Kaizen and Kaizen Blitz

Kaizen (Ky ‘zen) is a Japanese term which means continuous improvement as the words ‘Kai’, means continuous and ‘zen’ means improvement. Sometimes Kaizen also translates to ‘Kai’ to mean change and ‘zen’ to mean good, or for the better.

Kaizen is a system which involves every employee of the organization whether from senior management or the lowest rank employee. Everyone is encouraged to come up with small improvement suggestions on a regular basis or it is continuous and not limited to monthly or yearly activity. Companies, who have implemented Kaizen, receive 60 to 70 suggestions per employee per year which are written down, shared and implemented.

In most cases the ideas are not for major changes as, Kaizen focus on making little changes of improving productivity, safety and effectiveness while reducing waste on a regular basis. Suggestions are also not limited to a specific area like production or marketing but changes can be made anywhere needing improvements. The Kaizen philosophy is to “do it better, make it better, and improve it even if it isn’t broken, because if we don’t, we can’t compete with those who do.”

Kaizen encompasses many continuous improvement components like Quality circles, automation, suggestion systems, just-in-time delivery, Kanban and 5S. Kaizen involves setting standards and then continually improving those standards with providing needed training to achieve the standards and maintain them on an on-going basis.

Gemba – Gemba is a Japanese word for ‘real place,’ where the value-adding activities to satisfy the customer are carried out. The Gemba place can be where the product is developed or produced or sold or made. In the service sectors, Gemba is where the customers come into contact with the services offered. Gemba is important to Kaizen as most managers prefer their desk thus, come in contact with reality only through reports or other meetings.

Gembutsu¸ is a Japanese word meaning some unconformable physical or tangible things like out of order equipment or scrap which can be felt. If a machine is down or a complaining client, the machine itself is gembutsu then, go to Gemba and have a good look at the machine. By looking at the machine, and asking the question “why” several times, to probably find out the reason for the breakdown on the spot.

Kaizen Steps

Kaizen process follow the below listed steps

• Define the problem – Defining the problem is a first activity to undertake for initiating the Kaizen process.
• Gemba walk and Document the current situation – It involves making observation and conducting meetings so as to gather information and identify inefficiencies in the present processes especially where the Gemba is or the places where value process are taking place.
• Visualize the ideal situation – Develop an ideal blueprint for the future situation which is achievable by implementing Kaizen
• Define measurement targets – After finalization of the blueprint for the ideal solution to the present inefficiencies, make measurable targets so as to quantify the gains due to Kaizen implementation.
• Brainstorm solutions to the problem – Brainstorming helps in listing possible the solutions whose implementation will
• Develop Kaizen plan
• Implement plan
• Measure, record and compare results to targets
• Prepare summary documents
• Create short term action plan, on-going standards and sustaining plan

Kaizen Blitz

It is a small cross-functional team creates, tests, refines, and implements solutions to constraints in just a few days. . Although a kaizen blitz follows the six phases of kaizen methodology, it does so in a much shorter time – typically three to five days. A blitz always has a narrow and specific objective so that it can be completed quickly and efficiently. Here’s what happens in a typical five-day kaizen blitz:

• day 1; planning – The project kickoff meeting communicates the purpose of the project to the team. The problem statement is created and the scope is narrowed and defined. Project ground rules are established for roles, responsibilities, workload, resources, and boundaries. A work plan is created to document project activities, estimate time and resources, and identify measures of progress. You and your team will decide which tools will be used to gather and analyze data.
• day 2; measuring and analyzing – Team members begin to collect data and conduct interviews with workers. They directly observe the current process, take measurements, and identify items from the seven categories of waste. A process map of the current work area or process is developed. Your team will continue to analyze data as it’s gathered, and will begin developing metrics. Ideas for waste elimination are prepared for presentation.
• day 3; brainstorming – You meet with your team to brainstorm improvement ideas for fixing the constraints and eliminating the waste identified on day two. Each idea is evaluated in light of the collected data, and the resources required to implement it. Affinity diagrams and checklists help the team reach consensus about which improvements to implement. Once the improvements have been determined, the team establishes what will be needed in terms of equipment, tools, templates, documentation, and work standards to carry out the improvement.
• day 4; implementing – You incorporate the collected data and approved recommendations for process improvement into the project’s action plan. Team members are assigned responsibilities, and the project work plan is expanded and updated. You also create a time line that sequentially outlines improvement actions. You and your team members meet with operators and process owners to explain and demonstrate process changes and new procedures. The improvements are implemented and then, throughout the day, you observe, evaluate, adjust, re-observe, re-evaluate, and readjust processes in a refinement cycle.
• day 5; fine tuning and confirming – You and your team refine, approve, and document process changes. SOPs are drafted and then tested to confirm that measurable improvement has been accomplished. Final refinements are made and the process is documented as standard work. Changes that require time to implement are incorporated into a future action plan. Finally, the project is documented into a kaizen storyboard for presentation to everyone impacted by the new processes.

A kaizen blitz is a low-cost, hands-on process in which all team members are given equal responsibility and consideration. It can produce solid performance improvements in narrowly targeted areas. But there’s no time for prolonged analyses, so although small problems can be eliminated quickly, it’s possible that the big picture may be ignored. Overall system functionality may suffer.