IMAI’S KAIZEN 5S HOUSEKEEPING THEORY
Use this to appreciate the impact that very small-scale changes can have on quality.
Although Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy meaning change (kai) and to become good (zen), it was the work of Masaaki Imai in the 1980s and 1990s that reinterpreted and popularised the philosophy in terms of management theory.
Imai suggests that Kaizen is a continuous improvement process that relies on teamwork, personal discipline, good morale, quality forums and suggestions for improvement. Much of what he has to say can be described as a plea for good housekeeping.
Kaizen relies on incremental rather than abrupt change and the belief that all employees recognise that it’s in their interests to produce high-quality goods and services. This is achieved by the elimination of waste and inefficiency (muda) throughout the organisation.
HOW TO USE IT
- Zen is all about simplicity and so is this theory. Read the theory again and you will see that there is nothing here that requires further advice from me. But just like Zen, to master the simple principles you need steely determination, self-discipline and consistency of purpose.
- With Kaizen you must walk the talk and provide a role model for all your staff. After all, you can’t demand that they keep their work areas tidy, and avoid accidents, if your office looks like a tip.
- Remember, Kaizen is not about improving one aspect of your team’s activity by 10%; it aims to improve each activity by 1%. The sum of these minor improvements will be huge in terms of quality and the pride your team takes in its work.
- If you decide to adopt Kaizen start by doing a bit of Management by Walking About (see Theory 7). Spend time on the shop floor or in reception to get an idea of how time, effort and resources are utilised. What you’re looking for are small incremental improvements that you can implement easily and which will improve quality. You should also look out for good practices that you can spread across the organisation.
- To help maintain the flow of ideas encourage staff to submit their ideas for improvements. Acknowledge and reward all suggestions made, even those you don’t use.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
- Do I have the self-discipline to implement Kaizen and continue the programme indefinitely?
- How can I convince staff that by improving each activity by 1% the aggregate effect on quality will be huge?