Lean Six Sigma
Experiential Learning
Kaizen
By –
Aseem Raje, 42251
PRN - 19020141151
Operations (Division – D)
Kaizen
The concept of Kaizen was developed in Japan after the Second World War.
This was mainly influenced by changing business needs and ever-
increasing customer expectations. It was well and truly implemented at
a large scale by Japanese car manufacturer Toyota. Since then its benefits
have been there for the entire world to see and it has been implemented in
every industry we can think of.
Kaizen is a Japanese word where Kai means “Change” and Zen means “For
the Better”. It can be translated into English meaning Continuous
Improvement. It is a philosophy which says that we can never be satisfied
with what has already been achieved. Kaizen actually means small
incremental changes over a long period of time.
The major constituents of Kaizen include – Improvement, Leadership,
Cross-Functional Teams, 5S, Productivity Improvement, Process
Focus, Discipline and Teams. The concept of Kaizen should not just apply
to a specific set of people in the industry. It applies to everyone from the
person working on the Assembly Line to the CEO.
With Kaizen, the main priority is given to the manufacturing process, as the
process of achieving results is not less than the final result. One of the most
important tasks in Kaizen involves improving the quality of work in an
organization by achieving TQC (total quality control). 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, etc.
The Kaizen method follows ten specific principles, which are described
below:
1. Improve everything continuously.
2. Abolish old, traditional concepts.
3. Accept no excuses and make things happen.
4. Say no to the status quo of implementing new methods and assuming
they will work.
5. If something is wrong, correct it.
6. Empower everyone to take part in problem-solving.
7. Get information and opinions from multiple people.
8. Before making decisions, ask “why”-questions five times to get to the
root cause. (5 Why Method)
9. Be economical. Save money through small improvements to spend the
saved money on further improvements.
10. Remember that improvement has no limits. Never stop trying to
improve.
Kaizen method strives toward perfection by eliminating waste (Muda) in
the workplace (Gemba). The goal of kaizen is production without wastes by
improving standardized activities and processes. Industrial engineer Taiichi
Ohno, the father of the Toyota Production System, noticed that there is an
80% loss in every process and the value of the process is less than 20%.
There are three areas that we should mainly focus on when it comes to
Kaizen. Gemba (The Place) refers to the working place improvements that
one should look for. This refers to the practical shopfloor improvement.
Gembutsu (The Tools) means the equipment and tools which we use could
also be improved continuously and we look for new technologies. Finally,
Genjitsu (Facts) means the information that we have and how one should
utilize this in a better way.
There are several benefits for using Kaizen. It fosters an environment where
people continuously push each other to improve. This means that it adds
value to individuals as well as to the company. A well-educated, motivated
and eager to learn workforce is the secret for success of any company.
Kaizen also provides a significant competitive advantage over your
competitors. It gives a good root cause analysis and this leads to
increased productivity, quality and efficiency. Over a period of time, it
changes the way people approach their daily tasks and encourages
innovation.
An important benefit of Kaizen is that it avoids information silos.
Brainstorming and sharing of ideas can increase the quality of solutions. The
grassroots can not just learn more, but also make a meaningful
contribution to important business decisions. This leads to enhanced,
creativity and teamwork.
To implement Kaizen, one should first win the trust of the client, show the
respect and earn the right to identify faults and suggest improvements. It
has its applications in everyday life as well. It was implemented famously by
Starbucks in the early 2000s. They introduced a new machine that roasted
Espresso and steamed the milk replacing hand-roasting. They also identified
that one scoop of was not enough to fill the required quantity in one go. For
every drink, they needed to scoop twice. They increased the size of the
scoop and immediately reduced service time. All in all, a 45 second
process was reduced to on an average 23 second process to service a
coffee at Starbucks. Toyota Production System successfully implemented
Kaizen using their Plan-Do-Check-Act model. The assembly line for Toyota
stops entirely if they identify a problem and that problem is resolved then
and there.
It can also be used in daily life in activities like organizing your kitchen. It
can help reduce the amount of time you take everyday to go from your
home to your workplace by organizing your activities to optimize the time
utilized. It might mean if you need one and a half hour to get ready, you
can do it in one hour if one looks for continuous improvement. It can come
in the form of prepping for breakfast the previous night. Keeping your
clothes and bag ready before going to bed the day before. Also, one can
simultaneously do activities like reading the newspaper and having breakfast
which can save a lot of time.
Hence what we can all learn from Kaizen is that it is a philosophy that can
help us in our work life, our social life as well as our personal life. In this
fast-paced world with constant pressure and limited time, Kaizen can help
one to find the most innovative solutions in order to improve oneself.
