Kaizen
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This article is about a continual improvement philosophy. For Kaizen ($K), a fantasy currency invented by Kaizen Games, see Priston Tale.
Kaizen (改善, Japanese for "change for the better" or "improvement", the English translation is "continuous improvement", or "continual improvement.") is an approach to productivity improvement originating in the work of American experts such as Frederick Winslow Taylor, Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Walter Shewhart, W. Edwards Deming and the War Department's Training Within Industry program by Japanese manufacturers after World War II. The development of kaizen went hand-in-hand with that of quality control circles, but it was not limited to quality assurance.
Kaizen also aims to eliminate waste (defined by Joshua Isaac Walters as "activities that add cost but do not add value"), just-in-time delivery, standardized work, paced moving lines, right-sized equipment, etc. A closer concept of the Japanese usage of kaizen is "to take it apart and put back together in a better way."
Kaizen is a daily activity whose purpose goes beyond improvement. It is also a process that, when done correctly, humanizes the workplace, eliminates hard work (both mental and physical), and teaches people how to perform experiments using the scientific method and how to learn to spot and eliminate waste in business processes.
Kaizen is sometimes misunderstood and misapplied, resulting in outcomes such as layoffs. This is called "kaiaku" - literally "change for the worse." Instead, kaizen must be practiced in tandem with "Respect for People".
Kaizen must operate with three principles in place: process and results (not results-only); systemic thinking (i.e. big picture, not solely the narrow view); and non-judgmental, non-blaming (because blaming is wasteful).
People at all levels of an organization participate in kaizen, from the CEO down, as well as external stakeholders when applicable. The format for kaizen can be individual, suggestion system, small group, or large group.
The only way to understand the intent, meaning, and power of kaizen is through direct participation, many, many times.
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. Kaizen is one of the most commonly used words in Japan.
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. This is also known as the Shewhart cycle, Deming cycle, or PDCA.
The "zen" in Kaizen emphasizes the learn-by-doing aspect of improving production. This philosophy differs from the "command-and-control" improvement programs of the mid-twentieth century. Kaizen methodology includes making changes and monitoring results, then adjusting. Large-scale pre-planning and extensive project scheduling are replaced by smaller experiments, which can be rapidly adapted as new improvements are suggested.
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[edit] Translation
The original kanji characters for this word are:
In Japanese this is pronounced 'kaizen'.
改 ('kai') means 'change' or 'the action to correct' 善 ('zen') means 'good'.
In Chinese this is pronounced 'gai shan':
改善 ('gai shan') means 'change for the better' or 'improve'.
改 ('gai') means 'change' or 'the action to correct'.
善 ('shan') means 'good' or 'benefit'. 'Benefit' is more related to the Taoist or Buddhist philosophy, which gives the definition as the action that 'benefits' the society but not one particular individual (i.e. multilateral improvement). In other words, one cannot benefit at another's expense. The quality of benefit that is involved here should be sustained forever, in other words the 'shan' is an act that truly benefits others.
[edit] History
In Japan, after World War II, American occupation forces brought in American experts in statistical control methods and who were familiar with the War Department's Training Within Industry (TWI) training programs to restore a war-torn nation. TWI programs included Job Instruction (standard work) and Job Methods (process improvement). In conjunction with the Shewhart cycle taught by W. Edwards Deming, and other statistics-based methods taught by Joseph M. Juran, these became the basis of the kaizen revolution in Japan that took place in the 1950s.
[edit] Applications
The Toyota Production System is known for kaizen, where all line personnel are expected to stop their moving production line in case of any abnormality, and suggestions for improvement are rewarded.
Masaaki Imai made the term famous in his book, Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success.
[edit] See also
- 5S
- Balanced Scorecard
- Business Process Reengineering
- Extreme Programming
- Kanban
- Lean manufacturing
- NLP
- Poka-yoke
- Six Sigma
- Theory of Constraints
- TPM or Total Productive Maintenance
- Toyota Production System
- Training Within Industry
- TRIZ
[edit] References
- Dinero, Donald (2005), Training Within Industry: The Foundation of Lean", Productivity Press, ISBN 1-56327-307-1
- Emiliani, M.L., with Stec, D., Grasso, L. and Stodder, J. (2003), Better Thinking, Better Results: Using the Power of Lean as a Total Business Solution, The CLBM, Kensington, Conn., ISBN 0-9722591-0-4
- Imai, Masaaki (1986), Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, ISBN 0-07-554332-X
- Imai, Masaaki, Gemba Kaizen: A Commonsense, Low-Cost Approach to Management McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (March 1, 1997) ISBN 0-07-031446-2
[edit] External links
- "The blog of Gemba Research LLC" Articles and discussions about kaizen, fresh each week.
- “http://www.kaizen.com.br/” - The Brazilian company strong in your work method.
- Superfactory - Resources, articles, book reviews, events on lean enterprise excellence.
- Business Basics, LLC - Resources, articles, events on lean manufacturing excellence.
- Evolving Excellence blog - Thoughts on lean enterprise leadership.
- “NWLEAN: http://www.nwlean.net/” - The Northwest Lean Networks - A free knowledge-sharing website, with over 10,000 professionals discussing the various aspects of lean implementation.
- “The Zen of Improvement” - The Manufacturer Magazine - An article discussing the benefits of the Kaizen approach to productivity.
- “Succeeding with Kaizen” - The Manufacturer Magazine - An article detailing some of the critical factors in running successful Kaizen workshops.
- Roots of Lean by Jim Huntzinger
- Kaizen in simple terms by Manufacturing Efficiency Resources
- Lean Blog, News and Commentary on Lean and the Toyota Production System
- Book Summary: The Toyota Way
- “The Lean Library” The Lean Library - find books and other information on lean
