{"id":3158,"date":"2019-06-11T10:46:58","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T10:46:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/?p=3158"},"modified":"2020-12-01T14:47:16","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T14:47:16","slug":"what-is-kaizen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Kaizen?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It\u2019s hard to believe, but it\u2019s been over thirty years since Masaaki Imai wrote his game-changing book, <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Kaizen: The Key to Japan\u2019s Competitive Success (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/books.google.ee\/books\/about\/Kaizen_The_Key_To_Japan_s_Competitive_Su.html?id=q0rCTQlvNMoC&amp;redir_esc=y\" target=\"_blank\">Kaizen: The Key to Japan\u2019s Competitive Success<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/what-is-Kaizen-500-x-333.jpg\" alt=\"what-is-Kaizen-500-x-333\" class=\"wp-image-3174\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/what-is-Kaizen-500-x-333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/what-is-Kaizen-500-x-333-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You&nbsp;can&nbsp;also&nbsp;listen&nbsp;to&nbsp;this&nbsp;article:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What is Kaizen?\" height=\"122\" width=\"100%\" style=\"border: none;\" scrolling=\"no\" data-name=\"pb-iframe-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podbean.com\/media\/player\/y6trz-b83048?from=pb6admin&#038;download=1&#038;version=1&#038;auto=0&#038;share=1&#038;download=1&#038;rtl=0&#038;fonts=Helvetica&#038;skin=1&#038;pfauth=&#038;btn-skin=103\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Because of this book, the term Kaizen, which roughly translates to \u201ccontinuous improvement,\u201d has been used as a competitive strategy by organizations in Japan and throughout the western world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, Kaizen is recognized around the world as an approach to establishing continuous improvement based on incremental and ongoing positive changes that can result in significant improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cKaizen is an everyday improvement, everybody improvement, everywhere improvement, and the message of the Kaizen strategy is that not a day should go by without some kind of improvement being made somewhere in the company.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><cite>Masaaki Imai <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #343333;color:#343333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #343333;color:#343333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/#Kaizen_requires_the_right_mindset\" >Kaizen\nrequires the right mindset<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/#How_does_Kaizen_work\" >How\ndoes Kaizen work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/#What_is_a_5S_program\" >What is a 5S program?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/#Kaizen_in_practice\" >Kaizen in practice<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kaizen_requires_the_right_mindset\"><\/span>Kaizen\nrequires the right mindset<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Executing Kaizen is dependent on\nhaving the proper attitude throughout the organization. Here are ten principles\nthat address the Kaizen mindset. They are\ntypically referred to as its core principles: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Let go of all assumptions<\/li><li>Take the initiative in solving\nproblems<\/li><li>Don&#8217;t accept the status quo<\/li><li>Abandon perfectionism and replace\nit with an attitude of adaptive change<\/li><li>Look for solutions as soon as you\nfind mistakes<\/li><li>Foster an environment in which\neveryone feels inspired to contribute<\/li><li>Instead of accepting the apparent issue, ask &#8220;why?&#8221; five times\nto discover the root cause<\/li><li>Gather information and opinions\nfrom multiple people<\/li><li>Use creativity to find low-cost,\nsmall improvements<\/li><li>Never stop improving<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_Kaizen_work\"><\/span>How\ndoes Kaizen work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, Kaizen is based on the principle that everything can\nbe improved and nothing is status quo. Second, it upholds the philosophy of\nrespect for people, one of the guiding principles of the Toyota Way, which was initially developed for manufacturing\nautomobiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kaizen is about identifying problems\nand opportunities and then coming up with solutions and applying them. &nbsp;Later, these solutions are cycled through the process\nonce again, looking for issues that had not been\naddressed thoroughly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These following seven steps comprise\na cycle for continuous improvement. They create a systematic method for\nexecuting the process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Get workers involved:<\/strong>&nbsp;Get all employees onboard by asking for their help in identifying issues and problems. Their participation up front allows them to feel as if they are a part of any future changes. In many organizations, specific groups of workers are assigned to gather and convey information from a broader group of employees.<\/li><li><strong>Make a list of issues:<\/strong>&nbsp;Using extensive feedback from all workers, compile a list of problems. If the list is long, narrow it down to a shortlist.<\/li><li><strong>Find a solution:<\/strong>&nbsp;Encourage everyone to propose creative solutions, and ensure that all ideas are considered. Then, choose an acceptable answer from the ideas that were offered.<\/li><li><strong>Put the solution to the test: <\/strong>Apply the winning solution, with everyone participating in the rollout. Initiate a <a href=\"https:\/\/searchcio.techtarget.com\/definition\/pilot-program-pilot-study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">pilot study<\/a> and take other small steps to test out the solution.<\/li><li><strong>Analyze the results:<\/strong>&nbsp; Find out how successful the change has been by checking the progress of the study at specific intervals. Be sure to keep workers on the shop floor engaged in the analysis.<\/li><li><strong>Standardize: <\/strong>If the analysis yields positive results, adopt the solution throughout the company.<\/li><li><strong>Repeat:<\/strong>&nbsp;Repeat these steps regularly when new solutions are tested or new problems are confronted.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Kaizen works hand-in-hand with respect for\npeople<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kaizen is one of the two guiding principles of the <a href=\"https:\/\/whatis.techtarget.com\/definition\/Toyota-Way\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Toyota Way<\/a>, typically called \u201clean manufacturing,\u201d which was developed to assist Japan in recovering economically after World War II. The other component, Respect for People, means just what it implies: It\u2019s designed to promote a culture in which both individual creativity and teamwork are valued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Toyota, Respect for People is made up of two components &#8211; respect and teamwork. Here\u2019s how the company describes them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Respect:<\/strong> \u201cWe\nrespect others, make every effort to understand each other, take responsibility,\nand do our best to build mutual trust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Teamwork:<\/strong> \u201cWe\nstimulate personal and professional growth, share the opportunities of\ndevelopment, and maximize individual and team performance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_5S_program\"><\/span>What is a 5S program?