This document outlines the principles and methods of Kaizen, or continual improvement. It discusses that Kaizen starts with recognizing that any process can be improved. It presents a hierarchy for Kaizen approaches including total quality management, total productive maintenance, just-in-time production, and small group activities. The document emphasizes that true improvement requires continual, not just one-time, changes and stresses the importance of managers and employees regularly visiting the actual work areas to identify issues and solve problems. The ultimate goal of Kaizen methods is to achieve world-class efficiency and flexibility through ongoing incremental improvements.

1. KAIZEN
Road Map
to
World Class processes

2. What is KAIZEN ?
KAI = CHANGE
ZEN = GOOD (For the Better)
KAIZEN = CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT
The starting point of KAIZEN® is to recognize that whatever we
are doing, can be improved. Some Japanese managers
challenge their subordinates by saying "You should regard
how you currently do your job as the worst way to do it." In
order to improve you must first perceive the need for change,
then recognize the problems and work to solve them

3. Hierarchy of KAIZEN
[Policy Deployment / hoshin-kanri]
TQM (Total Quality management)
TPM (Total Productive maintenance)
JIT (Just-In-Time)
Improvement of QCD (Quality, Cost, Delivery)
QC Circles (small group activities)
Suggestions systems
Top management policy and Strategy
Management directed KAIZEN
Gemba KAIZEN (Shop Floor KAIZEN)
Top down
Bottom up

4. What is Management?
Innovation
KAIZEN
Maintenance
Top
Management
Middle
Management
Supervisors
Workers

5. KAIZEN – Road Map to World-Class
TQM
TPM
JIT
World
Class Order Entry system – Producing as many as
Need in the same sequence
Integration of JIT and IT
Electronic Kanban
Upstream management …involving R&D and
engineering
Supplier management… supplier involvement in JIT-KAIZEN
Leveling… adding flexibility to to production scheduling
Pull system… Allowing no advance advance production
Flow production… Lead Time Reduction (MUDA of conveyance,
inventory, excess manpower)
Autonomous maintenance
TAKT Time… Producing only what customers ordered
Phase 0 1 2 3

6. KAIZEN – High Level
Principles
 Management Full Commitment
 FLOW provides us with crucial keys for KAIZEN
 Forecasting = Gambling
 Improvement is important, but CONTINUAL improvement is
much more (“…the DNA of Toyota…”).
 Setting improvements’ priorities.
 Do better with your EXISTING resources (Taiichi Ohno-Toyota:
“…before you recruit additional people or buy additional
equipment, do KAIZEN…”)
 Go to GEMBA…

7. Go to GEMBA…
GEM= Real
BA = Place
GEMBA=Real Place
GEMBA
Support
Functions
Customer
Expectations
Customer
Satisfaction
Added value processes / DATA

8. The 5 GEMBA Principles
1. When an abnormality occurs, go to Gemba first (Colombo…)
2. Check with Gembutsu (machine, material, failures, rejects.
unsafe conditions, etc) – in other words - Taste…
3. Take temporary countermeasures on the spot
4. Remove root cause
5. Standardize to prevent trouble
My Wish (Hiromi Omoto): “Managers in charge of
process planning, equipment layout and equipment
design always go to visit GEMBA, feel the breathing of
operators and machines, with their body”

9. House of Gemba Management
Profit
Management
Q C D
Quality
& Safety
Management
Cost
Management
Delivery
Logistics
Management
Workers’
Operations
Information Equipment
Products’
& Materials
Standardization
5S (Good housekeeping)
Muda Elimination
Moral enhancement
QC circles
Team-work
Self-discipline
Suggestions

10. 7 - Muda List
1. Muda of over-production.
2. Muda of waiting.
3. Muda of transport.
4. Muda of processing.
5. Muda of inventory.
6. Muda of motion.
7. Muda of repair / rejects.

11. 5S
 SEIRI - Separate out all that is unnecessary and
eliminate it.
 SEITON - Those things found to be necessary are put in
order so that they lie ready for use when needed.
 SEISO - Clean workplace, equipment and prevent
defects.
 SEIKETSU - Standardize
Make cleaning and checking routine
 SHITSUKE - Discipline and training
Personal cleanliness
Apply Kaizen to the previous
4 steps
(Sort)
(Straighten)
(Shine)
(Standardize)
(Sustain)

12. More Terminologies…
 Kanban
 Poka-Yoke (fail-safe)
 Jidohka – Autonomation
 Heijunka – Leveling (Mixed product line)
 Andon – Visual problems’ sign (lights and
music…)

13. Few observations
 QUALITY comes always FIRST (Lead-Time comes after…)
 QUALITY and all other Kaizen principles are built into the
process from step1, through real CONCURRENT
ENGINEERING
 KAIZEN (Continues Improvement) is part of the CULTURE
 Each employee knows his role – he is responsible for his domain
– “It’s mine…”
 Total discipline and absolute commitment from all employees
 “100% Robotics, of which 70% are mechanical robots…”
 Japanese – Obedience / Loyalty / Self-Discipline / Patience
 Western - Creativity / Entrepreneurship / Improvisation / Impatience
Different Culture…

14. So…What can we learn..?
Few more points to think about:
 Can we (managers and employees) consider the way we are
currently do our job as the worst way to do it?
 Do we have real and absolute management commitment for
Quality and Continues Improvement and Change?
 Do we really “encourage” our suppliers to supply us Perfect
Quality? Do we have the right suppliers base for doing so?
 Can we build a “Kaizen culture and atmosphere” which will
encourage all employees to “flood” us with improvement
suggestions?
 Do we Gamble (forecast…)?
 Do we “Go to Gemba”? Enough? All of us? (New Ops. Org.)

15. So…What can we learn..?
And…Few more… :
 Do we 5S?… 4S?… 3?
 Do the recent changes we have made will lead us to a real
operational “Quantum Leap” (like Yazaki)?
 Do we “Flow”? Have we minimized the Flow?
 Do we have (enough) standard processes?
 Have we implemented (enough) visual management (Andon)?
 Have we eliminated enough MUDA?
 Are we using the Poka-Yoke (fail-safe) approach? Do we need
it?
 Are we using Jidohka (Autonomation)? Do we need it?

16. Domo Arigato!!!
Thank You!!!