{"id":43150,"date":"2023-02-15T10:45:02","date_gmt":"2023-02-15T15:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/?p=43150"},"modified":"2025-09-16T15:31:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T19:31:35","slug":"kaizen-methodology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flexpipeinc.com\/us_en\/kaizen-methodology\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaizen Event: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

When manufacturers need to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, shorten lead times, and eliminate waste, they turn to the well-established continuous improvement methodology known as Kaizen<\/a>. The word is Japanese for improvement, yet this one word means so much to those who adopt its principles. So, how does Kaizen work, its methodologies, and how does this relatively simple process eliminate waste and turn losses into profits? Read on to find out.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

The Culture of Kaizen<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"The
Source: Wikipedia: The Japanese word\u202fkaizen\u202fmeans ‘change for better’ (from \u6539 kai – change, revision; and \u5584 zen – virtue, goodness) with the inherent meaning of either ‘continuous’ or ‘philosophy’ in Japanese dictionaries and in everyday use.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Kaizen is a mindset as much as it is a methodology. For Kaizen to truly succeed, a company\u2019s entire workforce must be indoctrinated into its guiding principles. It is not part of a company\u2019s culture; it is the culture. Managers, supervisors, office workers, and production employees must fully adopt Kaizen.<\/span> The goal of kaizen is to eliminate every single form of waste. That waste can include overproduction, product defects, wasted movements, repetitive tasks, unnecessary approvals, redundant processes, machine downtime, excessive inventory, and idle time \u2013 to name a few. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Operators
When employees or operators are in \u201cwaiting\u201d mode, it represents a significant waste of time and does not bring any added value to the customer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Anything that inhibits, interrupts, delays, or stalls the natural flow of work is waste, and everyone\u2019s responsibility \u2013 from managers to supervisors to shop floor employees \u2013 is to identify and eliminate that waste. Proper training<\/a> is critical. A Kaizen workforce<\/a> is one where all employees are involved in the continuous improvement process. Everyone is making suggestions and offering solutions. Everyone is doing what they can to eliminate waste, and everyone has a role in improving how work is performed.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

The Kaizen Concept, Its Origin, and Foundations<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kaizen is an amalgamation of several different business concepts. No one person can lay claim to coming up with Kaizen. Kaizen is a mixture of statistical process control (SPC), statistical quality control (SQC), procedure optimization, and repeatability. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"SPC<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

The Shewhart Cycle<\/span> <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"The
Source: Wikipedia – Walter Andrew Shewhart was an American physicist, engineer and statistician, sometimes known as the father of statistical quality control and also related to the Shewhart cycle. <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

While most immediately associate Kaizen with the Toyota Production System (TPS), its origins start with Walter Shewhart<\/span>,<\/span> an American engineer, physicist, statistician, and businessman<\/span> who worked for Bell Labs during the 1930s<\/span>. Shewhart ushered in <\/span>the<\/span> age of statistical process control. <\/span>He believed<\/span> that waste could only be eliminated <\/span>after<\/span> a<\/span> process was controlled.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Shewhart Cycle<\/span><\/a> \u2013 commonly referred to as the PDCA Cycle \u2013 is a straightforward process widely viewed as Kaizen\u2019s ancestor. PDCA stands for Plan, Do, Check and Act. Relatively simple, right? You plan something. You then enact the plan. You check the plan\u2019s results and then act to make the plan better. This simple cause-effect methodology earned Shewhart the moniker of the \u201cfather of statistical quality control.\u201d <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"Shewhart<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Japan After the Second World War<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Edward Deming was an American management consultant, engineer, professor, and statistician. Deming borrowed concepts from Shewhart and expanded upon them. For a while, the two worked together. Deming saw the PDCA Cycle\/Shewhart Cycle as critical to creating better quality systems. He was instrumental in these concepts being adopted by the Japanese after the second world war. Deming\u2019s teachings were better received by Japanese companies than by American companies. The United States had built a substantial industrial complex to support the war effort. Once the war ended, the US economy took off. With their large production floor layouts and installed equipment base, American businesses emphasized high production runs and high inventory counts.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\"William
Source: Wikipedia – William Edwards Deming (October 14, 1900 \u2013 December 20, 1993) was an American engineer, statistician, professor, author, lecturer, and management consultant.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Educated initially as an electrical engineer and later specializing in mathematical physics, William Edwards Deming helped develop the sampling techniques still used by the U.S. Department of the Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. He is also known as the father of the quality movement and was hugely influential in post-WWII Japan. He is most well-known for his theories of management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

American businesses had little need for Deming\u2019s lean philosophy. The Japanese, on the other hand, were rebuilding both their country and their industries. Japanese companies needed to focus on eliminating waste, minimal inventory counts, lean processes, simple concepts, and cost reduction. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

The Introduction of Kaizen to Western Industries<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One Japanese engineer who took Deming\u2019s principles to the next level was Taiichi Ohno, who eventually developed the <\/span>Toyota Production System<\/span><\/a> (TPS) alongside Sakichi Toyoda and his son Kiichiro Toyoda. The TPS system was improved throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Sakichi
Source\u202f:  Market Business News  – Toyota’s origins bring us back to these two men: Sakichi Toyoda (left) and his son Kiichiro Toyoda.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"Masaaki
Source: Wikipedia – Masaaki Imai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Eventually, Masaaki Imai \u2013 a Japanese management consultant who studied TPS \u2013 introduced Kaizen to western businesses in 1985 when he wrote \u201cKaizen: The key to Japan’s Competitive Success.\u201d He would eventually establish the Kaizen Institute and use it to propagate the Kaizen message and teachings worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, Kaizen became prominent because of Shewhart\u2019s PDCA Cycle, Deming\u2019s push for hands-on production employees, and Ohno\u2019s TPS system. So, how does Kaizen work?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Kaizen Methodologies<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Kaizen<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

There are four types of Kaizen methodologies. These include<\/span> Kaizen Teian, Kaizen Events, Kaikaku, and Kakushin<\/span><\/a>. Each one is explained in detail below.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

1. Kaizen Teian<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Kaizen Teian refers to the daily improvements that every employee is responsible for. Every employee must always be trying to improve their work processes and workflow. More importantly, every day, all employees \u2013 including supervisors and managers \u2013 should be focused on eliminating the following eight forms of waste as defined by Kaizen. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n