Kaizen Method | Kaizen Philosophy

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What is Kaizen? Definition

The Kaizen method of continuous incremental improvements is an originally Japanese management concept for gradual, continuous (incremental) change (improvement).

Kaizen is actually a way of life philosophy. It assumes that every aspect of our life deserves to be constantly improved. The Kaizen philosophy lies behind many Japanese management concepts such as: Total Quality Control, Quality Control circles, small group activities, labor relations.

Key elements of Kaizen are: quality, effort, involvement of all employees, willingness to change, and communication.

Japanese companies distinguish between: Innovation, a radical form of change, and Kaizen, a continuous form of change. Kaizen means literally: change (kai) to become good (zen).

The five foundation elements of Kaizen

1. Teamwork.
2. Personal discipline.
3. Improved morale.
4. Quality circles.
5. Suggestions for improvement.

Out of this foundation, three key factors in Kaizen arise

• Elimination of Waste (muda) and inefficiency.
• The Kaizen 5S Framework for good housekeeping.
  1. Seiri, meaning tidiness (Eng: Straighten)
  2. Seiton, meaning orderliness (Eng: Sort)
  3. Seiso, meaning cleanliness (Eng: Sweep, Shine)
  4. Seiketsu, meaning standardized clean-up (Eng: Standardize)
  5. Shitsuke, meaning discipline (Eng: Self-Discipline, Sustain)
• Standardization.

When should the Kaizen philosophy be applied? Although it is difficult to give generic advice it is clear that it fits well in gradual, incremental change situations that require long-term change and in collective cultures. More individual cultures that are more focused on short-term success are often more conducive to concepts such as Business Process Reengineering.

Kaizen compared to Business Process Reengineering

When Kaizen is compared with the BPR method it is clear the Kaizen philosophy is more people-oriented, more easy to implement, but requires long-term discipline and provides only a small pace of change. The Business Process Reengineering approach on the other hand is harder, technology-oriented, it enables radical change but it requires considerable change management skills.

Book: Masaaki Imai - Kaizen

Forum Start a new topic about Continuous Improvement (Kaizen) Write here. Ask a question or explain something. Current forum discussions about Continuous Improvement (Kaizen): Quotes on Kaizen. Quotations Do you know some deep, famous or funny quotes on Kaizen? Quotations? Proverbs? Please share them as a reaction to this posting and mention the author. To get started, here's my favorite: Constant dri... 62   8 comments Kaizen Prerequisites I believe self-discipline is a mandatory prerequisite before one can hope to achieve success with Kaizen, just as it is in martial arts. The focus and 'stillness' of thought required in martial arts h... 22   12 comments Establishing a Formal Kaizen Program Kaizen should be practised within a formal program with reward or recognition for successful efforts lest it may do in disarray. It was proven as a very successful way of doing our daily jobs as had b... 21   1 comments Kaizen and Quality and Toyota Small incremental changes in quality can be accomplished through solid statistical analysis. Through the use of p-charts and other variable control charts a narrowing of the upper and lower limits inc... 17   2 comments Kaizen is a Way of Life Philosophy Kaizen is really a way of life philosophy. It is change for betterment. We have to inculcate this concept in every student in different streams to make them understand the inevitable of change. Even w... 15   5 comments

Courses about Continuous Improvement (Kaizen). Beginners Course Advanced Course Course for Experts

Expert Tips Advanced insights about Continuous Improvement (Kaizen). Here you will find professional advices by experts. Consultancy Tips Teaching Tips Practical Implementation Tips Comparison Kaizen vs. Innovation Appreciate the Differences... In 1992, A. Meckel made this useful comparison of Kaizen (K) versus Innovation (I): 1. EFFECT - K: long term and contin... Tools to Attack Waste Waste Management, Waste Tools Overview What tools you can use for every waste you can find at your company? Before you try to implement these lean tools you h... Leadership Strategies for Change Initiate, implement, develop and sustain change In response to the high rate of change failure, Ken Blanchard and his team have developed the Blanchard Leading Through ...

Information Sources Various sources of information regarding Continuous Improvement (Kaizen). Here you will find powerpoints, videos, news, etc. to use in your own lectures and workshops. What is 5S Workplace Organization 5S, abbreviated from the Japanese words Seiri, Seiton, Seison, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke, are simple but effective methods ... 5S Framework 5S House Keeping In depth presentation by GREAVES LIMITED.... 5S Strategy for Performance Excellence Kaizen 5S is the foundation, the building blocks, for a “Kaizen” approach to incremental improvement....

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Compare with: Deming Cycle  |  Hoshin Kanri - Policy Deployment  |  Training Within Industry  |  8D Problem Solving  |  Six Sigma  |  Quality Function Deployment  |  Forget Borrow Learn  |  Value Chain  |  Just-in-time  |  Organic Organization  |  Appreciative Inquiry  |  Positive Deviance  |  Change Phases  |  Six Change Approaches  |  Core Group Theory  |  Planned Behavior  |  Business Process Reengineering  |  Change Management  |  Dimensions of Change  |  Force Field Analysis  |  Value Stream Mapping  |  Eight Attributes of Management Excellence  |  Five Disciplines  |  Ten Principles of Reinvention  |  Fourteen Points of Management  |  People CMM

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