KAIZEN

Lean Thinking to Improve Your Mindset and

Increase Personal Productivity

Sosuke Takahashi
 © Copyright 2020 by Sosuke Takahashi
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 Table of Contents
Chapter One
Kaizen
Introduction
Characteristics of Kaizen
Effects of Kaizen
The PDCA Cycle
Development and Evolution of Quality and
Productivity Improvement in Japan
Key Concepts of TPS
The Great Pillars of Kaizen
The Seven (7) Deadly Wastes
The 5 Ms
Chapter Two
Kaizen and Innovation
Relationship between Innovation and Kaizen
Function of Innovation
How Kaizen Can Create Lasting Excellence
Chapter Three
Kaizen and the Capabilities of the Organization
Fundamentals of Policy and System
Development for the dissemination of Kaizen
Activities Necessary for the Promotion of Kaizen
How to Select Kaizen Promotion Organizations
Chapter Four
The dissemination of Kaizen
Kaizen Dissemination Stages
Characteristics of the Mobilization of the
Private Sector for the Dissemination of Kaizen
Human Resource Development System as it
relates to Kaizen
Kaizen Trainers Requirements
In-Company Training (ICT)
Class-Room Training (CRT)
Kaizen-related Human Resource Development
(HRD) Program Management
CRT Implementation Stage
 ICT Implementation Stage
Recognition requirements for both Advanced
and Basic Trainers
Certification System for Kaizen Consultants
The Establishment and Management of the
Certification System
Chapter Five
Kaizen Training
Kaizen Training of Intra-Firm Human Resources
Top Management Training
Kaizen Leaders Training
Advantages of Training and Recognition of Kaizen Leaders
Kaizen Overseas Training
Total Quality Management (TQM) and Kaizen
Rewards and Recognition Functions of Kaizen
Team Structures in Organizations and their
Characteristics
Quality, Cost, and Delivery (QCD) and Kaizen
Goals
Successful Applications and Kaizen
Measurement of Kaizen Effect
Performance Indices
Chapter Six
Other Kaizen Applications
Kaizen for Personal Development
How Kaizen Can Affect Your Nutritional Habits
Studying and Kaizen
How to Use Kaizen to Improve Sleep
Chapter Seven
Extras
The Pareto (80/20) Principle
Wabi-sabi
Characteristics of Wabi-sabi
What is Ikigai?
Rules of Ikigai
 List of Tables
Table 1.1: Comparison of Japanese and US/Europe Approach and Techniques
Table 1.2: The 5S of Kaizen Activities
Table 2.1: Factors That Show the Differences between Innovation and Kaizen
Table 3.1: Some Kaizen Promotion Organizations and Their Structures in Some Countries
Table 4.1: Kaizen Leaders and their Activities
Table 4.2: Roles of Kaizen Leaders and Trainers
Table 4.3: Skills Necessary for Kaizen Trainers
Table 4.4: Kaizen Training Programs
Table 4.5: Pilot Enterprise Evaluation Sheet
Table 4.6: Basic Trainer Activities for the Implementation of Kaizen
Table 4.7: ClassRoom Training for Basic Trainers              
Table 4.8: ClassRoom Training for Advanced
Trainers
Table 4.9: Recognition Requirements for
Kaizen Trainers
Table 4.10: Requirements for Kaizen
Consultant Titles
Table 5.1: Purposes, Characteristics, Process and Reward System of Kaizen Teams
 Chapter One

Kaizen

Introduction
There are three (3) terms, otherwise known as Zen, that were adopted by the
Japanese; wabi-sabi, ikigai, and kaizen. Of all the three, kaizen is the most
developed, improved philosophy. It is not difficult to understand and apply
to life. It can be easily adopted, and when the principles of kaizen are
applied to everyday life, it will bring about a long-lasting change in
multiple areas of life such as finance, health, relationships, etc.
In 1980, there was nothing new about the management techniques focusing
on employee involvement and empowerment via interactive
communications, teamwork approach, and the improvement of job design,
but some of these techniques seemed to be more effectively implemented
by the Japanese companies more than other companies. The business lesson
gotten from them was that they demonstrated a greater commitment to the
philosophy of continuous improvement than other companies did in their
quest for global competitiveness. This brought about the term Kaizen.
Kaizen, in Japanese, is a noun that is used to mean improvement. This
improvement can be big, small, continuous, or one-time. Sometimes, it is
used in relation to kungfu (martial arts), where the idea of improvement is
slow but meticulously encouraged. Kaizen was achieved greatly in the
business sector of the world. This, we would be looking at in great detail

