The Kaizen philosophy is known for its effectiveness in enhancing productivity in an organization. This philosophy has its root roots in Japan. In kaizen, the only way a company can progress is by making small and continuous improvements to its system. These improvements are realized when the organization eliminates things like unproductive times and wastes. In this system, the emphasis is placed on the human resource as a tool to enhance productivity. Everyone from top management to the lowest paid employee inspires these improvements.
Benefits of the Kaizen philosophy
Improved quality
In Kaizen, resources are pooled together, and every team member in made stronger. Moreover, problems in the production chains are also continuously eliminated. As new procedures are implemented and all inefficiencies reduced, all business operations are bound to improve. From continuous improvements in the system, the production quantity is also bound to improve.
Better teamwork
The kaizen philosophy places great emphasis in how issues are resolved. As these issues are addressed, the relationship between the employees improves. This also ensures that they do not hold prejudices about one another, which can impede their productivity. Employees are also made to view their work differently and are encouraged to collaborate with each other. When teamwork improves, so does the production.
Maximum utilization
Most businesses fail because of wasting resources. Kaizen inspires the workforce to salvage these resources and put them to better use. Prudent use of resources will be reflected in the production volumes and quality. Kaizen also encourages creative ways of utilizing resources.
Immediate results
The kaizen philosophy encourages quick problem-solving. As such, problems are solved the moment they are detected. Kaizen system use available alternatives to be better problem-solving options that traditional problem-solving meetings. At times, temporary solutions can also be improved and made to be permanent ones. Ideally, kaizen places emphasis on using innovative ways to solve problems.
The kaizen system offers many benefits to an organization. The beauty of this system is that it is employee-centred. For this system to be effective, all employees are encouraged to embrace communication, actively participate in all aspects of decision-making, and have the desire to change. Most importantly, the changes here do not need to be extreme; they should be small and simple. As simple as it is, Kaizen is believed to be a key driver in the Japanese automotive industry after inspiring Toyota’s success.