Kaizen

The very word “kaizen” literally means “improvement,” “change for the better” (in which case it is written in kanji characters). In turn, the word “kaizen” written in katakana means a business philosophy based on continuous improvement and improvement of management and production processes. The concept of kaizen applies to the organisation of work at all levels.

Foundations of the Kaizen philosophy

Meeting quality standards is important in the Kaizen philosophy, but it is neither the only nor the most important goal. The foundation of the Kaizen philosophy is based on two simple assumptions. First, the philosophy assumes that employees are continually involved in improving the quality of the organization’s operations. Secondly, Kaizen focuses on improving the product or service produced by the company.

Crucial to this concept are everyday, simple, even small improvements in performance. Evolution, which is the result of a continuous process, a continuity of successive changes, is important. However, the effectiveness of implementing the Kaizen philosophy largely depends on whether the organization uses the 10 Kaizen principles on a daily basis.

Kaizen philosophy – is it worth applying?

In Japanese companies, change tends to occur through small but continuous improvements. Importantly, it is not only the managers and senior staff who contribute to the improvement process, but also the employees. Each person can propose a change. They can also expect to be heard and have their ideas considered. In this way, the involvement of all employees in the company’s activities increases. Then they feel that they have a real impact on how the organization in which they work functions. A very good example is the Toyota company. Toyota employees make over a million suggestions for change a year. Most of these proposals are approved, and what is even more impressive – the changes are implemented.

Kaizen for ambitious people

Applying the Kaizen philosophy is a good solution for entrepreneurs who have ambitious goals. Kaizen is a solution for companies that are focused on continuous development in their business area.

Constantly striving for the goal but in small steps does not get discouraged. This approach brings the organization closer to achieving its overarching goal. Such action is very motivating. It also causes even very large and demanding projects to become feasible.
Kaizen philosophy is primarily a continuous self-improvement, which occurs in a very “natural” way. It is a method of small steps, which applied consistently, over a longer period of time brings excellent results. That is why it is worth considering the use of Kaizen philosophy both in business and in everyday life. You will learn about how to do it in one of our courses.

10 Kaizen Principles

The Kaizen philosophy defines 10 principles that influence the effectiveness of implementing the concept of continuous improvement in everyday life.

1. Think unconventionally.
2. Think how to do it, not why it can’t be done.
3. Reject excuses. Question existing techniques.
4. Implement solutions immediately – 50% now is better than 100% someday.
5. Correct mistakes right away.
6. Think with your head, not your wallet.
7. Remember that you gain knowledge when you are struggling.
8. Use the 5Why method and look for the cause of problems.
9. 10 people know more than 1 person.
10. And remember the possibilities of Kaizen are endless.

Implementing the above 10 Kaizen principles realistically changes the mindset of members of the organization. As a result, problems encountered are treated as opportunities for improvement rather than as obstacles.

Benefits of implementing Kaizen

The most important effect of such changes made under the Kaizen philosophy is:

• Improved quality of work and goods or services produced.
• Saving time, thanks to process optimization.
• Improvement of technology functioning.
• Reduction of enterprise costs.
• Introduction of rules of evaluating and rewarding employees.
• Improving process flow.
• Increase of employee motivation and engagement.

In summary, the implementation of the Kazien philosophy in an organization involves changing the culture of the organization. In practice, this means that during their daily duties, employees should look at the encountered problems differently. Thinking “according to the principles of Kaizen” causes problems to be perceived not as obstacles, but as opportunities for improvement. Each successfully solved problem is an important part of the continuous improvement concept.