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| Kaizen, a Japanese management philosophy, promises big rewards through continuous incremental change. Indian businesses are now adopting Kaizen to emerge as global competitors |
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| "Japanese management practices succeed simply because they are good management practices. This success has little to do with cultural factors. And the lack of cultural bias means that these practices can be - and are - just as successfully employed elsewhere." - Masaaki Imai (Founder of Kaizen) |
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The Japanese word "KAIZEN" means improvement, improvements without spending much money, involving everyone from managers to workers, and using much common sense. The Japanese way encourages small improvements day after day, continuously. The key aspect of KAIZEN is that it is an on-going, never-ending improvement process. It's a soft and gradual method opposed to more usual western habits to scrap everything and start with new.
Kaizen activities can be conducted in several ways. First and most common is to change worker's operations to make his job more productive, less tiring, more efficient or safer. To get his buy-in as well as significant improvement, worker is invited to cooperate, to reengineer by himself and with help of team mates or a Kaizen support group. The second way is to improve equipment, like installing foolproof devices and/or changing the machine layout. Third way is to improve procedures. All these alternatives can be combined in a broad improvement plan.
Anyway, the first stage is reviewing the current work standards to check the current performance and than estimate how and how much performance can still be improved. When new leap is done, upgrade the standards.
Kaizen is controlled; It is not acceptable to let anybody change designs, layouts or standards for some pretended "improvement". Most often Kaizen is controlled by improvement groups and everybody, regardless to rank or position, is encouraged to suggest trough suggestion submitting system (TEIAN in Japanese). Suggestions will be discussed by authoritative committee. Suggestions likely to be turned into application are usually rewarded according to the global gain. Improvement idea can be a response to a problem exposed by KAIZEN committee or come out spontaneously.
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| Gemba |
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What is "Gemba" a word sometimes associated with Kaizen?
GEMBA is a Japanese word meaning real place, where the real action takes place. In business, GEMBA is where the value-adding activities to satisfy the client are carried out.
As later discussed, Kaizen activities can be carried out endlessly, but only Kaizen on "the real place" is likely to yield some efficient improvement. In Production (e.g. industrial activity), Gemba is often used as "work place", shop floor.
The workplace is often not recognized as the means to generate revenue, far more emphasis is on such sectors as financial management, marketing, sales, and product development.
When defining Kaizen action plan, go to gemba first. Get a sense of the reality at gemba, talk with gemba people.
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| Examples of
Kaizen |
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Kaizen is generally easier explained trough achievement examples:
- Setting up a new U shape machine layout in a workshop allows downsizing from a 5 machines/ 3 operators system to a 5 machines/ 2 operators system.
- This cart is also an example of kaizen; a tool board and a tissue roll have been set upon a standard tool rack.This improvement was brought up in a quick changeover project.
- Refilling in masked time electronics components from 2000 parts boxes into custom made 4000 parts boxes reduces machine stop frequency for reloading.
- Using gravity (free energy !) to dispose finished parts or waste saves movements; a hole in work table let parts fall into a lower crate through a pipe.
- Addition of a positioning jig on a bending machine allows to bend 2 chassis against only one originally.
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Kaizen isn't a method itself, as all usual analyzing or creativity techniques will still be used. It's an incentive and formal system.
The KAIZEN concept stands for a panel of improvement activities;
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| Kaizen vs Innovation |
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KAIZEN refers to improvement AND ongoing or continuity. Just carrying out business as usual contains the element of continuity but lacks the idea of improvement. Breakthrough refers to change or improvement but lacks continuity. Breakthrough with its strong innovative meaning is often preferred way to carry out changes, improvements. Yet the Kaizen way and Breakthrough are very different, the kaizen approach is to make better use of existing resources.
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| Conclusion |
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The benefits to applying the principles of kaizen are manifold. Solutions emphasize commonsense, low-cost approaches, continual adjustment and improvement becomes possible and further desirable. It is not even always necessary to gain upper management approval to make changes. |
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MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR YOURSELF |
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1. Discard conventional ideas.
2. Think of how to do it, not why it cannot be done.
3. Do not make excuses. Question current practices.
4. Do not seek perfection. Do it right away, even if only for 50% of the target.
5. If you make a mistake, correct it immediately.
6. Do not spend money for Kaizen, use your wisdom.
7. Wisdom emerges in the face of adversity.
8. To seek the root cause of all your problems, ask 'Why?' five times.
9. Seek the wisdom of ten people rather than the knowledge of one.
10. Kaizen ideas are infinite. |
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KAIZEN IS HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT |
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Masaaki Imai, the founder of Kaizen was in India recently. Excerpts from an interview with him.
How and when did you develop Kaizen?
Kaizen is the product of the years I spent organizing study tours for Western businessmen wishing to set up commercial ventures in Japan. This brought me in close contact with management techniques that were hitherto unknown outside Japan, elements of which were, for instance, JIT (Just In Time) and TQC (Total Quality Control). My research and experiences resulted in Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success published in 1986 that introduced Kaizen to the world.
Your next step was to introduce 'Gembakaizen'. Why this emphasis on the gemba (workplace)?
The workplace is viewed with a great deal of reverence in Japan. The place where your product is being manufactured is sacred. It is common, for instance, to call a manager in Japan and be informed by his secretary that he is "in gemba" and therefore cannot be disturbed. It is almost as if he is in meditation or in the temple!
In India, as indeed in many Western firms, managers treat the gemba as lowly and fit only for lower level employees. So they sit in their fancy cabins and make decisions based on what I would call 'fabricated data'. I tell them to visit the gemba for a more hands-on experience.
How relevant is Kaizen for India?
This is a critical juncture for Indian manufacturers, what with cheap Chinese goods flooding the market. This is a good time for them to revert to Kaizen that changes the production system drastically by incorporating small but effective changes.
So is Kaizen only for manufacturing companies?
Not at all. It is equally applicable in the service sector. The Kaizen Institute in India is working closely with the Taj Group of hotels. We have also developed what I like to call 'the marriage of IT and JIT (Just In Time, a Kaizen technique)'. In fact, you may use Kaizen in your daily life for personal growth too. Kaizen is a philosophy of life and not just for business.
How can Kaizen be used for personal growth?
Kaizen says 'discard what is unnecessary'. This precept may be used in home and family life to mean a reduction of clutter, literally as well as emotionally. The next is 'put everything in order'. What use is tidying up if you don't make what you have accessible? Then the elimination of 'muda' (those factors that do not add value to your life) is also something we need to do to remove negative influences.
Is there any 'Zen' in Kaizen?
Well, if you mean Zen Buddhism , then the connection is only superficial. The practice of Kaizen requires strict discipline and austerity, something that is characteristic of Zen monasteries. Also, the leader of the group is all important, like the master in a Zen monastery. You could even call Kaizen a 'holistic' approach to management
You speak about Kaizen being people-centric. How do you deal with the hierarchy that exists in every organization?
We deal with the hierarchy by eliminating it! Everybody is involved in the process of change. There is a definite shift towards more equality in organizations that employ Kaizen. A Mumbai-based company in India that had adopted Kaizen actually fixed a particular time everyday when for half an hour, everyone from senior managers to the lower staff collectively cleaned the gemba. |
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