The word kaizen is the fusion of the two Japanese words kai and Zen which respectively means “change” and “good”. The current French translation is “continuous improvement”. In fact, by extension, one wants to mean “to analyze to make better”.

It is the name of a method of Gestion of the quality used in particular by the group Toyota.

The kaizen is a process of concrete, simple and not very expensive improvements carried out in a very short amount of time. But the kaizen is first of all a frame of mind which requires the implication of all the actors.

Step

This Japanese step rests on small improvements made with the daily newspaper, constantly. It is a gradual and soft step, which is opposed to the more Western concept of brutal reform of the type “one throws the whole and one starts again to nine” where innovation, which is often the result of a process of reingeniery. On the other hand, Kaizen tends to encourage each worker to reflect on his work place and to propose improvements. Thus contrary to the innovation, Kaizen does not require many financial investments, but a strong motivation on behalf of all the employees.

Consequently, more than one technique of management, Kaizen is a philosophy, a mentality having to be deployed on all the levels of the company. The good implementation of this principle passes in particular by:

• a reorientation of the culture of the company.
• the installation of tools and concepts like the Wheel of Deming (cycle PDCA), the tools of TQM (total management of quality), an effective system of suggestion and group work.
• standardization of the processes.
• a program of motivation (reward system, satisfaction of the personnel…).
• an implication activates management for the deployment of the policy.
• an accompaniment with the change, when the passage to Kaizen represents a radical change for the company

Kaizen became more popular in occident by the use of the " Kaizen Blitz" , or " Kaikaku" in Japanese. In Europe the word Blitz too not being appreciated because of its reference to the period Nazi, one speaks sometimes about " Kaizen Flash". In fact this activity is connected with the " drudgery of entraide" , where a group of individuals helps itself for quickly passing through problems. Instead of a project which lasts of the months, 5 days are sufficient to refit completely a factory, a workshop, a warehouse. For an organization of service or governmental, the 5 days will be used to chart the current process, to develop the new process, of to make a detailed analysis, to develop the new instructions of work, to prepare the plan of establishment (project management), and to make a plan of communication; the challenge will be the follow-up of the establishment.

All the philosophy of Kaizen lies in this sentence: “Do best, make the best, improves the same one if it is not broken, because if we do not do it, we cannot compete with those which do it. ”

Objectives of Kaizen

• Simplification of flows.

• Improvement of quality.
• Improvement of the deadlines.
• Improvement of the productivity.
• Improvement of the work conditions.

Principal methodologies applied to the Kaizen method

• PDCA

• 5S
• QQOQCCP
• Poka-yoke
• SMED
• TPM
• TQM
• Juste-with-time
• Lean management
• Kanban

Useful bonds

HCONLINE This site covers very well the subject, one can find in particular there not badly notions theoretical concerning the improvement of the industrial performance in general.

PROJECT LEAN UNDERTAKEN This site constitutes a true observatory in real-time of the establishment of methods lean in France. It is in addition a true place of mutualisation on these subjects.

Pt of formation

Reference book

IMAI Mazaaki, the key of Japanese competitiveness

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