Lean Manufacturing

Kaizen Lean Manufacturing

Kaizen techniques are the spirit of Lean Manufacturing. Kaizen technique focuses on getting rid of unwanted inputs in a process and restructuring the process for better results.

What is the cycle for implementing Kaizen techniques?

1. Follow a standard process flow to ensure the outcome of the activity is standard - More often than not, irregularities in the process flow are one of the main reasons for inventory and wastes. Kaizen aims at streamlining these processes thereby ensuring that the output of these processes are standard.
   
   
2. Measure the metrics of different stages of the production cycle - This is a measurement stage where historical data for all the production related metrics are measured over a consistent period of time. This measured data would indicate the amount of time the production process loses in terms of in-process inventory.
   
   
3. Map and measure the data against customer requirements - The best way of determining how efficient the process is in implementing Kaizen is to know its performance versus the customer requirements. In all probabilities, a process which meets customer requirements has implemented Kaizen successfully.
   
   
4. Innovation and Performance Enhancement - In case, the process has found not to meet the customer expectations on a continual basis, the process execution is stopped and innovative ideas are thought of to get the process performing. This acts as a stimulant to enhance process improvement which further contributes to continuous process improvement.
   
   
5. Standardize the performance enhancement measures - Once the expected bar of performance is measured, Kaizen advocates maintaining this mechanism till the time the next process variation is countered. The moment a process variation is countered, the Kaizen event is flagged off. This is the basic fundamental of continuous process improvement.

A lot of professionals who have experience and expertise working with Six Sigma claim that Kaizen Lean Manufacturing techniques have a close resemblance to the Plan, Do, Check and Act (PDCA) philosophy of Six Sigma. Conceptually, they are no different with the only difference being that one is associated with the implementation of Lean techniques of a manufacturing process. The Kaizen Lean Manufacturing techniques are popularly adopted by many manufacturing companies in Japan but this technique is gaining plenty of global impetus.

The implementation of Kaizen technique dates back to the Second World War, when American forces tried to restore parity in a war-torn nation by its nation building process. Then, the Shewhart cycle advocated by Edwards Deming became the fundamentals for Lean Techniques which was further adopted by many Japanese manufacturing companies.

Kaizen technique has a Japanese origin. But professionals who have implemented Kaizen techniques on manufacturing processes claim that it can be used on any manufacturing process globally as well.