The Benefits of Kaizen and Kaizen Events
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The Benefits of Kaizen and Kaizen Events
Anthony Manos. Quality Progress. Milwaukee: Feb 2007. Vol. 40, Iss. 2; pg. 47, 2 pgs
Abstract (Summary)
Kaizen is a Japanese word typically translated to "continuous improvement." The connotation of the word morphed to also include quick or fast improvements, like kaizen events, which are big improvements that are made quickly. The tools of lean, such as kaizen and kaizen events, are not necessarily rocket science. Getting people to hold a philosophy of continuous improvement can prove challenging. There are three specific benefits to performing kaizen events rather than other improvement methods. By scheduling a kaizen event, you are being proactive and setting aside time to make improvements. When people need help from other departments during a future event or activity and the people have already worked on a kaizen team, they are usually more than willing to contribute in any way possible. This attitude and outlook promote a lean culture. By seeing immediate results from a kaizen event, people will come to understand they have more control over their work areas than they think. Full Text (1564 words) |
Copyright American Society for Quality Feb 2007
Kaizen is a Japanese word typically translated to "continuous improvement." Originally this word referred to subtle, gradual improvements that are made over time. A baseball analogy is hitting singles all game long to score runs.
The connotation of the word has morphed to also include quick or fast improvements, like kaizen events (also known as kaizen blitzes, quick kaizens or rapid improvement projects), which are big improvements that are made quilkly. This is analogous to hitting a homerun in baseball.
Both kaizen and kaizen events produce results, like the singles and homeruns driving in runs on the baseball field. But kaizens occur far more often than kaizen events.
For many organizations today, kaizen and kaizen events are viewed differently than the
The Benefits of Kaizen and Kaizen Events
Anthony Manos. Quality Progress. Milwaukee: Feb 2007. Vol. 40, Iss. 2; pg. 47, 2 pgs
Abstract (Summary)
Kaizen is a Japanese word typically translated to "continuous improvement." The connotation of the word morphed to also include quick or fast improvements, like kaizen events, which are big improvements that are made quickly. The tools of lean, such as kaizen and kaizen events, are not necessarily rocket science. Getting people to hold a philosophy of continuous improvement can prove challenging. There are three specific benefits to performing kaizen events rather than other improvement methods. By scheduling a kaizen event, you are being proactive and setting aside time to make improvements. When people need help from other departments during a future event or activity and the people have already worked on a kaizen team, they are usually more than willing to contribute in any way possible. This attitude and outlook promote a lean culture. By seeing immediate results from a kaizen event, people will come to understand they have more control over their work areas than they think. Full Text (1564 words) |
Copyright American Society for Quality Feb 2007
Kaizen is a Japanese word typically translated to "continuous improvement." Originally this word referred to subtle, gradual improvements that are made over time. A baseball analogy is hitting singles all game long to score runs.
The connotation of the word has morphed to also include quick or fast improvements, like kaizen events (also known as kaizen blitzes, quick kaizens or rapid improvement projects), which are big improvements that are made quilkly. This is analogous to hitting a homerun in baseball.
Both kaizen and kaizen events produce results, like the singles and homeruns driving in runs on the baseball field. But kaizens occur far more often than kaizen events.
For many organizations today, kaizen and kaizen events are viewed differently than the
References: | 1. Masaaki Imai, Gemba Kaizen: A Commonsense, Low-Cost Approach to Management, McGraw-Hill, 1997. | 2 George Alukal and Anthony Manos, Lean Kaizen: A Simplified Approach to Process Improvement, ASQ Quality Press, 2006. | 3. Norman Bodek, Kaikaku: The Power and Magic of Lean, A Study in Knowledge Transfer, PCS Press, 2004. | BIBLIOGRAPHY | Masaaki Imai, Kaizen: The Key to Japan 's Competitive Success, Random House, 1986. | Laraia, Anthony C., Robert W, Hall and Patricia G. Moody, The Kaizen Blitz, Wiley and Sons, 1999. | |