Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy or system that is based on making good and positive changes on a regular basis. Here in this article, we have explained what is kaizen, and its meaning, definition, types, and process.
► What is Kaizen?
Kaizen is a Japanese quality improvement philosophy named after the phrase “continuous improvement”. Kaizen aims to create a quality-oriented culture that permeates all levels of the business from manufacturing to management and aims to improve the organization in small increments from the ground up.
Kaizen idealogy can be traced back to the 1980’s kaizen was first adopted in the west with the influx of Japanese car manufacturers bringing a wave of new thinking.
It is a Japanese term that means change for the better or continuous improvement which serves as the basis for Japanese business philosophy.
Kaizen is the father of many quality improvement techniques including suggestion systems, automation, small group activities, Kanban, Just-in-time (JET), Zero defects, total productive maintenance, total quality control, and more.
◉ Kaizen Meaning
- Kaizen is a Japanese term made from a combination of two words Kai+Zen.
- “Kai” means “Change” and “Zen” means “good” and combined together means “Continuous Improvement”.
- Kaizen is a strategy of continually presenting little steady changes in a business to work on quality and additionally proficiency.
- Kaizen meaning in hindi is “सुधार”
A firm that utilizes this approach subsequently must have a culture that energizes and rewards representatives for their commitment to the interaction.
Kaizen can work at the level of an individual, or through Kaizen Groups or Quality Circles which are bunches explicitly united to recognize expected upgrades.
This approach would likewise be viable with Team working or Cell Production, as enhancements could shape a significant piece of the group’s points.
◉ Definition of Kaizen
“Kaizen has been defined as a process of change for the better, which results in continuous improvement.”
Kaizen’s approach accepts that workers are the best individuals to recognize the opportunities to get better since they see the cycles in real life constantly.
Kaizen Cycle for continuous improvement Kaizen requires identifying areas for improvement, creating solutions and plans for a rollout, and then cycling through the process again for other issues or issues that were inadequately addressed.
“Kaizen is a two to five-day focused improvement activity during which a sequestered, cross-functional team designs and implements improvements to a defined process or work area, generating rapid results and learned behavior”. – Karen Martin & Mike Osterling
► Features of Kaizen
- Enhancements depend on many, little changes rather than the extreme changes that may emerge from Research and Development
- As the thoughts come from the actual laborers, they are more averse to be drastically unique, and in this way more straightforward to execute
- Little upgrades are less inclined to require significant capital speculation than significant interaction changes
- The thoughts come from the abilities of the current labor force, rather than utilizing R&D, advisors, or gear – any of which could be extravagant
- All representatives ought to ceaselessly be looking for ways of working on their presentation
- It urges laborers to take proprietorship for their work and can assist with a supporting group working, along these lines further developing specialist inspiration
► Concepts of Kaizen
This is a Japanese word meaning ceaseless improvement, or in a real sense “to change and make great”. Essentially kaizen is for little enhancements, yet did consistently and affect all individuals in the association. The guideline behind this is that “an exceptionally enormous number of little enhancements are more compelling in a hierarchical climate than a couple of upgrades of huge worth.
This support point is pointed toward lessening misfortunes in the working environment that influence our efficiencies.
By utilizing an itemized and exhaustive technique we kill misfortunes in an orderly strategy utilizing different Kaizen instruments. These exercises are not restricted to creating regions and can be executed in regulatory regions also.
In this way, Kaizen alludes to theory or practices that concentrate upon the constant improvement of cycles in assembling, designing and supporting business cycles, and the executives and is applied in different enterprises.
◉ The Main components of Kaizen Include
- Collaboration
- Individual discipline
- Further developed assurance
- Quality circles
- Ideas for development
► 6 Steps of the Kaizen Cycle
- Identify problems
- Analyze current processes
- Create solutions
- Test the solutions
- Measure and analyze results
- Standardize the solution
Must Read :Total Quality Management
► 10 Principles of Kaizen
- Never stop
- Eliminate old practices
- Be proactive
- Dont assume new methods will work
- Make corrections
- Empower all employees to speak up
- Crowdsource
- Practice the five why Method
- Be economical
- Don’t stop
► 5s Approach of Kaizen
The 5S Process, or just “5S”, is an organized program to efficiently accomplish complete association, neatness, and normalization in the working environment.
An efficient working environment results in a more secure, more proficient, and more useful operation. It helps the spirit of the specialists, advancing a feeling of pride in their work and responsibility for obligations.
- Seiri (Sort Out)
- Section (Organize)
- Seo (Shine the Workplace)
- Seiketsu (Standardization)
- Shitsuke (Self Discipline)
✔ 1. Seiri (Sort Out)
This implies arranging and putting together the things as basic, significant, as often as possible utilized things, pointless, or things that are not needed at this point. Significant things ought to be saved for utilization close by and things that are not utilized in not so distant future, ought to be put away in some spots.
✔ 2. Section (Organize)
Each thing has its decent spot and should be put back after utilization at a similar spot.
✔ 3. Seo (Shine the Workplace)
This includes cleaning the workplace. It likewise deals with the review expected of the work spot to ensure everything is as wanted.
✔ 4. Seiketsu (Standardization)
Employees need to examine and settle on norms for keeping the workplace/Machines/pathways flawless and clean. These principles are carried out for the entire association and are tried/reviewed haphazardly.
✔ 5. Shitsuke (Self Discipline)
Considering 5S as a lifestyle and achieving self-control among the workers of the association. This incorporates wearing identifications, following work systems, dependability, commitment to the association, and so forth
► Application of Kaizen
Kaizen and 5S in the Japanese framework incorporate both home and business life. They even incorporate social exercises. It is an idea that is applied in each part of an individual’s life.
In business, Kaizen envelops a large number of the parts of Japanese organizations that have been viewed as a piece of their prosperity.
Quality circles, mechanization, idea frameworks, without a moment to spare conveyance, Kanban and 5S are completely included inside the Kaizen means of maintaining a business.
Must Read :Business Process Reengineering
◉ Key to Competitive Success
Similarly as referenced, 5S is a necessary piece of Kaizen and instrumental in making it a triumph. Kaizen includes each representative in making change-as a rule little, steady changes.
It centers around distinguishing issues at their source, settling them at their source, and changing principles to guarantee the issue stays tackled.
It’s typical for Kaizen to bring about 25 to 30 ideas for each worker, each year, and to have more than 90% of those executed.
While in different associations, the upgrades are made exclusively by the R&D development, utilizing Kaizen permits individuals engaged with the cycle (counting the machine administrators) to straightforwardly recommend the answer for their concern and apply them assuming the idea is considered fit to utilize and further develop efficiency.
These consistent little upgrades amount to significant advantages. They bring about superior efficiency, worked on quality, better well-being, quicker conveyance, lower costs, and more prominent consumer loyalty.
On top of these advantages to the organization, representatives working in Kaizen-based organizations for the most part observe work to be simpler and more charming bringing about higher worker morale and occupation fulfillment, and lower turnover.
With each worker searching for ways of making enhancements, you can expect results.
for example, Kaizen Reduces Waste in regions, for example, stock, holding up times, transportation, specialist movement, worker abilities, over creation, abundance quality, and in processes.
