What is Kaizen Philosophy, What Purposes, What Are Its Principles?

When we talk about philosophy or thought systems, people generally think of it as independent from the material world, towards spirituality. However, if we consider how important the business world and the money economy play in our daily lives, we can see that we actually need the real thought system here. Here is the one based in Japan This is where the Kaizen philosophy comes into play.

In general, we implement our strategies in the business world in a result-oriented manner. Kaizen philosophy, on the other hand, approaches the subject from a completely different point of view. and he says that we can only change the results if we are process oriented rather than result oriented. Let’s examine in detail what is the kaizen philosophy, what it does and what it aims at, which will allow you to approach business processes from a different angle than ever before.

Let’s start with the basics, what is the kaizen philosophy?

Kaizen philosophy is a system of thought that you aim to achieve rapid development and reduce costs by applying it within a certain period of time in the business world. With this system, the aim is to increase customer satisfaction and gain strength against your competitors. In business processes with Kaizen, on employeesin time planning, technology studies It is possible to catch rapid but rapid changes without haste. The word Kaizel is formed by combining the Japanese words ‘kai’ meaning change and ‘zen’ meaning better.

So what does the philosophy of kaizen do, what does it aim for?

The Kaizen philosophy is applied within a few days on a project or plan executed by a limited number of people with a multifunctional structure. Although generally applied in manufacturing processes It can also give effective results in the service sector and in the technical field. It is the continuous improvement that is desired to be achieved thanks to the kaizen applied for the process rather than the result. Because if the process is not successful, the result will not be successful either.

In Kaizen philosophy, people are seen as resources. This resource, which should be given importance, should be well looked after not only in the workplace but also outside. Employees are not based on their performance at the end of the job, It is necessary to evaluate and reward them according to the progress they have experienced throughout the whole process. The process dimension of the work is also evaluated in this context and corrective measures are taken at that moment to improve the process.

While applying the kaizen philosophy, which also focuses on the time dimension of the process, the changes in the sector are followed instantly and quick response to changes. When time is used well, cost decreases and productivity increases. In the technology aspect of the process, what needs to be done is to simplify the technologies by converting them to each other.

What needs to be considered before applying kaizen is to instill this philosophy in the management unit and to change their thinking system. Because managers by following business processes closely They are the first people to see potential problems and to intervene first. The idea of ​​Plan – Do – Check – Measure is the summary of kaizen philosophy.

What does Kaizen philosophy mean? Here is the value system in this philosophy:

According to the Kaizen philosophy, no matter what stage of the work Improvements should be made for these objects. Improvement efforts should be made continuous in line with carefully prepared strategies such as quality circles, employee cooperation, teamwork, and automation support.

If the kaizen philosophy is applied in a process, each person involved in that process is responsible for this thought. This responsibility is treated as a value, not a burden. Everyone involved in the process is consulted. Ideas received are used in improvement analyses. The more honest and healthy the feedback is, the more successful the improvements will be.

The seven basic principles of Kaizen philosophy are:

• First acknowledge the problem.
• Choose projects that are low in cost.
• Deal with our problems, not theirs.
• Do not think that the only measure of enforcement is economic interest.
• Set the priority over principles such as quality, cost, distribution.
• Implement the PDCA, Plan – Do – Check – Act system.
• Use the right tools for the solution.

The main features that briefly describe the kaizen philosophy are:

• Management is done by value.
• All elements participate in the application.
• The team must be capable, multifunctional.
• Full focus is expected from everyone.
• The application is completed in a short time.
• Goals are approached boldly.
• There is no room for waste.
• Applications are not narrow, but large-scale.
• Before starting a new process, training is taken.
• Attention is paid to sustainability.
• Developing the workforce is extremely important.

The rules that the team to comply with the Kaizen philosophy must follow:

• All members of the team start the day together and finish the day together.
• The first priority is to be a cohesive team.
• Being late is out of the question.
• Communication tools are disabled within the team.
• All members of the team work in one room.
• Outside interference is unacceptable.
• It is not possible to go beyond the targets set at the beginning.
• Team members are not to blame.
• Non-team members do not have the right to vote.
• Protest is strictly prohibited.
• What’s on the team stays on the team.
• Titles don’t matter.
• Saying ‘I can’t’ is forbidden.

Let’s start the kaizen application:

If the team is complete and the rules are clearly understood, we can begin to apply the kaizen philosophy. Firstly define process functions, Build an overall understanding of flow, gather the most up-to-date information on performance issues, and make preliminary decisions for the future.

By finding five reasons why you should apply the Kaizen philosophy, preparing a cause and effect diagram, editing control documents, doing pareto analysis, and brainstorming as a team Take the first step of the application. While brainstorming, do not forget to identify problems, generate new ideas, talk about the ideas produced and determine the priorities.

Repetitive ideas to make the application much more efficient, thoughts that do not comply with ethical values, Eliminate points that don’t fit the kaizen philosophy and combine similar ones. Now that you have the most correct ideas and thoughts, you can improve the process with a 2 or 5 day application.

How is the Kaizen philosophy applied? Example kaizen application calendar:

• The first day of the application; discuss the process, design the future and brainstorm.
• The second day of the application; design improvements, establish a process standard, and test standards.
• The third day of the application; continue designs, review efficiency status, and put an end to the work process.
• Fourth and last day of implementation: complete worker trainings, prepare implementation report and give a presentation summarizing the process.

Aiming to achieve successful results by improving the processes in the business world What is Kaizen philosophy, what is its purpose, what are its principles We talked about the details you need to know about this system of thought by answering frequently asked questions. If you have applied the Kaizen philosophy, you can share your experiences in the comments.