Wisdom from the IEHA Continuous Improvement Module — What Is Kaizen?
Americans tend to be results-oriented rather than process-oriented. We like big results — major innovations, technological breakthroughs and dramatic outcomes. While these are important, successful continuous improvement systems follow the axiom, “Inch by inch, it’s a cinch; yard by yard it’s hard; mile by mile, it’s a trial.”
Although Americans created many of the statistical analysis techniques used in quality control (think Deming), the Japanese gave it the idea of kaizen, or gradual, continuous improvement.
Kaizen is a process in which managers and employees seek small ways each day to improve their jobs. Kaizen is based on the idea of improving quality through many tiny steps that, over time, accumulate and dramatically improve a process, product or service.
The practice of kaizen requires four attributes:
1. Process orientation
2. Commitment by top management
3. A vision of quality
4. A spirit of teamwork
Management supports kaizen by doing things such as fostering suggestion programs or encouraging process-action teams to meet. Kaizen flourishes if management fosters innovation, truly believes in empowerment and creates a climate in which new ideas are welcomed.
Kaizen encompasses many of the ideas of quality management as shown in the bulleted list below.
Although Americans created many of the statistical analysis techniques used in quality control (think Deming), the Japanese gave it the idea of kaizen, or gradual, continuous improvement.
Kaizen is a process in which managers and employees seek small ways each day to improve their jobs. Kaizen is based on the idea of improving quality through many tiny steps that, over time, accumulate and dramatically improve a process, product or service.
The practice of kaizen requires four attributes:
1. Process orientation
2. Commitment by top management
3. A vision of quality
4. A spirit of teamwork
Management supports kaizen by doing things such as fostering suggestion programs or encouraging process-action teams to meet. Kaizen flourishes if management fosters innovation, truly believes in empowerment and creates a climate in which new ideas are welcomed.
Kaizen encompasses many of the ideas of quality management as shown in the bulleted list below.
For more information about IEHA’s Continuous Improvement Module or about IEHA’s career-boosting Professional Educational Credentialing Program (PECP), visit www.ieha.org/education_certification.php.
Kaizen—What It May Include
- Customer orientation
- Total quality control
- Robotics
- Quality control circles
- Suggestion system
- Zero defects
- Quality improvement
- Just-in-time delivery
- Daily micro-successes
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