Kaizen is defined as continuous improvement, which involves every person

in the organization from top management to the middle and the lower
managers. The primary concept of Kaizen is engraved in the mind of every
worker and manager. They do not even realize that they are thinking the
kaizen way. They do not realize that they are thinking of it as a customer-
driven strategy for organizational improvement.
Kaizen is a broad knowledge that consists of different technologies such as
the Lean Production System, 5S, the 7 QC tools, the TPS (Toyota
Production System), and others. These technologies are used to pursue the
core value of kaizen. Kaizen was first used in the manufacturing industry in
Japan as techniques and tools for the improvement of productivity and
quality. It is recognized all over the world. Though people have different
perspectives and views on the scope of kaizen and its understanding, we
would be placing the core values in the creation of attitude shared by the
members of any organization who would want to pursue the advanced
productivity and quality level consistently. They, however, do not just apply
the management method of the organization. The kaizen approach is easily
adaptable and flexible.
Characteristics of Kaizen
Some characteristics of Kaizen are;

Participatory: Kaizen participation is from the top management

down to the lower management (front line workers). Kaizen
encourages suggestions from the workers in the organization.
Continuous: The activities which consist of small efforts daily
when added up result in massive changes.
A scientific approach, based on some statistical data.
Economical: It emphasizes using wisdom, which is more than
money. It is also applicable when there are limited resources.
Universal: This means it is applicable in every industry, size,
country, sector, and organization too.

Effects of Kaizen
Some of the effects of kaizen are;

1. It improves productivity, quality, and service level.

2. It reduces the cost and delivery time.
3. Kaizen enhances communication and also builds a network.
4. It creates an organization that evolves and also develops as it
goes.
5. It changes the mindset of both workers and managers.
6. It also creates a very comfortable and safe work environment
for everyone.

The PDCA Cycle

The fundamental of Kaizen is repeating the PDCA cycle. What do I mean
by the PDCA cycle? PDCA means the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. It is
otherwise known as the Deming cycle. With this cycle, everyone in the
organization acquires the attitude and the mind to pursue a higher level of
productivity and quality. This leads to the improvement of work quality,
quality, cost, and delivery (QCD) improvement. Kaizen enables
organizations to develop engagement, discipline, and also teamwork of
individuals and also helps strengthen their capabilities to improve both the
quality and productivity of goods and services in the organization.

PLAN: This refers to the selection of the company’s

production theme, understanding the current status of the
company, and setting new objectives, analyzing data for the
identification of the root causes of quality problems.

DO: This is simply the process of creating and establishing

countermeasures that are based on the already analyzed data.

CHECK: This is the confirmation of the effects of the

established countermeasures.
ACT: This is where the revision of the standards of the
previous recurrences begins, and the reviewing of all
processes.
For each stage, some tools and practices can be used. They are as follows;
PLAN

a.
Pick a project: You can make use of the Pareto Principle . This
would be explained further down this book, so pay attention.
b.
Gather enough data: Make use of Control charts and histograms.
c. Find causes and effect: A Process Flow Diagram can help.
d. Pick the likely causes: Scatter diagrams and the Pareto
principles can be used.
 e. Try out solutions: Make use of the “whom,” “why,” “what,”
“where,” “when” and “how” methodology.
DO

a. Implement the tried solutions.

CHECK

a. Monitor the results generated from the Histograms, Control

charts, and Pareto.
ACT

a. The new process should be standardized.

