KAIZEN principles

PROLOGUE

 The word KAI means 'to break apart and investigate' and ZEN means 'to improve upon the existing situation'. The word KAIZEN refers to 'continuous improvement'. This is a philosophy of never being satisfied with what was accomplished last week or last year. Improvement begin with the admission that every organisation has problems, which provide opportunities for change. It involves continuous improvement involving everyone in the organisation. Kaizen is not only an approach to manufacturing competitiveness but also everybody's business, because it's premises are based on the concept that every person has an interest in improvement. 
The basic difference between conventional approach and Kaizen approach is as follows:

1. In conventional, 'employees are the problem'. In Kaizen 'process is the problem'.
2. In conventional 'doing my job' is the attitude. In Kaizen 'helping to get things done' is the attitude.
3. In conventional, employees thinks about 'understanding their job'. In Kaizen, employees thinks about 'how their job fits in the process'.
4. In conventional, they 'measure the individual'. In Kaizen they 'measure the performance'.
5. If an error occurred, in conventional they ask,'who made the error?', but in Kaizen they ask,'what allowed the small error to occur?'.

THE THREE PILLARS OF KAIZEN

1. HOUSE KEEPING:

                                      It means "process of managing the 'Gemba'". In Japanese, 'Gemba' means 'workplace'.

They use '5S' for this.

• SEIRI - Organisation, i.e., Sorting what is not needed. They use red tag system, by which they mark red tag for the things they sorted no necessary and allow every person in the organisation to check whether they are needed and then sell it or throw it off.
• SEITON- Tidiness i.e., straighten. They follow the principle "place for everything and everything a place". Every necessary things should be aligned properly.
• SEISO - Purity i.e., Shine. Scrub everything. Clean and paint to provide a pleasing environment.
• SEIKETSU - Cleanliness i.e., Standardize. Spread the cleanliness. Teach cleanliness to others.
• SHITSUKE - Discipline i.e., Sustain.Self discipline is very important. We must sustain our cleanliness.

2. WASTE ELIMINATION:

                                                 In Japanese 'Muda'  means 'waste'. There are seven deadly wastes - "Over production, inventory, defects, motion, processing, waiting and transportation".

3.STANDARDIZATION:

                                           Japanese always want to standardize their products. They exercise 'PDCA' cycle.

•  Plan - Gather data- find cause - pick likely causes- try solution
• Do - Implement solutions
• Check - Monitor results
• Act - Standardize on new process.

This cycle is continued by 'SDCA' cycle. In which 'S' stands for 'Standardize'.

PDCA cycle is for 'improvement', while SDCA cycle is for 'maintenance'.

By this principle only Japan is mesmerizing the whole world by its Quality. 

Even we can also apply this principle in our life and can improve the quality of our life.