Kaizen

INTRODUCTION

Japanese term that means continuous improvement, taken from words 'Kai' means continuous and 'Zen' means improvement.

Some translate 'Kai' to mean change and 'Zen' to mean good, or for the better.

The same japanese words Kaizen that pronounce as 'Gai San' in chinese means;

Gai= The action to correct.

San= This word is more related to the Taoism or Buddhism Philosophy in which give the definition as the action that 'benefit' the society but not to one particular individual. The quality of benefit that involve here should be sustain forever, in other words the 'san' is and act that truly benefit the others.

Kaizen was created in Japan following World War II. The word Kaizen means "continuous improvement". It comes from the Japanese words "Kai" meaning school and "Zen" meaning wisdom.

Kaizen is a system that involves every employee - from upper management to the cleaning crew. Everyone is encouraged to come up with small improvement suggestions on a regular basis. This is not a once a year, or monthly activity. It is continuous. At Japanese companies, such as Toyota and Canon, 60 to 70 suggestions per employee, per year are written down, shared and implemented.

In most cases these are not ideas for major changes. Kaizen is based on making little changes on a regular basis--always improving productivity, safety and effectiveness, and reducing waste.

Suggestions are not limited to a specific area such as production or marketing. Kaizen is based on making changes anywhere that improvements can be made. The Kaizen philosophy is to "do it better, make it better, and improve it even if it isn't broke, because if we don't, we can't compete with those who do."

Western philosophy can be summarized as, "if it isn't broke, don't fix it." The Kaizen philosophy is that everything, even it isn't broke can be improved.

Kaizen is a system of improvement that in Japan includes both home life as well as business improvements. Kaizen even includes social activities. It is a concept that is applied in every aspect of a person's life.

In business Kaizen encompasses many of the components of Japanese businesses that have been seen as a part of their success. Quality circles, automation, suggestion systems, just-in-time delivery, kanban and 5S are all included within the Kaizen system of running a business.

Kaizen involves setting standards and then continually improving those standards. To support the higher standards Kaizen also involves providing the training, materials and supervision that is needed for employees to achieve the higher standards and maintain their ability to meet those standards on an on-going basis.

Kaizen often takes place one small step at a time, hence the English translation: "continuous improvement," or "continual improvement." Yet radical changes for the sake of goals such as just in time, and moving lines also gain the full support of upper level management. Goals for kaizen workshops are intentionally set very high because there are countless examples of drastic reductions in process lead time to serve as proof of their practicality.

The cycle of kaizen activity can be defined as: standardize an operation -> measure the standardized operation (find cycle time and amount of in-process inventory) -> gauge measurements against requirements -> innovate to meet requirements and increase productivity -> standardize the new, improved operations -> continue cycle ad infinitum.

Learn-by-Doings

The "Zen" in Kaizen emphasizes the learn-by-doing aspect of improving production. This philosophy is focused in a different direction from the "command-and-control" improvement programs of the mid-20th century. Kaizen methodology includes making changes and looking at the results, then adjusting. Large-scale preplanning and extensive project scheduling are replaced by smaller experiments in improvement, which can be rapidly adapted as new improvements are suggested.

PRINCIPLES OF KAIZEN

There are certain basic principles which are followed in various Japanese companies which are listed below: -

1. Focus on customers: -The Kaizen philosophy has only one prime objective of customers' satisfaction. Kaizen permits no middle ground its either you provide best products and customer satisfaction or not. All the activities should aim at providing customer with whatever he wants and should help the firm's long term objective of customers' satisfaction at the same time building up good relationship. It is a responsibility of each and every person working in a Kaizen company to make sure that the product is upto the mark and it satisfies customers need.

2. Make improvements continuously: - There is not a best way to do a thing, there is still a better way. In a Kaizen company, the search for excellence just does not end. We should work on the improvement implemented and see if we can make it even more effective.

3. Acknowledge problems openly: - Every company has certain problems related to finance, competition, change in demand etc. Kaizen companies are no exception, but by fostering an appropriately supportive, constructive culture it becomes easier for any team to get

its problem in the open. The whole organization works as a team to solve the problem. The problems are openly shared by the management with the employees which avoids rumors. It simply means "FIGHT WITH YOUR PROBLEMS DON'T RUN AWAY FROM THEM".

4. Promote openness: - There seems to be less functional ring fencing i.e. only the senior managers have private cabins. Otherwise the workplace is generally open and in many companies even the dress code and canteen for everyone is the same.

5. Create work teams: - Each individual in a Kaizen company belongs to work team headed by a leader. Working in various overlapping teams draws employees into corporate life and reinforces