A successor, the SDCA cycle, follows a successful PDCA cycle. As PDCA
has to do with improvement, SDCA has to do with maintenance. The S in
SDCA stands for standardization and also support for new situations.
The process of standardization is an essential one with key features that
would help in an industry. They are;

i. Provide ways to measure performance during production.

ii. Represent the easiest and the safest way to do the jobs.
iii. It provides a basis for training the employees in the
company.
iv. Help prevent the recurrence of errors and also minimize
variability.
v. Show the relationship between effects and causes.
It is said that there is a lot of controversy as to what kaizen signifies. It is a
philosophy for process improvement, which can be traced to the meaning of
the words ‘Kai’ and ‘Zen.’ Translated, it means ‘to break apart and
investigate.’
According to the Kaizen Institute, it is defined as continuous improvement,
which has already been said from the beginning. It also means using one’s
common sense, a more rigorous, scientific method using statistical quality
control and data management and the adaptive framework of the values, the
belief that keeps the management and workers in the organization focused
on no defect. This is the philosophy of not being satisfied with previous
accomplishments.
Now, this improvement begins by first the admittance that every
organization has problems, and this provides different opportunities for
change. This improvement revolves around constant yet continuous
improvement, which involves everyone in the company, and it depends on
teamwork to challenge the status quo of the organization.
Kaizen helps change the mindset of people. It functions as an instrument of
industrial policy, and as a means of developing the core capacity of people. 
Need For the Application of Kaizen in Countries
There are specific issues in the manufacturing industry across the
continents, particularly Africa, that require the need for the application of
Kaizen. They are as follows;

The manufacturing industry in Africa has a very low job

creation rate for young generations.
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) share is small with very
low productivity.
It also consists of a small amount of medium-sized and large
enterprises and a large number of small enterprises.
Company employees’ educational background is limited to just
primary education or even less than that, which makes them
barely qualified for working at modern industrial facilities.
Non-labor management systems and traditional practices are
still in place.
Though these are the issues faced in most manufacturing industries, some
companies have overcome these problems and adopted the modernized
labor management system. Another challenge in African countries is the
development of medium and high-tech sub-sectors and increasing the
values added in the industry. These countries do not have to copy the
industrial development patterns in the Asian countries, but lessons and
experiences from those countries can be learned to create and conceive new
models for the development that would meet the needs of the African
countries. Though they try to develop some models, the promotion of
industrialization and increase in competition remains a common challenge
at the national level in such countries. The capabilities of organizations fall
into capability management and workforce adaptability, which is
strengthened by kaizen.
Currently, some countries in Africa have begun the introduction of Kaizen
in the educational sector. They reflect the understanding of the value of
Kaizen. Kaizen practice provides employees with a great effort to learn
some soft skills which are required in the workplace. Some of these skills
are a positive attitude, good communication with managers and coworkers,
compliance with the rules made in the workplace, and commitment.
Development and Evolution of Quality and Productivity Improvement
in Japan
Kaizen was developed in different companies in Japan that had one way or
another, learned some management skills and techniques from the United
States and Europe also. These techniques were discovered under the
guidance of the organizations that are in charge of the promotion of quality
and productivity improvement.
After the Second World War during the economic reconstruction period, the
products of japan were considered quite cheap but of very low quality; as
the saying goes, what you pay for is what you get. For this kind of
reputation to be overturned, the quality and productivity improvement move
emerged, and one of the organizations that played a significant role in that
movement was the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE).
From time to time, they conducted several educational programs on training
programs on the statistical management techniques and also quality control
for corporate owners, as well as managers. With these programs, companies
began to learn the importance of quality control and also started to commit
efforts at the facilities of production. Voluntary groups were then formed in
every step of production to conduct a variety of workplace activities for
improvement, some of which are waste elimination (Muda-Dori), cost
reduction, work safety management, defect reduction, and the 5S – Sort,
Set-in-order, Shine, Standardization and Sustain.
The JPC (Japan Productivity Center) was established in 1955 by parties
representing labor unions, academia, and companies. JPC acted as a
promoter of the productivity movement while succeeding in becoming a
nationwide movement. Since 1955, the JPC has sent many missions for
industrial tours to different modern production facilities in advanced
countries, including the United States, to learn the techniques of quality and
production. The results attained were shared at debriefing sessions, which
were held throughout the country and were also compiled in reports for
distribution to interested companies. This method helps to promote quality
and productivity improvement in Japan as a whole.
Deep into the 1980s, a large number of Japanese companies launched some
initiatives to help improve quality and productivity as a form of
organizational effort by working extremely hard on the quality of their
products from the combined viewpoint of manufacturing, developing, and
maintaining good products and services. At this point, the TQC (Total
Quality Control) was born. A lot of top-ranking companies in Japan, Sony,
Yamaha, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Canon, Panasonic, and Suzuki made
efforts at the Total Quality Control all the while, aiding their production and
quality to be positioned topmost in the world. Now, these efforts made were
not just limited to the production sector along but have also been
undertaken by the public and service sectors for the improvement of
customer satisfaction. The modification of Kaizen attracted the attention of
some corporate managers, scholars, and engineers in the United States and
Europe who came to Japan to study the critical factors of the strength of
Japanese companies to strengthen their businesses. After this, a lot of
companies then imported the quality and production management skills and
techniques of Japan and restructured them to meet the business environment
of the Americans and the Europeans too.
As mentioned earlier, the quality and production techniques were first
introduced from the United States to Japan, and it has been modified as
time went by and also improved by Japanese manufacturers based on their
different sizes, sectors, production environment, and other related factors.
TPS (Toyota Production System), which was mention at the start of this
book, is a popularly known management system that was developed. There
are two major concepts in which TPS is based; the jidoka and the Just-In-
Time. The Jidoka is for stopping a malfunctioning machine immediately to
prevent the production of defective products. The Just-In-Time, on the other
hand, produces as many products as is needed to avoid creating excess
products and also storing too many items at the same time, ensuring there is
a smooth production.
Key Concepts of TPS

