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Kaizen training
Kaizen in Japanese simply means 'Improvement'. Gemba Kaizen means 'workshop improvement' and represents a form of Self Managing Work Group. In other words it is a substitute for the term Quality Circles. Why the two terms. The answer is simple. The term Quality Circles was first coined by the late Professor Kaoru Ishikawa. He was at that time, the President of Tokyo University. In those days and probably it is still true today, there was intense rivalry between Tokyo and Kyoto Universities as there is between Oxford and Cambridge in the UK. Because the term Quality Circles came from a Tokyo University man, Kyoto would not use it and instead created Gemba Kaizen. Nissan Motor Corporation followed this lead as did its supply chain, the reason being that as with the Universities so with Nissan and Toyota and Toyota were using the term Quality Circles. As a consequence, the two terms developed independantly but the concepts remained exactly the same. Thefore, whichever term you use is simply a matter of individual choice.
If you are serious about good people management then get serious about Kaizen - or Quality Circles, because believe us, there is no better way to manage your people.
Do not listen to anyone who says 'we tried it once and it did not work'. They may have tried it once but we can assure you that the reason that it did not work says more about their approach than it does the concept itself. It was not the concept that was wrong it was their approach. Even if this was your organisation, and you are hesitant about starting again, we can help you do it successfully this time. If you do then you will be astonished by the results?
What is in a name?.
Kaizen (or more accurately - Gemba Kaizen), Quality Control Circles, e-Quality Circles discover loss groups, self managing work teams are all based on the same fundamental principles and work in exactly the same way as each other. Quite apart from the Universities rivalry between companies has resulted in reluctance to use the same terminology as leading competitors to avoid accusations of 'me too'. Consequently there are several terms that have alternatives, for example, Toyota are known for the development of the 'Just in Time' concept but in Nissan it is called 'Stockless Production'. Throughout Japan, small group problem solving and self managing teams are variously known as 'Discover Loss Groups', 'Zero Defect teams', Quality Circles, Kaizen or simply 'self managing work groups'. However, a Quality Circles convention will attract all of them.
The term Kaizen (which literally means 'improvement'. Gemba Kaizen means 'Workshop Improvement') was brought to the West by a very perceptive Japanese Professor in the mid 1980s who recognised a market opportunity resulting from the insatiable appetite for all things Japanese at that time. He was also lucky or planned his marketing to coincide with the reduced popularity of the term Quality Circles. Those organisations that had made unsuccessful attempts to introduce Quality Circles but wanted to make a fresh start eagerly accepted the new term in order to avoid the bad name they had created for Quality Circles. This was fine up to a point but unfortunately there is no international support organisation for that name, only for Quality Circles and so the opportunity for cross fertilisation between different companies was lost.
Benefits of Self Managing work Groups - Gemba Kaizen - Quality Circles
Approximately 80% of work related problems in terms of cost are management solvable which means that 20% are not. Unless the workforce becomes fully involved in the business improvement process it follows that the organisation will always be some 20% at least below optimum performance which could be life threatening.
Kaizen activities enable the ultimate benefit from:
- Total Productive Maintenance - involvement of the workforce in process improvement.
- Lean manufacture including -
- SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Dies) and set up time reduction
- 5S/5C or CANDO.
- Autonomation (JIDOKA) - using single part production methods and the Kanban approach.
- Root Cause Analysis.
- Poke Yoke (mistake proofing).
- Quality related Cost reduction.
- Flexible Work groups.
- Improved overall performance
How DHI can help you maximise the power of your workforce through Gemba Kaizen.
- Review the effectiveness of existing participative programmes.
- Advise on how to maximise performance.
- Conduct introductory presentations to all levels of management and the workforce. If necessary hold discussions with management groups and the Unions where relevant.
- Steering Committee training.
- Facilitator Training.
- Team Leader training (it is advisable that the trained facilitator and the team leader train the teams as part of their development rather than the external consultant)
- On going support.
Related Pages Quality in Education
Quality Circles Appreciation Training Course
Quality Circles Facilitator Training Course
Quality Circles at Wedgwood
Article: Quality Circles Society
Article: Ringing the Bell with Quality Circles
Book: The Quality Circles Handbook
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