Kaizen Methodology

Kaizen Methodology 

Make today better than it was yesterday and live tomorrow much better than it was today. Kaizen is the practice of continuously improving processes, seeking to reduce costs and waste. This is a powerful methodology for us to implement considerably rapid changes in companies that know the root cause of the problems.

Stronger and stronger companies, a more and more demanding market, more and more hurried consumers. All of these factors together have contributed to the Kaizen method being more and more widespread within organizations in general, regardless of its size.

"In Japanese, Kaizen means continuous improvement. That word suggests an improvement that involves everyone, managers and workers, also inferring the meaning of low expenses. The Kaizen philosophy suggests that the way we live, both in the professional environment and in the personal, must be focused on a constant improvement effort. " (Masaaki Imai - Lean Management Guru).

Kaizen is:

• More quality in the workflow;

• Cost reduction in the production process;

• Continuously evolving customer satisfaction;

• More safety in the workplace;

• Less waste in the entire production chain;

• Increased productivity.

ADVANTAGES OF THE KAIZEN METHODOLOGY

• Low cost investment - It is not about investing more, but about structuring the workflow to minimize production time and the costs (tangible and intangible) involved.
• Less waste - your resources are better used as well as the skills of your employees.
• More satisfied employees - they have a direct impact on how things are done in your factory.
• Improved commitment - employees are given more importance in their work and are more inclined to do a good job.
• Improved talent retention - satisfied and engaged employees are more likely to continue working at your plant
• Improvement in competitiveness - the increase in efficiency contributes to cost reductions and higher quality of its products, which makes your factory more competitive.
• Improved customer satisfaction - with higher quality products and fewer failures, your customers will be more satisfied and loyal to your factory.
• Solve problems faster - looking at processes from the perspective of those looking for solutions allows their employees to solve problems continuously without ever depending on managers.
• Better teams - working as a team to solve problems helps to create and strengthen teams in your factory.

IMPLEMENTATION OF KAIZEN IN PRACTICE

This methodology is applied through the so-called kaizen event. It is a continuous improvement program based on teamwork and using the skills and knowledge of the personnel involved. In it, a team of 5 to 10 participants is formed, in order to implement the work in one week, usually 5 working days.

Groups should be made up of people from all areas of your company. And the goal here is to learn how to use the techniques in solving problems. Each group must have a leader, who will assume the role of informing the participants about the progress of the processes, in addition to transforming information into action.

In general, Kaizen follows a standardized format, following the PDCA cycle for problem solving:

It is important that the methodology, the objectives, the action plan and the results are of collective knowledge, and not only of the management of the company. With that, the responsibilities - individual and of each team - are easily assimilated, as well as the way to achieve the proposed results.

In general, the methodology is implemented through 4 steps:

• 1st step: identify problems

• 2nd step: problem analysis

• 3rd step: application of improvements

• 4th step: analysis of results

It is only after all the planned actions have been implemented that the Kaizen event is finalized. At this point, your team should evaluate all the gains and improvements developed and calculate how this will be reflected as financial gains.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

According to this methodology from the east, all individuals in a company must be committed to cost reduction, waste reduction and productivity increase. By applying the Kaizen philosophy as an action plan, each employee learns to think differently about their work and their role for the smooth running of the business. Therefore, the consistent application of the Kaizen methodology develops the culture necessary for effective continuous improvement, thereby creating enormous value for the company in the long run.