1.1 KaizenKaizen is a Chinese and Japanese word for "improvement".

At the point when utilized as

a part of the business sense and connected to the working environment, kaizen alludes to
exercises that ceaselessly enhance all capacities and include all representatives from the
CEO to the sequential construction system laborers. It additionally applies to procedures,
for example, acquiring and logistics, that cross authoritative limits into the supply chain.
It has been connected in healthcare, psychotherapy, life-training, government, saving
money, and different businesses.
By enhancing institutionalized exercises and procedures, kaizen means to dispense with
waste (see incline producing). Kaizen was initially actualized in a few Japanese
organizations after the Second World War impacted to some extent by American business
and quality administration instructors who went by the nation. It has since spread all
through the world and is currently being executed in situations outside of business and
profitability. Transforming a factory into a Lean manufacturing operation is a gradual
process that can be described as a journey rather than a destination. Both long-term and
short-term goals are needed to guide the transformation. The journey to Lean is an
ongoing one, it requires a strong commitment, an appropriate organizational structure,
and just plain work. The term continuous improvement is linked to Kaizen that means
change for the better. In Lean manufacturing, this change for the better can result in
gradual improvement of products, workplace efficiency, customer service, and reduction
of waste. Lean production can help to create a continuous learning environment that will
keep the gains achieved and encourage new strategies to achieve a company's long-term
goals.

1.2 Purpose of KaizenThe purpose for holding a Kaizen event is basically to identify waste in a manufacturing
process and to eliminate it, thereby improving production. A Kaizen event is Team
Oriented, as it gathers the managers, operators, and owners of a process in a specific place
to analyze, and map out the existing methods of the operation. It is also a forum for
developing, discussing, and allowing changes to be made to improve the process. Usually
there are four stages that a Kaizen Team undertakes. Step One: Analyze and map the
current processes of a specific area of the plant.

Step Two: Identify the problems and the opportunities for improvement.
Step Three: Implement changes to the process that allow for improved workflow.
Step Four: Evaluate the changes made and follow up, with adjustments as required.

1.3 Preconditions needed prior to Kaizen implementationKaizen is a Japanese philosophy that encourages the continuous improvement of one's
personal life and the ongoing quest for improvement at work. For a small business, a
Kaizen strategy is one that works to constantly improve the performance of employees
and managers, the interaction between staff and management, and the pursuit of better
productivity. Certain conditions need to be part of your corporate culture for a Kaizen
strategy to take effect in your organization.

Job Satisfaction- For a Kaizen strategy to work, your employees must be satisfied
with their jobs and be interested in working to continuously improve their
performance. Your human resources group should survey employees to determine the
staff attitudes toward job satisfaction and work to improve the workplace conditions

until job satisfaction is achieved.

Company Involvement- The Company must be dedicated to a Kaizen strategy for it
to work. Managers need to be encouraged to set time aside for employee evaluations,
and employees need to be allowed time to monitor the managerial staff as well. A

Kaizen needs to be a priority in business planning for it to be successful.

Dedication- You must present a Kaizen strategy to your managers and employees as a
way to improve company productivity and add to the corporate bottom line. A Kaizen
strategy can look like a common-sense approach to job development, but its
effectiveness is in the ability of your staff and managers to stay dedicated to it.
Developing the proper attitude toward a Kaizen strategy and getting your company to

understand its benefits will make it easier to implement.

Open-Minded- You and your staff need to have an open mind for a Kaizen strategy to
work. It can be a significant departure from the way you are used to doing things. The
constant analysis of job duties and employee interaction can seem unnecessary at
times. Encourage your organization to give Kaizen a chance and enter into it willing
to make it work.

Questioning-A Kaizen strategy requires a lot of questions about individual and group
performance. Your staff needs to be prepared to field a lot of questions about why
they did something a particular way, what results they were hoping for and how they
judge the results they achieved. Let your staff know that these questions are not an

indictment of their performance but rather a way to improve productivity.

Teamwork- When a person working within a Kaizen strategy has a question about a
work process, you should encourage that person to ask several people for input. Your
staff needs to learn to work as a team and respect each others' opinions and input for

Kaizen to be effective.
No Finger Pointing-When something goes wrong, a common defense for employees
is to begin pointing fingers at others. You need to create a culture where mistakes are
looked at as opportunities to learn and improve as opposed to being reasons for
accusations.