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You have\nlikely heard of 5S in conjunction with Kaizen, but maybe you weren\u2019t sure what\nit meant. Well, 5S is the foundation of all continuous improvements, and it\u2019s the\nvital component of establishing a Visual Workplace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A 5&nbsp;S program emphasizes\norganization, cleanliness, visual order, and standardization. After it is initiated, companies can expect higher\nprofits, better efficiency, improved service, and a safer work environment as\nbenefits of the 5S program. Here are the components:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong><em>Seiri<\/em><\/strong><strong> <\/strong>is the Japanese word for <strong>sort<\/strong>. Employees\nshould be sorting out and organizing their workplace, removing all unnecessary items and setting aside anything\nthat isn\u2019t needed right now. Critical items\nare kept in a safe place.<\/li><li><strong><em>Seiton<\/em><\/strong> means to <strong>set in order<\/strong>.\nStudies show that workers spend half their time looking for items and important documents. By creating a specific location for everything, less\ntime will be wasted searching for them. <\/li><li><strong><em>Seiso<\/em><\/strong><strong> <\/strong>translates into <strong>shine. <\/strong>In this context, it means the workplace should\nbe kept clean and individual workstations\nclutter-free. Documents are kept in folders and files, while tools and other\nitems are stored in cabinets and drawers.<\/li><li><strong><em>Seiketsu<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;refers to <strong>standardization<\/strong>. Organizations need to incorporate\ncertain standard rules and best practices\nto ensure the highest quality.<\/li><li><strong><em>Shitsuke<\/em><\/strong><strong> <\/strong>is the\nessential <strong>self-discipline<\/strong> that keeps organizations from slipping back\ninto their former ways<strong>. <\/strong>It instills a sense of pride and respect for the company.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Employing the Five S of Kaizen allows for a systematic approach to reliable systems, standard policies, and rules that result in healthy work culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You may also like <\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"How Manufacturing ERP Improves Quality in the Workplace (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/how-manufacturing-erp-improves-quality-in-the-workplace\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>How Manufacturing ERP Improves Quality in the Workplace<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kaizen_in_practice\"><\/span>Kaizen in practice<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although\nKaizen can be applied to all aspects of\nlife, its most common application is in the workplace. The fundamental\nprinciples of the program revolve around getting to know customers, empowering\nworkers, and being transparent. And for any Kaizen program to be successful, five elements must be included within it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Teamwork<\/strong> is a\ncritical element as all employees must be able to work together to achieve continuous improvements.<\/li><li><strong>Self-Discipline<\/strong> is required in time management, the quest for\nquality, and loyalty to the organization.<\/li><li><strong>Higher Morale<\/strong> comes from excellent working conditions, competitive\nwages and benefits, and an opportunity for promotions, giving workers a sense\nof security and belonging.<\/li><li><strong>Quality Circles<\/strong> are meeting in which employees have a\nchance to share ideas, skills, technology, and other relevant resources. This exchange allows them to measure their performance\nand shows them ways to improve.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Suggestions for Improvement<\/strong> may come from any worker without regard to rank. No matter how absurd the proposal might sound, it is appreciated and considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You may also be interested in <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/kaizen\/\"><em>How can the Kaizen Philosophy Improve the Effectiveness of your MRP System?<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s hard to believe, but it\u2019s been over thirty years since Masaaki Imai wrote his game-changing book, Kaizen: The Key to Japan\u2019s Competitive Success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[3,8,55],"class_list":["post-3158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-production-planning","tag-manufacturing","tag-manufacturing-planning","tag-manufacturing-processes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is Kaizen? - Blog for Manufacturers and Distributors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kaizen is recognized around the world as an approach to establishing continuous improvement based on incremental and ongoing positive changes.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is Kaizen? - Blog for Manufacturers and Distributors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kaizen is recognized around the world as an approach to establishing continuous improvement based on incremental and ongoing positive changes.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blog for Manufacturers and Distributors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-06-11T10:46:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-12-01T14:47:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/what-is-Kaizen-500-x-333.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"333\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Karl Heinrich Lauri\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Karl Heinrich Lauri\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Karl Heinrich Lauri\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f3fc21487b8bd06ee559963df65c254\"},\"headline\":\"What is Kaizen?\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-06-11T10:46:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-12-01T14:47:16+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/\"},\"wordCount\":1229,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/what-is-Kaizen-500-x-333.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"manufacturing\",\"manufacturing planning\",\"manufacturing processes\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Production planning\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/what-is-kaizen\/\",\"name\":\"What is Kaizen? 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