A kaizen event is a short-term process that uses Japanese principles to quickly improve a specific area of a business. It aims to make daily changes to constantly improve production, reduce waste, and inspire cooperation among all levels of employees. Planning can take several months, and follow-up meetings are held to assess progress. While mostly used in manufacturing, it can be applied in other domains. Although mostly used by Japanese businesses, other countries have also adopted the principles. The main challenge is downtime, but advocates argue that it is compensated for by better production time and fewer day-to-day problems.
A kaizen event is a process that uses the Japanese principles of kaizen to quickly improve something in a business area. Also called a kaizen blitz or kaizen burst, it is considered a one-time event rather than a long-term process, which is in direct contrast to the way kaizen principles are usually implemented. It is often found in companies, mostly Japanese, that need to achieve a certain goal in a limited time or that have problems in a specific production area.
The principle of kaizen translates freely into improvement or change. The main principle of Kaizen is to make daily changes to constantly improve a business or manufacturing company. While it is mostly used in aspects of manufacturing and similar businesses, it is also applied in other domains, such as healthcare, government, and banking. Kaizen aims to improve production, reduce waste, inspire cooperation among all levels of employees, and make the workplace more humane. It applies to all levels of employees, from housekeeping staff to company president.
There are a number of reasons why a kaizen event should be called. It is often used when a division or group of people start working together in a specific area, or it can be used when an established area or group does not meet production goals. A specific process is followed, typically over a period of three to ten days, which will include training, identifying problems, brainstorming, presenting findings, and celebrating the success of the event. Usually, a follow-up plan is included to bring the practicalities of the event into the daily work routine.
Planning a kaizen event can take several months before the actual event. While a kaizen event can last up to ten days, they more often last anywhere from three to five. The follow-up period usually lasts about 30 days, and meetings are held every week or every few days to assess whether goals have been met, what improvements are needed, and other topics.
Although Japanese businesses are the main promoters of a kaizen event, other countries have also adopted the principles. One of the major challenges in getting companies unfamiliar with kaizen principles to have a kaizen is downtime. Taking a week or more to organize an event can significantly impact your business process. Those who advocate kaizen events argue that lost time is compensated for by better production time and fewer day-to-day problems to solve.
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