Introduction to Kaizen

By Fekadu
Abate
Jan, 2021
 Kaizen in Ethiopia
• Established in 2004 E.C after conducting a pilot project in 30
model companies.
• EKI is transferring Kaizen all over Ethiopia in service and
manufacturing industries like:-
- TVETs
-Higher Education Institutes
- Service delivery sectors
- Textile & Leather Industries
-Sugar & Agro processing Industries
-Chemical Industries
-Metal Engineering
 Contents
1. Change
2. Definition of kaizen
3. Kaizen pillars
4. Guiding Principles of Kaizen
5. Why Kaizen is necessary?
1. Change
1) change
 Definition
Dictionary meanings of change
1. The act, process, or result of altering or
modifying.
2. The replacing of one thing for another;
substitution
3. A transformation or transition from one
state, condition, or phase to another.
 Forces of change
1. Internal /Self interest/
2. External Influences /eg. Global, customer,
etc/

Change:-
 Personally
 Group
 Organizational
 Change Cont’d…..

• Change is the situation in which

individuals, groups ,organizations and
countries make adjustments to the
matters they face.
 Change Cont’d…..

• Unless you change the process why would you

expect the results to change?
The president of Texas instrument, Defense services and electronic group.

• Change is inevitable - Death and Tax.

 Change Cont’d…..

• As per the psychologist Kurt Lewin in any

change processes, there are two opposing
forces,
1) Change catalysts
Those who facilitate change.
2) Change blockers
Those who are blockers of change and
resistant.
 Why do we resist Change?
 Fear of failure
 Creatures of habit – not to move outside comfort zone.
 No obvious need – no impact on them so why change. “If it ain’t
broke, why fix it?”
 Fear of loss of control – because are familiar with the routines.
Feeling powerless if they change.
 Concern about support system- fear of lack of support .
 Closed mind
 Unwillingness to learn – saying, "I already know all that.”
Hinder own personal growth and organization’s.
 Fear that the new way may not be better - fear that the
change will not result in improvement.
 Fear of the unknown - because it is unfamiliar. Not knowing
much about the specifics of the change.
 Fear of personal impact
 Change Cont’d…..

• Things are Moving Quickly- we no

longer have the luxury of adapting to
change gradually. Instead of resisting
change, we have to develop the habit of
welcoming and working with it.
 Change Cont’d…..

Those who cannot

change their minds
cannot change
anything.”

George Bernard Shaw

 Change Cont’d…..

This is how waste take root.

We don’t change when conditions change.
It is important to ask why, over and over
again, about everything we do.

We have to change when conditions change

-Eagle story
 Promise For Change
① Do not say it cannot be
done.
Say, yeeeeesssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!
 Change Cont’d…..

ይቻላል!!
 Change Cont’d…..

② Do not fear a failure.

 Change Cont’d…..

3) Do not
deny opinions
of others.
Respect
others
opinion.
Ethiopian development agendas:
To eliminate poverty,
backwardness and
unemployment
Improve quality and productivity
To meet these goals or agendas
there need to be commitment,
active participation of all citizens
and effective functioning and
integration of all economic sectors
2. Definition of Kaizen
2) What is KAIZEN?

改 (Kai): Change, alter

善 (zen): better, right

KAIZEN means “Change for better.”

KAIZEN is a Japanese business philosophy that

assumes our way of life – be it our working life, our
social life, or our home life – should focus on
continual improvement efforts.
(Masaaki Imai, 1997; “GEMBA KAIZEN”)
Kaizen = Continual
improvement
 1. What is KAIZEN? Cont….
“Kaizen is not just a management technique but
a philosophy which instructs how a human
should conduct his or her life. Kaizen focuses on
how people conduct their work. It shows how
management and workers can change their
mindset together to improve their productivity”.
(Masaaki Imai, 1997)

5
4. Kaizen Pillars
 4. kaizen pillars

As a Kai
philosophy syst zen Kaizen
em tools
s
 THE FIRST PILLAR

KAIZEN AS A
PHILOSOPHY
 KAIZEN AS A PHILOSOPHY cont’d…..

