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| What
is Kaizen ? |
Some authors explain Japan's competitive success in
the world market place as the result of the implementation
of the Kaizen concept in Japanese corporations. In contrast
to the usual emphasis on revolutionary, innovative change on
an occasional basis, Kaizen looks for uninterrupted, ongoing
incremental change. In other words, there is always room for
improvement and continuously trying to become better.
In practice, Kaizen can be implemented in corporations by improving every
aspect of a business process in a step by step approach, while gradually
developing employee skills through training education and increased involvement.
Being
a PHILOSOPHY Kaizen needs some concrete tools for its actual
realization. Traditionally Japanese Warriors used to carry
7 tools at the time of war so being a Japanese concept KAIZEN
can also be implemented with the help of seven special tools.
These are:
Kaizen
recognizes that improvements can be small or large. Many
small improvements can bring about a very big change. For
example the NISSAN experience with welding Robots. First
introduced in 1973, within a decade the work time per unit
was cut by 60 percent and the overall production efficiency
was increased by 20 percent. This was achieved by a series
of Kaizen Programmes that searched out improvements and
cut the time considerably. Thus we see that Kaizen works
at a very detailed level:
How to go about Kaizen
1. Discard conventional fixed
ideas.
2. Think of how you can do it, not why it cannot be done.
3. Do not make excuses. Star by questioning current Practices.
4. Do not seek perfection. Do it right away even if it will achieve only
50% of the target.
5. If you make a mistake correct it right away.
6. Throw wisdom at a problem not money.
7. Ask "WHY?" 5 times and seek root causes.
8. Seek the wisdom of ten people rather than the knowledge of one.
9. Don't ask people to leave their brains at the factory gate.
Kaizen
is thus a (relatively) low cost, simple, team based approach.
Teams are trained in techniques and tools of Kaizen. They
then brainstorm improvement ideas and vote on the priority
action. After this they create an action/implementation
plan, which is submitted for approval. Assuming it is approved,
the team then sets about implementation. Teams then meet
weekly to review progress, identify/overcome barriers,
achieve successes, and document the resulting changed processes.
Stating in one sentence KAIZEN says that "Breakthroughs
result not from massive reorganizations or large scale
investment projects but from cumulative effects of successive
incremental improvements.
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| The
principles of Kaizen Implementation |
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Human
resources are the most important company asset,
processes must evolve by gradual improvement rather than radical changes,
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Improvement
must be based on statistical/quantitative evaluation of
process performance.
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Support
throughout the entire structure is necessary to become
successful at developing a strong Kaizen approach. Management
as well as workers need to believe in the Kaizen idea and
strive toward obtaining the small goals in order to reach
overall success. Therefore, all members of an organization
need to be trained in a manner to support this idea structure.
Resources, measurements, rewards, and incentives all need
to be aligned to and working with the Kaizen structure
of ideas. It is the little things that add up to bigger
things.
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| Basic
Tips for Kaizen Activities |
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Discard
conventional fixed ideas.
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Think
of how to do it, not why it cannot be done.
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Do
not make excuses. Start by questioning current practices.
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Do
not seek perfection. Do it right away even if for only
50% of target.
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Correct
it right away, if you make mistake.
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Do
not spend money for KAIZEN, use your wisdom.
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Wisdom
is brought out when faced with hardship.
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Ask "WHY?" five
times and seek root causes.
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Seek
the wisdom of ten people rather than the knowledge of one.
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KAIZEN
ideas are infinite.
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| Kaizen Training |
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The
participants will receive an excellent overview of the
many facets of KAIZEN.
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They
will learn that KAIZEN is both a philosophy (Deming)
and set of guiding principles that represent the foundation
of the Continuous Improvement Process within an organization.
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They
will also learn about the various tools and techniques
that can help organizations meet and/or exceed their
customers’ (internal/external) requirements.
EXAMPLE
OF TYPICAL TOPICS COVERED:
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What
is KAIZEN
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KAIZEN
Principles
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Deming’s
14 Points
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KAIZEN
Tools and Techniques
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Customer
(Internal/External) Satisfaction
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Total
Employee Involvement
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Statistical
Process Control (SPC)
FORMAT:
The training is geared to the unique needs of
adult learners from all organizational levels.
We create a supportive and safe environment where everyone is encouraged
to learn and participate.
We try to include case studies, real-life examples, games and/or videos,
to help stimulate thought and creativity. This helps ensure the training
is effective and learned.
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| Kaizen Implementation Assistance |
IQMS are
a team of experienced quality experts style, is based on
a unique grassroots, common sense approach to leading the
improvement effort. Knowing it is people who make the difference,
we have designed solutions to deliver the right knowledge,
skills and motivation, to make a difference.
Let
our proven track record in effectively assisting companies to
identify and implement improvement opportunities and to facilitate
the transformation process.
IQMS understand
that each organization or person is unique. Our Solutions
are comprehensive and will be customized to meet your specific
needs.
For
example, our consultants can take your company through KAIZEN,
ISO 9000/9001 from start to finish, and in most cases have
you ready for registration in 1 to 3 months.
This
comprehensive implementation program is tailored to your
individual plans and may include a benchmark visit, an overview
of the standards, writing and revising documentation, on-site
or off-site training of personnel, assistance with implementation,
liaison with the registrar, reassessments and follow-up evaluations,
and consulting during the registration process.
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| Kaizen Consulting |
IQMS is
a management-consulting firm designed to create value for
manufacturers and product developers.
Whether you have an immediate problem on the shopfloor or a long-term plan
for the entire enterprise, our experienced consultants will help turn your
organization into a Lean, competitive player.
For an immediate solution, our "prescriptive consultants" will do
the hands-on work for you. If you want to create a Lean work culture, our "process
consultants" will coach, mentor and train your team so they can maintain
and continue implementing Lean processes on their own. Our mission is "Making
Lean work. Eliminating Waste."
Our
clients include organizations from the industrial and consumer
products, service and medical device sectors. Providing training
and hands-on consulting services in the areas of lean manufacturing,
six sigma, and world class manufacturing and design; we can
help you achieve lower costs, improved productivity, and
improved time-to-market.
Our
Keep It Simple Statistically (KISS) approach to consulting
and training allows non-statisticians in industry, government,
and the service sector to embrace the philosophy and the
implementation of continuous quality improvement. More importantly,
we commit ourselves to assisting our clients in gaining a
mastery over those skills that will in turn provide them
with a substantial Return on Investment.
We've
based our entire business on creating value for you. Every
proposal you receive from us will focus on the value we will
create for your organization and the return you will receive
on your investment. Our projects are always based on measurable,
mutually agreed upon objectives.
IQMS consists
of full-time consultants with industry-diverse experience.
While we do use industry proven approaches and methodologies,
we tailor these to fit your organization’s specific
needs. A unique combination of manufacturing experience,
business and financial expertise, and a "hands-on" approach
creates a recipe for our clients' success. We not only identify
and prioritize opportunities to add significantly to your
bottom line; we develop and help our clients implement a
plan for exploiting those opportunities to achieve financially
measurable success.
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