Kaizen is an ancient Japanese philosophy designed to eliminate waste and improve efficiency and productivity in the business world and in everyday life. Originating after World War II, the word Kaizen—derived from the Japanese words “kai” and “zen”—translates into “continuous improvement.” The Kaizen way of thinking focuses on implementing small changes on a routine basis in any area that warrants improvement, as opposed to making large-scale changes. This philosophy gained notoriety when Toyota used it to improve its manufacturing process and work environment.

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Seiso

Seiso, or cleanliness, is one of kaizen's five rules for a good environment. Some consider it more of an attitude toward cleaning rather than the act of cleaning. Part of the 5S methodology, seiso encompasses all-round cleaning, cleaning particular things such as tools, machinery and work environments, and detailed cleaning that works on dirt in specific areas, such as screw threads, corners and crevices. All levels of employees- from equipment operators to managers-participate in cleaning.

I recommend: Learn more about Seiso and the 5S methodology of cleaning at BusinessKnowledgeSource.

Seiketsu

Seiketsu refers to a standardized method of measuring and maintaining the cleanliness of individuals and their surroundings. Visualization is an integral part of seiketsu and can involve color-coding to make identifying irregularities in the environment easier.

I recommend: Siliconfareast explains the Japanese-invented 5S process that is intended to yield a more secure, efficient and constructive operation.

Seiton

Seiton is another phase of the 5S methodology. It refers to improving efficiency by straightening out or restoring order to anything that will foster work flow.

I recommend: Sribd is a reference guide to the five Japanese words that encompass the 5S methodology.

Seiri

The Japanese word seiri means tidiness, organizing or sorting. This phase of the 5S process follows a particular set of rules for arranging items.

I recommend: HubPages highlights the seiri phase.

Shitsuke

Shitsuke, or discipline, signifies a pledge to maintain order. As the final component in the 5S methodology, shitsuke stresses the importance of substituting good habits for bad ones. Employees will practice cleanliness and order automatically once each employee conforms to 'true' shitsuke.

I recommend: Quality Tools provides a detailed explanation of shitsuke.

Muda

The Japanese word muda means a wasteful action that adds no value or is unproductive, insignificant or trivial. It is a significant concept in the Toyota Production System (TPS). The TPS claims that reducing waste will increase an organization's profitability.

I recommend: Strategos International offers a brief overview of the Toyota Production System.

Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy, often applied to both business and life, which aims to eliminate waste and make standardized processes more efficient, thus improving productivity. Kaizen is often translated as "continuous improvement." A Kaizen provider teaches employers and employees how to implement the philosophy in their own business environment. There are also plenty of books available to find Kaizen information and research.

Kaizen first gained popularity as the philosophy of the successful Toyota company, which bypassed the “American Top Three” automakers as the top-selling car manufacturer using this method of production operation. The main principles of the Kaizen business philosophy are:

1. Consider the bigger picture – review the entire process when you need to re-examine just one part of the process.

2. Focus on the little things – small changes make big differences in the overall picture.

3. Allow everyone to participate – from the CEO to the cleaning crew; Kaizen works to increase productivity at all levels.

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Incorporate the 5S system of Kaizen in your business

Sort, set in Order, shine, standardize and sustain are the reference words used to guide implementation of the Kaizen philosophy within a business situation. It is the most basic format applied to Kaizen and the easiest for everyone to understand and remember.

I recommend: Request a free 5S Quick-Start Guide from Graphic Products. Strategos offers one-day seminars to train employees on Kaizen information. It covers how to use the 5S system.

Practice and review the skills necessary to conduct a Kaizen event within your company

When a problem arises within a specific area of your business that's subject to review by the Kaizen method but which isn't a company-wide issue, you'll need to implement the philosophy with a narrower focus. This requires being able to teach others about Kaizen. You should also understand how the theory operates when implemented on process-specific problems.

I recommend: Tooling U offers classes on how to conduct Kaizen events as part of a quality-control training program. Systems2win sells an easy-to-use set of Kaizen list templates to use through every phase of implementation.

Reduce out-of-pocket expenses with a few Kazien books or personal media

Seminars and classes can get expensive. The upside to using books and personal media for Kaizen information and training is the relatively low cost and the ability to study and learn at your own pace. The downside is that you don't get the hands-on practice you would in a classroom setting.

I recommend: Purchase the “Kaizen Desk Reference Standard” from Vital Enterprises in a print or electronic version. Productivity Press published “Kaizen for the Shop Floor,” an excellent book providing several examples of how to implement Kaizen in real-world business situations.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When everyone at every level of the company participates in Kazien, you can achieve success with the philosophy; which is similar to the concept of recycling: if one person does it, it means little, but when everyone does it, the effects are significant.

Separate the term Kaizen into Kai + zen to get its transliteration: “change good.” Kaizen usually involves five S’s: sort through the process to tell apart the necessary from the unnecessary; set-to-order what has been identified as necessary to ensure users can easily locate, use and return it; shine all aspects of the work area, including floors, machines and furniture; standardize the first three S’s to maintain order and improve the process, revisiting each regularly; and sustain the process to instill these procedures as regular work habits.

However, the Kaizen list is more than a simple five-step process to move through. It’s attitudinal, emphasizing dual key aspects of continual application and taking little steps to improvement. You can find Kaizen eminently enhances your place of business in three ways:

1. Implement Kaizen to reduce waste.

2. Instill Kaizen principles to increase productivity.

3. Appoint a Kaizen provider to improve employee engagement and morale.

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Disseminate Kaizen information to remove and guard against waste

Waste, or 'muda' in Japanese connotes far more than trash, to include anything that doesn't add value. Kaizen identifies eight 'deadly enemies' of value added activity: motion waste; time delay; unnecessary material transport; producing defects; over-processing; over-producing; storing inventory; and missed opportunity. Remove waste anywhere in your business, from the production floor to your sales staff, to get more work done with the personnel you have.

I recommend: Manufacturing & Technology News reports how a Sony Disc Manufacturing plant in Terre Haute, Indiana used Kaizen to slash the needed operators while multiplying the number of finished products per labor hour over sevenfold. Brian Carroll’s B2B Lead Generation Blog talks about using Kaizen to improve sales lead generation.

Expand your business using Kaizen principles

Kaizen and other lean manufacturing techniques do not imply getting rid of people and loading the remnant with the work of the disappeared. It focuses on involving everyone--from CEO to cleaning crew--in an ongoing process to make their organization a better place to work. Better quality work with fewer defects means more of the right products going out to more satisfied customers, and more business.

I recommend: The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) publishes a case study in Lean Directions demonstrating how management can work with a union-organized workforce to embrace Kaizen to reduce waste rather than headcount. IMEC shows how different levels of the business actively participate in the Kaizen process.

Inspire employee loyalty with involvement in Kaizen

Once you overcome employee fear of job loss upon hearing 'lean processes,' you can show them that Kaizen actually can improve their quality of life at work. By participating at the most basic level, they take ownership in the company by making it a better place to work, more productive and more profitable. Beyond that, you can provide opportunities for certification in the Kaizen process similar to 'belt' status in Six Sigma programs.

I recommend: ArticlesBase.com posts an article explaining how participation in Kaizen frees assembly line workers from drudgery associated with repetitive tasks and encourages employees to go the extra mile to become Kaizen certified. KAIZEN Institute provides training, consultancy and benchmarking for those desiring to delve further into the Kaizen process.