It is known that Japanese industry was the one that had the most rapid growth after World War II. The application of the principles of Japanese Management (Lean Manufacturing) can lead to up to a doubling of the productivity of an industrial unit.
Kaizen , a Japanese business philosophy that emphasizes continuous improvement, is the foundation of modern production and supply chains around the world.
The Kaizen philosophy holds that organizational improvements are the result of small, incremental improvements. They require the contribution of all employees at all levels, from manual workers to senior executives.
What does Kaizen mean?
Two words make up the word “Kaizen” – Kai (change) and Zen (better). Together, the word Kaizen translates to “change for the better”. It can also be loosely translated as “improvement”. However, Kaizen is more than a word, it is a business philosophy. It argues that continuous improvement throughout the organization is the driving force behind huge improvements. These relate to productivity, efficiency, employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction and the elimination of waste.
The 5 principles of Kaizen that affect your production
1 Seiri – Classification
First, the Seiri principle encourages employees to organize and prioritize their tasks. That is, this means that tasks should be classified into different groups and labeled “Urgent,” “Critical,” “Most Important,” “Unnecessary,” and so on.
2 Session – Organization
The second principle of Kaizen is Seition, which is about efficiency. Seition involves reducing waste of time and energy by organizing everything in a way that makes it easy to retrieve and use when needed.
*Tip: Create intermediate stations, reduce unnecessary trips for your employees.
3 Seiso – Cleanliness
Seiso is all about cleaning the workplace. It also inspires employees to maintain a clean workplace. Finally, this process keeps the workplace safe, organized, and reduces the time it takes to find tools or equipment.
4 Seiketsu – Standardization
Also, the fourth principle is Seiketsu, which is the standardization of the processes found in Seiri, Seition and Seiso.
5 Shitsuke – Self-discipline
Shitsuke is about developing the processes that will allow an employee to perform the other four Ss, without distractions. In other words, it is about encouraging a proactive approach to self-improvement.
As is evident by now, the Kaizen philosophy focuses on self-improvement as the path to organizational improvement. Small but consistent positive changes in organizational activities are critical to producing paradigm shifts in organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Finally, continuous process improvement is essential for sustainability in the modern industrial environment.
Source: here
