industries to improve the process.

Kaizen and Lean methodology:

The article on What is Kaizen? Key steps to implement. Lean and Kaizen both having relation because Kaizen is also focus on improvement in process with the help of incremental changes in existing process. Lean is big umbrella which his also focus to improve the process by eliminate the waste in process for improvement.

What is Toyota Production System

TPS is a production system which is created based on the philosophy of achieving ultimate quality level by elimination of all waste in existing system.

Kaizen  & Toyota Production System

TPS is developed by Sakichi Toyoda in Toyota, a Japanese inventor and industrialist, the technique named TPS became an integral part of the Lean philosophy which is accepted worldwide. It is also a part of TPS because the basic concept of TPS is to improve the process by eliminating the waste in the process.

Introduction to Kaizen:

Basically KAIZEN™ means improvement.  It means continuing improvement in any process or activity which may include from industry space, house life, Personal behaviour etc. So that it can implement in any area which is required or improvement.

It is one of the tool of LEAN manufacturing because LEAN is work for improving the process and reducing the waste.

Kaizen is methodology which focus on engagement of all employee at every level to improving the process. This process is run in organization through suggestions. Every employee share the suggestion for improving the surrounding.

With the help of Kaizen an organization can improve its productivity, effectiveness and safety. This is not only limited to suggestion but also open the door for multiple benefits for organization such as;

• Reduction in waste: Improved process produces good quality of product which help to reduce defect and waste.
• Employee satisfaction level enhancement: Engagement of each employee motivate themselves and increase their focus towards improvement.
• Employee commitment toward improvement: Improved awareness level of employee motivate them commit toward improvement.
• Customer satisfaction improvement: Improved process produces good quality of product which help to increase customer satisfaction level.
• Team morale enhancement: Engagement of each employee motivate themselves and strengthen the relationship with each other which leads to morale enhancement.
• Work quality level improvement: Improved awareness level of employee create a culture which produces high quality product.
• Cost of poor quality reduction: Improved process produces good quality of product which help to increase customer satisfaction level. Less defect leads to less cost of poor quality.

Fundamentals of Kaizen:

In the article on What is Kaizen? Key steps to implement. When we talk about Kaizen which means change for the better” or we can say it “continuous improvement.”

So it is very important to understand Kaizen for it’s effectively implementation in organization.

To make effective implementation of Kaizen few fundamentals are defined which play very important role for its implementation.

These fundamentals are

• Understanding about customer need
• Set targets to achieve
• Go to actual place
• Enhance people knowledge
• Talk with actual data

Let’s discuss these one by one

Understanding about customer need: this is the most important steps for effective implementation of Kaizen in an organisation. As the name suggest understanding about the customer need we have to understand what is our customer want. It gives us idea about requirement which is important for customer need effectively.What is Kaizen? Key steps to implement.

It is first that’s why it’s very important because if we are not able to understand or customer voice of customer requirement how we can fulfil this. So first understand the customer requirement.

Set targets to achieve

it is second fundamental of effective implementation of Kaizen because after understanding the customer requirement and needs it is next to define the targets for the customer requirement so that we can meet them. Target must be decided with the help of smart methodology so that we can achieve hem.

Go to actual place

After understanding the customer requirement and deciding the targets for customer requirement it’s time to reach the actual place from where we can achieve the targets. This topic on What is Kaizen? Key steps to implement.

In this fundamental we have to focus on the process from where we can generate output for the customer to meet requirement. In this Fundamental we have to understand the process and its requirement how it is going on and what can be improved in this process

Enhance people knowledge

After understanding the process it is time to educate the people about the process. So that they can understand the process quickly and perform the operation as per requirement of process so that we can generate less defect as good quality. This topic on What is Kaizen? Key steps to implement.

It is another important fundamental because in this we are educate the persons who are directly involved in the process because their actions and reactions are affecting the output of the process.

During this phase we have to focus that we are providing information to the Employees are actual and real about the processes because any fake information or wrong information can leads to process variation which can create defects and reduce the output of process.

Talk with actual data

It is the last phase for effective implementation of Kaizen in an organisation as from starting we are understanding the customer requirement and set the targets for achieving, visit the actual place for its understanding and educate the people so that we can achieve the target.this topic on What is Kaizen? Key steps to implement.

In this phase we are collecting the data related to the process and customer requirement data which we are collecting must be actual and real there is no any kind of fake data in our data.

We have to analyse the actual data so that we can take right decisions for improving the process and meeting the customer requirements

It is all about the fundamental and how we can implement the Kaizen in organisation

By following steps we can effectively implement kaizen in organization.

Advantages of Kaizen.

In this article on What is Kaizen? Key steps to implement we discussed about kaizen.

• It focus on gradual improvement
• It help to crate small changes
• It required less efforts as compared to big change
• It help to enhance knowledge on respective area
• It help to change the thinking process of employees

How to implement Kaizen in process

Implementation scope for kaizen is very wide it can implement from personnel level to companywide level based on defined scope.

It is require to guidance from top management for implementation of kaizen.

It is start from a small idea which can leads to incremental shift in existing process. In this process flow is finalize and based on that process flow area of waste is being identified for improvement. These action can be visual display, and mechanical controls etc. depends upon scope.

What is Kaizen? Key steps to implement.

Implementation of kaizen by think small approach:

It is the best approach to implement any kaizen in any process which you want to improve.

As mention “Think small” it means we don’t have to make big efforts, we have to start with small think which his different from running practice.What is Kaizen? Key steps to implement

It means the task is being performed have to think in a different way that can perform but for this there will be only minor change or correction is required and thinking big is not easy task to all because it required extraordinary effort and thinking, so it is important to think small which can be easily done by a shop floor personnel. This small change will create big difference in long term.

This approach enhance the employee engagement at all level.

Advantages of Kaizen

• Employee satisfaction level enhancement
• Employee commitment toward improvement
• Customer satisfaction improvement.
• Team morale enhancement
• Work quality level improvement
• Cost of poor quality reduction.

Disadvantages of Kaizen

• First important thing required to conduct Kaizen is to change the thinking process
• Susses of kaizen is depends on the implementation of Kaizen
• Sometimes small kaizen not sustained with passage of time

Key Summary points

• Kaizen supports continuous improvement, small thinking, and incremental change in surrounding to improve the process.
• It focus on employee engagement to improve process.
• It required guidance from top management to create a culture for improvement in organization.
• Employee commitment toward improvement: Improved awareness level of employee motivate them commit toward improvement.
• Customer satisfaction improvement: Improved process produces good quality of product which help to increase customer satisfaction level.
• Team morale enhancement: Engagement of each employee motivate themselves and strengthen the relationship with each other which leads to morale enhancement.

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