System Kaizen vs.

Point Kaizen
Overview
During the Gemba Academy Transforming your Value Streams course we learned how to
create a current and future state value stream map. We also learned about creating kaizen
newspapers that listed out all the different improvements that needed to happen in order to
bridge the gap between current and future state.

Well, when taken in full context, the entire

future state value stream map and all the noted
improvement opportunities represent what we
call system kaizen.

But when we look a little deeper we notice

that there are several, very specific,
improvement activities that needed to happen.
These improvement activities represent what
we call point kaizen. In other words, there will almost always be multiple point kaizen events
within one larger system kaizen initiative.

Which is better?
Now, we often get asked… which is better – system kaizen or point kaizen? And, really, this
question cannot be answered since the two concepts work together in harmony. But
what we can say is for kaizen to succeed over the long term… you mustn’t ignore either
system or point kaizen.

In other words, we must always understand the big picture of what we’re working on and why
we’re working on it… which is what system kaizen does for us. Likewise, we need to break
these big problems down into manageable problems which is what point kaizen does for us. In
the end, they both serve an important role in the improvement process.

Beyond Value Stream Maps

Finally, while we’ve stressed the need to use value stream maps during your kaizen efforts I
don’t want you to think they are mandatory since, as we learned in the Practical Problem
Solving course, there are different ways to break big problems down into more manageable
problems using tools and concepts other than value stream mapping.

So, if you haven’t already viewed the Practical Problem Solving course I’d like to encourage
you to do so.

3. System Kaizen vs. Point Kaizen Page 1