'Kaizen' is the Japanese word for “good change” (Kai = change, Zen = good), and describes the

continuous improvement of all corporate functions, at all levels of the hierarchy. Kaizen is a

competitive strategy in which all employees work together to create a strong culture of constant
improvement.

5S is focused on eliminating waste and inefficiencies in the workplace. This can be applied to
every department and action that takes place. Six Sigma, on the other hand, is a process
improvement strategy that looks to eliminate defects by implementing standard processes,
identifying problem areas, and more.

Kaizen is a Japanese word, which means “gradual, orderly and continuous

Improvement with minimal investment”. Kaizen is an ongoing process
Focusing on elimination of wastes in all systems of an organization.
Kaizen :- means continuous change or continuous improvement

The foundation of the Kaizen method consists of 5 founding elements:

 teamwork,
 personal discipline,
 improved morale,
 quality circles, and.
 suggestions for improvement.

The three pillars of kaizen are :-

1. Housekeeping

2. Waste Elimination 

3. Standardization .

3 ቱ የብክነት አይነቶች (Three types of waste) 3 M

ሙዳ (Muda) :- Means over production, wastefulness ,
or uselessness, or futility
ሙሪ (Muri) :- Means over burden, beyond one’s power,
or impossible, or excessiveness.
ሙራ (Mura) :- Means Unevenness(Non uniformity, or
irregularity

5 ቱ የካይዘን መሳሪያዎች (5 Tools of kayizen) 5 S

Step Name Japanese term Explanation

 1. Sort Seiri (tidiness) Remove unnecessary items from each area
2. Set In Seiton
Organize and identify storage for efficient use
Order (orderliness)
3. Shine Seiso (cleanliness) Clean and inspect each area regularly
Seiketsu
Incorporate 5S into standard operating procedures
4.Standardize (standardization)
Assign responsibility, track progress, and continue
5. Sustain Shitsuke (discipline)
the cycle
 

THE FIVE S'S

The 5S quality tool is derived from five Japanese terms beginning with the letter "S" used to create a workplace suited for v

 Seiri: To separate needed tools, parts, and instructions from unneeded materials and to remove the unneeded ones.
 Seiton: To neatly arrange and identify parts and tools for ease of use.
 Seiso: To conduct a cleanup campaign.
 Seiketsu: To conduct seiri, seiton, and seiso daily to maintain a workplace in perfect condition.
 Shitsuke: To form the habit of always following the first four S’s.

Below, the Japanese terms are translated into the English language version of the 5S’s.

Translated English Definition

Japanese

Seiri organize sort Eliminate whatever is not needed by separating needed tools,

Seiton orderliness set in order Organize whatever remains by neatly arranging and identifyin

Seiso cleanliness shine Clean the work area by conducting a cleanup campaign.

Seiketsu standardize standardize Schedule regular cleaning and maintenance by conducting sei

Shitsuke discipline sustain Make 5S a way of life by forming the habit of always followin

LEAN 5S PROGRAM BENEFITS

Benefits to be derived from implementing a lean 5S program include:

 Improved safety
 Higher equipment availability
 Lower defect rates
 Reduced costs
 Increased production agility and flexibility
 Improved employee morale
 Better asset utilization
 Enhanced enterprise image to customers, suppliers, employees, and management

7 types of wastes are :-

 Muda of defects – Time and effort spend inspecting for and fixing defects

 Muda of overproduction – Producing more than what is in demand

 Muda of waiting – Product or workers spending time waiting for next production step

 Muda of non-used Talent – Underutilizing human potential

 Muda of transport – Moving of products outside of what is required for processing

 Muda of Inventories – Having a backlog of product waiting for further processing or consumption

 Muda of motion – The movement of workers or equipment to complete processing

  The three types are Muda ( waste), Mura ( unevenness), and Muri (overburden).
Muda
 Muda means wastefulness, uselessness and futility, which is contradicting value-addition.
Value-added work is a process that adds value to the product or service that the customer
is willing to pay for. There are two types of Muda, Type 1 and Type 2. Muda Type 1
includes non-value-added activities in the processes that are necessary for the end
customer. For example, inspection and safety testing does not directly add value to the
final product; however, they are necessary activities to ensure a safe product for
customers. Muda Type 2 includes non-value added activities in the processes, but these
activities are unnecessary for the customer. As a result, Muda Type 2 should be
eliminated.

There are seven categories of waste under Muda Type 2 that follow the abbreviation
TIMWOOD. The seven wastes are (1) Transport i.e. excess movement of product, (2)
Inventory i.e. stocks of goods and raw materials, (3) Motion i.e. excess movement of
machine or people, (4) Waiting, (5) Overproduction, (6) Over-processing, and (7)
Defects.
 Mura
 Mura means unevenness, non-uniformity, and irregularity. Mura is the reason for the
existence of any of the seven wastes. In other words, Mura drives and leads to Muda. For
example, in a manufacturing line, products need to pass through several workstations
during the assembly process. When the capacity of one station is greater than the other
stations, you will see an accumulation of waste in the form of overproduction, waiting,
etc. The goal of a Lean production system is to level out the workload so that there is no
unevennessor waste accumulation.

Mura can be avoided through the Just-In-Time ‘Kanban’ systems and other pull-based
 strategies that limits overproduction and excess inventory. The key concept of a Just-In-
Time system is delivering and producing the right part, at the right amount, and at the
right time.
 Muri
 Muri means overburden, beyond one’s power, excessiveness, impossible or
unreasonableness. Muri can result from Mura and in some cases be caused by excessive
removal of Muda (waste) from the process. Muri also exists when machines or operators
are utilized for more than 100% capability to complete a task or in an unsustainable way.
Muri over a period of time can result in employee absenteeism, illness, and breakdowns
of machines. Standardize work can help avoid Muri by designing the work processes to
evenly distribute the workload and not overburden any particular employee or equipment.