• KAIZEN is a philosophy of continuous

undertaking by an organization to
improve its activities and processes with
the goal to always improve quality and
productivity so that the organisation can
meet full customer satisfaction.
 Characteristics of KAIZEN

1. Continuity
2. Participatory approach
3. Accumulation of small improvements
4. Improvement without a large amount of
investment
 PDCA Cycle (Deming cycle)
CORRECT

IF RESULT IS
NOT

PLAN DO SATISFACTOR
CHECK
Y

IF RESULT IS

ACTION SATISFACTOR
Y
(STANDARDIZE
and IMPLEMENT)
 KAIZEN AS A PHILOSOPHY cont’d…..
PDCA Observ
Cycle ation
Selectio
Pla
Standardi n of
n
zation problem Understandi
ng of
Act current
Confir situation
Setting
mation of
Ch of objecti
Investigati
eck
result ve
on & Setting
implement of plan
ation ofDo Analysi
counterme s of
 The basic Method for Good Management

Remember!
Simple is beautiful

If you find a difference, you can find a

problem

When you can find a problem, you can

solve the problem.
No problem is
BIG
Problem
Remember:
Problem is our precious
treasure for work improvement
 KAIZEN AS A PHILOSOPHY cont

Once a new improvement becomes a new

standard, the next cycle is set up to seek further
improvement.

KAIZEN is a continuous challenge towards ever

higher-level improvement, cycle by cycle,
without an end.
It is a conviction that one can do
better today than yesterday and
that tomorrow shall be better than
today.

01-40
 KAIZEN AS A PHILOSOPHY cont’d…..

“Without standard there can be no

KAIZEN….” Taiichi Ohno
 KAIZEN AS A PHILOSOPHY cont’d…..
2. Participatory Approach

Kaizen Core
Team
CrossCross
functional
Division Division Division organization
functional
1 2 3
organization
KPT 1
KPT 2
KPT 3

KPT
KPT
KPT
KPT
 KAIZEN AS A PHILOSOPHY
cont’d…..
• KAIZEN can be built in and run with an
integrated and company-wide approach
through the collaboration of all the levels of
the organisation that are top management,
middle managers and front-line employees.

• Commitment , genuine participation and

motivation of all the three actors are critical
factors.
Illustrative Diagram of KAIZEN Dissemination and Institutionalisation

A workplace, the A workplace, the

processes in processes in
which many which relatively
large number of
materials are
workers are
handled. involved.
 KAIZEN AS A PHILOSOPHY cont’d…..
• Building on the success in the model
workplaces and their QCCs’ activities, the
company shall expand KAIZEN activities in
the company-wide scale.
Change is through team work not…….
 3. Accumulation of Small Improvements

• attain significant result through

accumulation of small improvement.

• “Accumulation of a small dust builds a

mountain”.
 4. Improvement without a large amount of money

• Waste elimination may not require

investment or it requires little
investment.

• Introduction of 5S may need only a little

investment.
 5. Widely Applicable

Manufacturing – Sugar Factories,

Service - public organizations
(TVET, Universities, etc).
 Targets of Kaizen
• P – Productivity
• Q – Quality
• C – Cost
-Customer
• D – Delivery time satisfaction
• S – Safety
• M – Moral -Success of the
organisation.
• E – Environment
 Prerequisites of Kaizen
Knowledge of Kaizen concepts and
techniques.
Attitude with positive thinking
Involvement of all from top
management to front-line workers.
Zealous support for Kaizen.
Education about Kaizen (training).
Never-ending Kaizen activity.
 1. “Knowledge of KAIZEN concept
and KAIZEN technology”

• KAIZEN culture is promoted by dissemination of

KAIZEN.
• KAIZEN is not so difficult to understand.
• KAIZEN include easy to complex techniques.
• KAIZEN should be started by use of easy
techniques such as 5S and QC7 tools.
 2. “Attitude with positive thinking”

• KAIZEN concept and techniques can build

positive attitude.

• KAIZEN culture is promoted by people

and organization with positive attitude to
KAIZEN.
 3. “Involvement or participation
from top management to workers”

• The top management who has interest on

KAIZEN is crucial success factor.
• Participation of all workers is essential for
success and continuity.
• Because major problems often hide between
divisions or sections, formation of cross-
functional organization is necessary for
KAIZEN.
Is this Team Work?
Good Team Work
 4. “Zealous support for KAIZEN”

• KAIZEN can be promoted with paying zealous

attention to it.
• Like support for one football team which is the
source of power for the team.
5. “Education about KAIZEN and KAIZEN technology ”

• KAIZEN is implemented by human resource.

