Kaizen is a process of continuous improvement based on certain principles: good processes lead to good results, see the current situation for yourself, manage by facts, contain and correct root causes of problems, work as a team, and involve everyone. The 5 steps of a Kaizen activity are to identify the business case, set goals, select a team, collect baseline data, and plan support. A Kaizen helps resolve the gap between customer expectations and current processes by creating focus through documenting the business case, setting measurable and challenging goals aligned with strategy, and establishing a new standard work process. Problems identified during one Kaizen included communication issues, unnecessary movements, lack of a decision record, and unequal chances; suggested solutions were improved communication,

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Kaizen

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1. Customer
Needs
2. Design
(Plan)
3. Do
4. Feedback
(Check)
5. Improve
(Act)
What is Kaizen?
Kaizen is continuous improvement that is based on certain guiding principles:
•Good processes bring good results
•Go see for yourself to grasp the current situation
•Speak with data, manage by facts
•Take action to contain and correct root causes of problems
•Work as a team
•Kaizen is everybody’s business

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Why Kaizen?

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Planning and Preparation
There are 5 basic steps:
• Identify the business case.
• Set goals.
• Select the team.
• Collect baseline data.
• Plan to support the Kaizen activity.

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Kaizen helps us to resolve the discrepancy between our customer's
expectations and our current processes.
The business case creates the focus for the kaizen and is documented on an
A3. Examples of a business case for a kaizen include:
• Reduce lead times
• Increase delivery performance
• Eliminate scrap
• Reduce inventories
• Increase capacity
• Eliminate bottlenecks
• Reduce changeover time
• Reduce machine failures
• Quality improvements
Customer
Eliminate the Gap!Eliminate the Gap!
Identify the Business Case

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Set Goals
•Measurable
•Examples: Time, Money, Defects
•Align with the company’s strategic goals and identified by the
Plant A3 and Value Stream Map
•Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost
•Stretch but realistic (target at least 50% improvement)
•Should result in a new process or new standard
•Documented on the an A3
•1 improvement idea per team member, PER
OBSERVATION (6-7 ideas per person total)

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The Standard Work elements of a KaizenThe Standard Work elements of a Kaizen
are:are:
Document
Reality
Plan
Countermeasures
Identify
Waste
Reality
Check
Make Changes Verify Change
Measure
Results
Make this
the Standard
Celebrate
Do It
Again
Results:
A new way of workA new way of work
Start
Stages of the Kaizen

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Problems Identified
• Communication Problems
• Unnecessary Movements
• Internal Messenger
• Record of Issues
• Intellectual contribution
• Rework
• Equal Chance Obtainment
• Knowledge of Previously made decisions to New Member

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Problems Suggested Solutions
Communication Problems Once discussion is done, understanding of
the same can be sent out as mail. This will
act as a proof also when there is an issue.
Unnecessary Movements We can request IT for an internal
messenger
Record of Issues Mail / Screenshots
Rework Quality check can be done by themselves
or internally in the team.
Equal Chance Obtainment Sample Tasks can be given when an
executive is free to check their skills.
Knowledge of Previously made decisions
to New Member
We can note down those important
decisions in a file and can be shared with
New Joinees.

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