Kaizen (or ‘continuous improvement’) is an approach of constantly
introducing small incremental changes in a business in order to
improve quality and/or efficiency.
This
approach assumes that employees are the best people to identify room for
improvement, since they see the processes in action all the time. A firm that
uses this approach therefore has to have a culture that encourages and rewards
employees for their contribution to the process.
Kaizen
can operate at the level of an individual, or through Kaizen Groups or Quality
Circles which are groups specifically brought together to identify potential
improvements. This approach would also be compatible with Team working or Cell
Production, as improvements could form an important part of the team’s aims.
The key features of Kaizen include:
- Improvements are based on many,
small changes rather than the radical changes that might arise from
Research and Development
- As the ideas come from the
workers themselves, they are less likely to be radically different, and
therefore easier to implement
- Small improvements are less
likely to require major capital investment than major process changes
- The ideas come from the talents
of the existing workforce, as opposed to using R&D, consultants or
equipment – any of which could be very expensive
- All employees should
continually be seeking ways to improve their own performance
- It helps encourage workers to
take ownership for their work, and can help reinforce team working,
thereby improving worker motivation
As
Kaizen is characterised by many, small improvements over time, it contrasts
with the major leaps seen in industry when radical new technology or production
methods have been introduced. Over the years, the sheer volume of Kaizen
improvements can lead to major advances for a firm, but managers cannot afford
to overlook the need for radical change from time to time. For example, many UK
manufacturers and service companies have found it necessary to outsource
processes to cheaper centres such as India and China – these changes would be
unlikely to arise from Kaizen.
Kaizen
can be seen as an unrelenting process. Some firms set targets for individuals
or for teams to come up with a minimum number of ideas in a period of time.
Employees can find this to be an unwelcome pressure, as it becomes increasingly
difficult to find further scope for improvement. Some firms, especially
Japanese-owned, conduct quality improvement sessions in the workers’ own time,
which can lead to resentment unless there is appropriate recognition and reward
for suggestions.
For Kaizen to be
effective there has to be a culture of trust between staff and managers,
supported by a democratic structure and a Theory Y view of employees. Good
two-way communications and a de-layered organisation would also support this
approach. Nevertheless, some workers might see the demands as an extra burden
rather than an opportunity and it can take time to embed Kaizen successfully
into an organization’s culture.
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