• Education of KAIZEN concept and technologies
is crucial matter.
• KAIZEN aims to achieve good performance
through the development of human resource.
 6. “Never-ending KAIZEN activity”

• KAIZEN implementation is far more important

than theory.

• Don’t end KAIZEN. Always aim for better

improvement through accumulation of small
improvements.
THE SECOND PILLAR

KAIZEN SYSTEMS
 KAIZEN Systems
• Toyota Production System 
• Total Productive Maintenance
• Company Wide Quality Control(QCC,
Suggestion system)
• Total Quality Management System 
 THE THIRD PILLAR

KAIZEN TOOLS
 Kaizen Tools
These are kaizen
implementation methods and
technical tools. By basing on
kaizen philosophy and
through following kaizen
systems, these tools can bring
continuous improvement. For
example,
 Some Basic Kaizen Techniques

• 5S
• QC 7 tools
• JIDOKA
• Leveled Production
• POKAYOKE
• Just-in-time system
(Foolproof)
(JIT)
• Standard
• Pull System
Operation
•Industrial
Engineering(IE)
 1. K-Knowledge Four Levels of KAIZEN
i. Principles
E N
ii. KC-QPCDSMEG Implementation
iii. Systems
A IZ
iv. Tools
l K 1. ATTITUDINAL CHANGE
2. MUs
3. 4M&1I v e 2. WORK PLACE ORGANIZATION 1st Level
Le
4. PDCA- A never-ending upward spiral
t

N
5. KPT/Leadership
rs
TRANSITION

E
6. 5S
F i

IZ
A
1. SQC, CWQC/Quality in Stations/TQC

K
2. Basic IEs-4Ps

el
3. SOP

v
4. 7QC Tools,
5. Why Why analysis Le TOTAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT 2nd Level
nd
6. QC story, Auditing
7. Process capability
co
Se

TRANSITION

EN
1. 7 new management tools

IZ
2. Customized TPS A
3. Customized TPM
lK

4. TQM SYSTEM INNOVATION 3rd Level

ve

5. CFM/Policy Deployment
Le

6. Value Engineering/value stream mapping

d

TRANSITION
ir

e
nc
Th

1. Nth
Innovation Generation
te
pe

2. IKT- Innovative KAIZEN Team

om

3. EBFE-Ethiopia Business Excellence 4th Level

lc

INNOVATIONS MANAGEMENT
ve

Framework
le

ETHIOPIA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

h

4. Global Networking
ig
H

TRANSITION
5. Guiding Principles of Kaizen
4. Guiding Principles of Kaizen
• Proactive and spontaneous participation
of front-line workers (they are centre of
Kaizen activities).

• Focus on the improvements of

workplace/Gemba (the foundation of all
the improvement efforts). It is a key entry
to endless revolving activities of KAIZEN.
 4. Guiding Principles of Kaizen cont…

• Practicing kaizen that lead to a corporate

culture.

• Kaizen fosters process as well as result

oriented thinking.

• Speak with data - collect, verify and analyze

data.
 4. Guiding Principles of Kaizen cont…

• Put quality first even than cost and delivery.

• Bottom-up approach.

• Top management commitment.

• Learning process and customization

• Customer satisfaction
6. Why Kaizen is
necessary?

72
 3. Why Kaizen is Necessary?
At Company Level
Objectives of Seeking Profits &
the Company customer satisfaction

Elimination of “Muda”

Quality Improvement
Training
for the Employees Cost Reduction

Delivery Time

Profits

Continuity
of the Company

Higher Level of Living Conditions of Employees

73
 3. Why Kaizen is Necessary? Cont….
At National level
Increase in profit
Enhancement in
competitiveness

Increase in wage
Job generation
Increase in payable tax →
Contribution to National finance

National
Growth 74
 3. Why Kaizen is Necessary? Cont….

 Make optimal use of peoples’ skills

 Reduce overall cost
 Maintain high quality (or improve
quality)
 Reduce or eliminate wastes (MUDA)
 Improve productivity
 Safety
 Shorten lead time & improve delivery
time
 Reduce space-use etc
75
 LET’S ASK
How can we do the job
better tomorrow, than we
are doing it today?
How Far Can You Go?
Thank
You