Kaizen and Continuous Improvement

Kaizen and continuous improvement are one in the same thing, the name is Japanese and it has several subtly different meanings, but continuous improvement is best for our purposes.

A popular version of Kaizen is the Kaizen blitz, also known as a Kaizen event. This has become a very useful and common tool in lean manufacturing. Many companies have incorporated it into their business culture very successfully.
What is the origin of Kaizen?
Kaizen was developed by two men from Toyota. Before the recent popularity of the Blitz, kaizen meant 'Continuous Improvement.' This is the slow accumulation of many small developments in processes and quality that, over 50 years, has helped make Toyota the lowest cost and highest quality automobile company in the world.
How does it work?
It would be wonderful if you could manage huge, dramatic, quick changes in your operation, but that is unreasonable. Then the question becomes, What is lean manufacturing? The beauty of Kaizen and Continuous Improvement is that it is done is small, incremental steps that are entirely doable. The mindset of your workers undergoes a change that is permanent.
It is as if you have a huge and complicated task ahead of you and it just seems impossible. Yet, when it is broken down into small steps, or bite sized chunks, you see that you can actually manage it. This is very encouraging for everyone involved in the lean manufacturing process.
What is a Kaizen blitz?
It is the same thing as a Kaizen event, which is a small, focused attack on a particular aspect of your operation in order to improve its performance.  These events are very effective because as you improve each small aspect, they add up to huge overall improvements. This is why it is called continuous improvement: it is an ongoing process that has no end.
In many ways, a kaizen event is a lot like having a disorganized household that you just can't seem to conquer. It is all just so ingrained to be messy, nobody seems to be able to get things under control and put into order. You try all kinds of campaigns, but it is still the same as before.
What is needed is an overall strategy and small incremental steps that are mastered before moving on to the next one. Sure, you must backtrack and improve on what was established, but that is part of the continuous improvement concept. Gradually, everyone in the household begins to develop a new culture and it become a habit to be organized and tidy. Like a lot of lean manufacturing processes, it is really common sense put into an organized approach that is able to be monitored.
Is Kaizen continuous improvement worth it?
Is it worth it to be more efficient and profitable? Yes! Actually, things left to themselves tend to decay, so if you are not continuously improving, then things are deteriorating. Lean manufacturing programs such as Kaizen are a perfect match for such businesses as a plastic injection molding shop. Good luck!

Randy Hough has over 30 years experience as a plastic injection mold maker. He also has eight lively children who have taught him much more than he ever wanted to know!
www.WhatIsLeanManufacturing.com
'You know Dad, I've been thinkin', one is a lot more than zero!' my son, Thomas, age 5