Kaizen: The Practice That Sticks

The hardest part of change is neither coming up with the concept

, nor the execution. Its the maintenance. This is very true especially when it comes to factories that require the efforts of thousands of people to function properly and efficiently.

This is where the Kaizen principle comes in. By translation, Kaizen can be divided into two words: kai, which translates to the English word continuous, and zen, which translates to improvement, or congruently, to the word wisdom. Many companies have adapted this principle to improve the efficiency of their processes, and, ultimately, the over-all development of each of their employees. This results in the improvement of the entire business structure.

The principle basically calls for application of change in immediate increments through sub- groups, or teams. The company becomes divided into teams of about five members. Whenever a member comes up with an idea for change and development, the team agrees to execute it immediately. It is a continuous move for constant improvement through an assembly of small steps from empowered workers.

The basic structure of the Kaizen principle is the self-directed team. This team is in turn monitored by another self-directed team at a higher level. However, most ideas, except for those that require a big amount of investment, are implemented within each group level without the approval of the superior groups. This allows the workers to feel empowered and to be dedicated to their jobs and their Kaizen events. The practice is best explained through a Kaizen presentation provided by Kaizen practitioners.

A Kaizen presentation typically contains the principles definition, tools, methodologies, characteristics, and practices. It basically explains the benefits of the Kaizen principle and why companies should adapt the practice into their system. In essence, this presentation contains the knowledge you need to implement the Kaizen practice in your company.

It also stated in the Kaizen presentation that the best way to implement Kaizen is to start from the top of a company, down to the bottom. This allows the merging and adaptation of the logic of Kaizen to the specific system and structure of your company, transferring to your employees the Kaizen principles most fit and suited for their use.

by: Cristal Mcmeans

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