Mumbai University > Mechanical Engineering > Sem 8 > Industrial Engineering And Management

Marks: 5M

Kaizen means improvement, continuous improvement involving everyone in the organization from top management, to managers then to supervisors, and to workers. In Japan, the concept of Kaizen is so deeply engrained in the minds of both managers and workers that they often do not even realize they are thinking Kaizen as a customer-driven strategy for improvement. This philosophy assumes according Imai that ‘’our way of life – be it our working life, our social life or our home life – deserves to be constantly improved’’

• Transforming a factory into a Lean manufacturing operation is a gradual process that can be described as a journey rather than a destination.
• Both long-term and short-term goals are needed to guide the transformation.
• The journey to Lean is an ongoing one; it requires a strong commitment, an appropriate organizational structure, and just plain work.

The Basic Principles of Kaizen:

1. People are the most important asset.
2. Teamwork provides results and gives everyone a feeling of accomplishment.
3. A dozen heads are better than one. Everyone must be open to change and improvements.
4. Ideas from workers, management, suppliers, and customers can lead to new, better and easier ways of doing things.
5. Gradual changes are easier to accept than complete overhauls and employees are more likely to accept gradual change. Small changes will demonstrate how a tiny improvement can provide real results.
6. Old ways of doing things may be comfortable, but not very efficient. Everyone in a company has to accept Change is Good and necessary for company survival.
7. Making excuses is unacceptable if it is we have always done it this way and don’t see why we have to change now. Keeping the old ways may result in a company not being able to survive the competition.
8. If the job is right the first time, waste will be reduced. Waste accounts for as much as 35% or higher of manufactured product. By eliminating waste, profits increase.
9. Correct process errors immediately or they become larger. Equipment breakdowns and failures are a result of letting a minor problem become a major headache