Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen
What is Kaizen and how is it related to lean manufacturing?
Kaizen is a way of running a business such that there is continual improvement, and the improvements are sustained throughthe use of standards.
Kaizen is based on the suggestions made by those who best know what needs to be done to improve--your employees. All employees are encouraged to make suggestions on a regularlay basis. It is not unusual to see an average of 20-25 suggestions per year per employee, and for 90% of those to be actionable.
Suggestions need not be for big changes. The idea behind Kaizen is to use a continual stream of suggestions for small changes to make the product and company better every day. Yes, suggestions for big changes are welcome, but the large number of daily small improvements are what make Kaizen so effective.
When using Kaizen it is important that suggestions be acted on immediately--preferably within 24 hours of when the suggestion is submitted. Remember, you want to be improving every day, so that means suggestions need to be acted on every day.
To see how two companies, Fleetwood and Sony, have implemented Kaizen, visit this library of online magazine articles.
article by Steve Hudgik @ 6:02 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Thankx for the Kaizen information. I needed to write a quick report and you gave me the overview I needed. Thankx!
7/30/05 - I was filling out an onlime application for a customer service coaching & service rep job when a question popped up about having knowledge of Kaizen - of course I had no idea what it was. Before I answered I did an online search, found this blog and other info from a book you have written and then I marked positively that I knew what it was. Descriptions are simple and easy to understand. Thanks so much, I intend to read your book real soon- it may come in handy when I open my own business in the near future.
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