Advantages of Kaizen in Business

Author: Sarah Francoise

Normally, a business wants constant improvements to be able to meet and exceed customer’s expectations. This is where kaizen comes in. Kaizen offers a systematic approach to constant developments. In addition, it employs statistical tools and incorporates business values to developments. Also, kaizen is based on the theory that a series of small developments can cause a drastic change in business procedures. Thus, kaizen inspires the input and creativity of employees in applying changes. As a result, employees are always open to changes as a part of development.

Advantages:

Worthy targets: Kaizen as a system of improvement is not only useful to the business. It is also useful to employees, consumers and the organization as a complete. This Kaizen management system is suitable to most types of businesses. Kaizen knows and rewards the efforts of employees. It gives them a sense of value in the organization.

Improved Teamwork: One of the chief kaizen advantages is to enhanced teamwork. Kaizen is a quality development tool driven by teamwork. It does not advantage only a selected few, but everybody involved in the business procedure. As the team solves problems together, they make a bond and build team spirit. Thus, employees are able to work with a fresh viewpoint, a balanced mind and without partiality.

In addition, teamwork helps build cross-functional collaborations. Since skilled workers from different departments execute kaizen, team members are able to improve their skills. Most often, the biggest opportunities for development lies where one procedure flows into another. Cross-functional collaborations allow employees with different experiences to learn from one another and solve issues together. Therefore, this one kaizen benefit is that it improves teamwork and cooperation amongst employees.

Leadership skills: The team leader is responsible for organizing the kaizen team and coordinating execution. The kaizen team leader makes sure that everybody is performing their roles effectively. The team leader is also responsible for obtaining for help when additional resources are essential. Yet, does not have to be in a management role to succeed as a team leader. Thus, it presents an opportunity for employees to take on leadership roles.

Enhanced efficiency: A main kaizen benefit is improved efficiency. Kaizen developments boost the quality of services. It helps businesses implement new procedure improvements, boost efficacy and improve time management. Toyota Manufacturing Company employs kaizen in its production procedure. First of all, they deploy muscle-memory training to train their employees on how to assemble a car. Muscle-memory training helps them to accomplish precise results. Hence, their employees are able to work with accuracy. Also, instantly an automotive plant reaches its peak in terms of effectiveness, the company eliminates a few workers from that plant. By so doing, Toyota Manufacturing is able to minimize mistakes and maximize productivity.

Improved Standard Work Document: Applying changes during kaizen results to a new and better Standard Work Document. Standard Work Document, also called standardized work, it is a tool that forms the foundation of kaizen developments. It contains the present best practice guiding a business. Sometimes, this is the main goal of applying kaizen. In addition, Standard Work Document serves as the base for future developments. It also serves as a tool for measuring employee performance and educating new employees about improvements.

Enhanced employee satisfaction: Another kaizen advantage is that it improves employee satisfaction. Kaizen contains the employees when implementing changes for developments. Employees can make suggestions and creative input for changes through a suggestion system like team meetings. When employees are complex in decision making, it gives them a sense of belonging and worth. They are willing to implement changes and think of new ways to improve the procedures. By so doing, the employees are motivated and productivity rises. Also, employees are more willing to take ownership of procedure improvements. Rather than falling back on old methods, they become advocates of quality improvements.

Better safety: Improving safety on the work floor is a kaizen advantage for business. Safety is enhanced when businesses execute ideas that clean up and organize workspace. By so doing, employees have well control of business procedure equipment. Employees are also encouraged to make suggestions to improve safety on the work floor. This helps to minimize accidents and other associated injuries. Hence, employees become more effective and manage their time correctly. However, safety is a responsibility of management as well.

Waste decrease: Kaizen decreases wastes in business procedures. Kaizen is the responsibility of everybody. Therefore, management and staff are responsible for identifying areas that create waste in the business procedure. By applying continuous changes, they can fix the root cause of wastage and fix them. By so doing, waste is eliminated from the business procedure and cost is reduced. Also, resources are used more judiciously, and the business becomes more profitable.

The method of constant improvement applied in kaizen helps businesses to accomplish great successes. No business grows overnight. It needs a lot of patience and hard work. This also contains recognizing areas of developments and making essential changes. Kaizen management training helps to understands the overview of Kaizen and the requirements of kaizen for continuous improvements in the organization.