1.4 The Kaizen ProcessKaizen events are among the most important activities of a Lean enterprise.
Successful Kaizens help build a Lean culture and measurably improve company
performance. Kaizen success requires effective Planning, Implementation, Follow-up
and Evaluation. IMECs expert Lean implementers will work with your company at
each phase of the Kaizen process, helping plan and prepare for events, facilitating
Kaizen events, working with your team to ensure effective follow-up and completion
of the improvement process, and evaluating the results to continuously improve your
Kaizen process.
Plan
The Kaizen Planning phase, within the 6 Sigma DMAIC framework, seeks to Define,
Measure, and Analyze the process that will be the Kaizen focus. There are three levels
of Kaizen planning:
High-Level Planning links the Enterprise Lean Deployment Strategy to the specific
processes that need to be improved and the timeline for improvement.
Mid-Level Planning uses Value Stream Mapping to select specific areas of
improvement that will be addressed through Kaizen events versus 6 sigma projects
and just-do-it activities.
Event-Level Planning uses checklists and standard documents to ensure that
everything is in place so each Kaizen event is conducted successfully.
Event planning includes:
- Kaizen team member selection
- Kaizen charter approval
- Location preparation (including equipment, materials, etc.)
- Data needs identification and preparation

Implement
Kaizen event implementation, within the DMAIC framework, is primarily focused on
actual Improvement, although some additional Measurement and Analysis may be
required. Kaizen Implementation requires a company to:
Train members of the Kaizen team on the Lean principles that they will be applying
Review the VSM and perform additional measurements and analyses, if needed
Facilitate an ideation/brainstorming process to identify improvement options
Implement improvements by breaking apart the process and putting it back
together without the waste
Prepare an action plan with a list of activities required to complete the Kaizen
process
Verify the alignment of the selected improvements with the future state VSM
Identify expected measurable improvements
Obtain participant feedback
Report Kaizen event results to champions and celebrate success
Follow-up
This phase of the Kaizen process involves the completion of the Improvement and
Control DMAIC elements. The success of the Kaizen depends on timely completion
of the Improvement process and effective change management. This process involves:
Following-up to ensure that action items are successfully completed
Working with the Lean champion to break down obstacles
Measuring the actual results of the Kaizen to document and quantify benefits
Establishing process control to ensure the ability to consistently obtained improved
performance.
Evaluate
This is the last phase of the Kaizen process cycle. A Lean enterprise is a learning
organization that recognizes Kaizen as a continuous process of improvement through:
Identifying improvements to the Kaizen implementation process
Encouraging employees to identify further improvement opportunities
Establishing a schedule to re-evaluate the VSM and start a new Kaizen improvement
cycle.

1.5 Kaizen Real Life Implementation:

The philosophy of kaizen is one of Toyotas core values. It means continuous
improvement. No process can ever be declared perfect but it can always be improved.
Kaizen in practice means that all team members in all parts of the organization are
continuously looking for ways to improve operations, and people at every level in the
company support this process of improvement. Kaizen also requires the setting of clear
objectives and targets. It is very much a matter of positive attitude, with the focus on

what should be done rather than what can be done. Continuous improvement is supported
by three key principles:

TPS - Thinking People System

5 whys?

5S

TPS- Thinking People System

The Toyota Production System invites team members to think about the process and
make timely decisions in order to keep it running smoothly, rather than merely
operating like machines. This involvement creates responsibility for the success of the
process, increasing both morale and quality. This is also essential for the success
of kaizen. Every morning an asa-ichi meeting is held to discuss quality deviations and
eliminate their causes. Kaizen is not just based on improvements being developed and
implemented only by experts or management. It involves everybody, relying on the
extensive knowledge, skills and experience of the people working directly in the
process. For example, at Toyota Material Handling Europes production sites about
3,000 proposals for improvements are made each year.

Testing the Logic

Kaizen requires that the logic and benefit of all improvements are carefully evaluated
before being implemented. This is achieved by employing the concept of the 5
whys?.Every planned improvement needs to be tested by questioning why? at five
levels to ensure that its logic and value is clear.

A culture of continuous improvement

Toyota Production System goes beyond the areas that are purely related to production
processes. It also extends to the whole organization sales and MARKETING,

administration, product development and management. Every employee, regardless of

position is treated equally. Toyota takes care to nurture a sense of pride and efficiency
in the workplace. This is supported by the 5S :

SEIRI Sifting

SEITON Sorting

SEISO Sweeping and cleaning

SEIKETSU Spick-and-span

SHITSUKE Sustain