Mini-Kaizen / Quick and Easy Kaizen

Simple step of a continuous improvement journey

 

 

 

   

Mini-Kaizen / Quick and Easy Kaizen guidelines are prepared by
Japan Human Relations Association

 

 

 

   

Benefits, the Process and the Key Characteristics of Mini Kaizen

 

 

 

 

Quick and Easy Kaizen, or Mini Kaizen, is aimed at increasing productivity, quality, and worker satisfaction, all from a very grassroots level.

Every company employee is encouraged to come up with ideas – however small – that could improve his/her particular job activity, job environment or any company process for that matter.

The employees are also encouraged to implement their ideas as small changes can be done by the worker him or herself with very little investment of time.

Quick and easy Kaizen helps eliminate or reduce wastes, promotes personal growth of employees and the company, provides guidance for employees, and serves as a barometer of leadership.

Each kaizen may be small, but the cumulative effect is tremendous.

 

Continuous Improvement Firm (CIF)

3 Basic Principles of Continuous Improvement

CIF vs. Mass Production Firm

Quotes

Kaizen

Kaizen Mindset

6Ws of Kaizen

Kaizen Culture

7 Conditions

 

 

 

 

Benefits of Mini Kaizen

Quick and easy Kaizen empowers employees, enriches the work experience and brings out the best in every person. It improves quality, safety, cost structures, delivery, environments, throughput and customer service.

 

Effective Efficiency

Efficiency Improvement

3 Types of Wastes To Be Reduced

 

 

 

The Process of Mini Kaizen

Powered by Kaizen Mindset and Kaizen Culture, the quick and easy kaizen process works as follows:

① The employee identifies a problem, waste, or an opportunity for improvement and writes it down.

② The employee develops an improvement idea and discusses it with his or her supervisor.

③ The supervisor reviews the idea within 24 hours and encourages immediate action.

The employee implements the idea. If a larger improvement idea is approved, the employee should take leadership to implement the idea.

⑤ The idea is written up on a simple form in less than three minutes.

⑥ Supervisor posts the form to share with and stimulate others and recognizes the accomplishment.

 

 

 

 

Three Key Characteristics of Mini Kaizen

Permanent method changes. Change the method. Once the change is made, you can’t go back to the old way of doing things.

Continuous flow of small ideas. The smaller ideas, the better. Kaizen is small ideas. Innovation takes time and is costly to implement, but kaizen is just day-to-day small improvements that when added together represent both enormous savings for the company and enormous self-esteem for the worker.

Immediate local implementation. Be realistic. Kaizen is done within realist or practical constraints.

 

Challenge Assumptions

Ask 'Why? What If?' Questions

Suggestion System

Japanese-style Suggestion System

Cannon's Suggestion System

Fun4Biz Suggestion System

 

 

 

Kaizen Innovation guru coach trainer speaker Vadim Kotelnikov

If you don't keep getting better, you keep getting worse.

If you stop learning, you stop creating history and become history.

 

Everything can and should be improved ‒ look for opportunities!

 

 

 

   

Keep in Mind

 

 

 

Kaikaku Kaizen Synergy - radical plus incremental improvements  

"Kaizen" means quite different things in Japan and the West.

In Japan, "kaizen" is a journey that focuses on people – it calls to start any improvement with yourself and then improve everything around you.

In the West, "kaizen" is narrowly focused on improving processes.

 

 

 

Learn

 

Continuous Improvement

 

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