Kaizen in Wikipedia
Kaizen (改善,
Japanese
for "continuous improvement") is a Japanese philosophy that focuses on
continuous improvement throughout all aspects of life. When applied to
the workplace, Kaizen activities continually improve all functions of a
business, from manufacturing to management and from the CEO to the
assembly line workers.[1] By improving standardized activities and
processes, Kaizen aims to eliminate waste. Kaizen was first implemented
in several Japanese businesses during the country's recovery after World
War II, including Toyota, and has since spread to businesses throughout
the world.
Kaizen
is a daily activity, the purpose of which goes beyond simple
productivity improvement. It is also a process that, when done
correctly, humanizes the workplace, eliminates overly hard work ("muri"), and teaches people how to perform experiments on their work using the scientific method and how to learn to spot and eliminate waste in business processes.
The Toyota Production System
is known for kaizen, where all line personnel are expected to stop
their moving production line in case of any abnormality and, along with
their supervisor, suggest an improvement to resolve the abnormality
which may initiate a kaizen.
The cycle of kaizen activity can be defined as:
- standardize an operation →
- measure the standardized operation (find cycle time and amount of in-process inventory) →
- gauge measurements against requirements →
- innovate to meet requirements and increase productivity →
- standardize the new, improved operations →
- continue cycle ad infinitum.
Masaaki Imai made the term famous in his book, Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success.
Apart
from business applications of the method, both Anthony Robbins and
Robert Maurer have popularized the kaizen principles into personal
development principles. The basis of Robbins' CANI (Constant and
Never-Ending Improvement) method in kaizen is discussed in his Lessons
in Mastery series.
