“KAIZEN” CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Introduction
Kaizen is a system of continuous improvement. “Kai” means “change” or “to
correct”. “Zen” means “good”. Main idea of Kaizen is to maintain and improve work
standards with the responsibility delegated to the worker. It is recognized worldwide as
an important pillar of an organization’s long-term competitive strategy.
Concepts of Kaizen
- Most “uniquely Japanese” management practices – productivity improvement,
TQC activities, QC circles, or labor relations – can be reduced by one word,
Kaizen.
Gemba Kaizen
Gemba in Japaneses means “real place”, or the place where real action occurs.
The 5 Gemba Principles
1. Go to the gemba
2. Check the gembutsu
3. Take temporary measures or countermeasures on the spot
4. Find the root cause
5. Standardize to prevent recurrence
Major Tools of Gemba Kaizen
1. Muda – means work w/o a product or effort wasted. Activity = Work + Muda.
Expenditure = Cost + Waste.
Types of Muda
- Muda of overproduction
- Muda of inventory
- Muda of waiting
- Muda of motion
- Muda of transportation
- Muda of producing rejects
- Muda of processing

2. Muri – refers to an overburdened system.

Kaizen Participation Index
Kaizen philosophy believes in involving everyone from top to the bottom.
TAKEAWAYS
To begin with, Kaizen is an approach to drive continuous improvement in a
business by emphasizing on minor, constructive changes that can lead to major, lasting
improvements. This philosophy advocates for steady improvement in productivity over
time. As Mr. Janvel mentioned earlier, “Kai” means “change” or “to correct” and “Zen”
means “good”. Kaizen is widely acknowledged as a crucial component of any
sustainable competitive advantage. The concept of kaizen can be applied to any and
every facet of one's existence. From professional to personal life, everything is
interconnected. The use of Kaizen offers various advantages that boost efficiency,
security, and employee and customer happiness. Each of these in turn helps save
expenses and boost profits without needing to invest much in new machinery or other
expensive fixes. This is why Kaizen promotes a culture of experimentation and
exploration among employees or in other words they encourage employees to try out
new ideas. They won't lose much money if an idea fails because they can always go
back to the way things were.