An approach to creating continuous improvement based on the idea that small, ongoing positive changes can reap significant improvements Based on cooperation and commitment and stands in contrast to approaches that use radical or top-down changes to achieve transformation Core to lean manufacturing and the Toyota Way, the most popular example
KAIZEN™ Methodology Development History 1930 - Masaaki Imai is born in Tokyo, Japan. The first domestic automotive production is planned in Japan, and the Just-In-Time concept is observed. 1940 - World War II post-war economic reform period commences in Japan 1950 - Imai works at the Japan Productivity Center in the USA and accompanies Japanese executives to visit and learn from US manufacturers. Japanese companies gain strength in their quality and worldwide competitiveness. 1960 - Imai works with Shoichiro Toyoda to observe the American way of business. 1986 - KAIZEN™ is introduced to the world for the first time, as a systematic management methodology. 1990s - KAIZEN™ appears for the first time as a word in the Oxford dictionary.
5 Fundamental KAIZEN™ Principles CORE: Pure Improvement | Everyone, Everywhere, Every day ○ Know your Customer Creating customer value Identify their interest so you can enhance their experience ○ Let it Flow Targeting zero waste Everyone in your organization should aim to create value and eliminate waste ○ Go to *Gemba Following the action Value is created where things actually happen -- go there! ○ Empower People Organizing your teams The same goals for your teams, and provide a system and tools to reach them ○ Be Transparent Speaking with real data Performance and improvements should be tangible and visible *actual place. Gemba (現場) is the Japanese term for “actual place,” often used for the shop floor or any place where value-creating work actually occurs.
Examples of Kaizen Toyota is arguably the most famous for its use of Kaizen, but other companies have successfully used the approach. Here are three examples: Lockheed Martin . The aerospace company is a well-known proponent of Kaizen. It has used the method to successfully reduce manufacturing costs, inventory and delivery time. Ford Motor Company. When lean devotee Alan Mulally became CEO of Ford in 2006, the automaker was on the brink of bankruptcy. Mulally used Kaizen to execute one of the most famous corporate turnarounds in history. Pixar Animation Studios. Pixar applied the continuous improvement model to reduce the risks of expensive movie failure by using quality control checks and iterative processes.
Kaizen advantages Kaizen's focus on gradual improvement can create a gentler approach to change in contrast to big efforts that may be abandoned due to their tendency to provoke change resistance and pushback. Kaizen encourages scrutiny of processes so that mistakes and waste are reduced. With fewer errors, oversight and inspection needs are minimized.
Employee morale improves because Kaizen encourages a sense of value and purpose. Teamwork increases as employees think beyond the specific issues of their department. Client focus expands as employees become more aware of customer requirements. Systems are in place to ensure improvements are encouraged both in the short and long terms.
Kaizen Disadvantages Companies with cultures of territorialism and closed communication may first need to focus on cultural changes to create a receptive environment. Short-term Kaizen events may create a burst of excitement that is shallow and short-lived and, therefore, is not sustained.