1. Jidoka: As mentioned before, Jidoka is about highlighting and

visualizing problems. Product quality must be built during the
process of manufacturing. For example, if a defective part is
discovered or equipment malfunctions, the machine which is
affected stops working automatically, thereby making the
operators cease production and allows them to tend to the
problem and correct it. What does Jidoka mean? It merely
means that when standard processing is completed, the
machine stops. It also means that whenever an equipment
problem arises or there is a quality problem, the machines stop
on its own and detects the problem all by itself, and because of
this, only the products that satisfy the quality standards of the
company would continue to be processed on the finish line.
Since in this, the machine stops automatically when a problem
arises or when its processing is complete, it is communicated
on the problem display board (ondon). With this, operators can
continue performing work at another machine and also easily
identify anything that might have caused a problem to prevent
their reoccurrence. This means that different operators can be
in charge of as many machines as there are in the company,
thereby giving rise to higher productivity, at the same time
allowing continuous improvements, which lead to a greater
capacity for processing.
2. Just-In-Time: This has to do with the improvement of
productivity. This process allows for making only the needed
items when it is required and in the amount it is required. For
this system to function right, all the parts made and supplies
must meet the correct quality standards already set by the
company, and it is achieved through Jidoka. In this particular
system, the production of quality products is efficient through
the elimination of waste entirely, unreasonable requirements
on the production line, and also inconsistencies. For example,
for a vehicle to be delivered by a customer as quickly as they
 want it, the vehicle is built efficiently within a concise period
while adhering to the following rules;

a. Before a vehicle order is received, there must be the issuance

of production instruction to the start of the vehicle production
line as quickly as possible.
b. The assembly line in which the vehicle would be made must
be stocked with the right number of parts needed for the
assembling of any vehicle ordered.
c. The assembly line must be able to replace the parts which have
been used by retrieving the same number of parts from the
preceding process.
d. Finally, the preceding process must be stocked with a minute
number of the part types and also produce only the number of
parts that have been retrieved by the operator from the
previous process.
Masaki Imai made it known that kaizen is an umbrella concept that
embraces continuous improvement in the activities of an organization.
It is also said that the job of improvement in any establishment is not
finished as their status quo is always challenged, every minute. When
did the kaizen technique explode? It became famous when it was used
by Toyota to become the king of the automobile world. Instead of just
undertaking large projects, the staff of Toyota was encouraged to
identify problems in the company, no matter how little they may seem.
They were allowed to trace the grassroots of the problems and also find
the right solutions to them.
The Japanese manufacturing industry usually utilizes two approaches. They
are; the scientific approach, which is based on data management and the
bottom-up approach, which is led by a small group such as the QC Cycle.
The result of the broad quality and productivity improvement initiatives that
were undertaken by a large number of companies in Japan, their production
rate has moved from poor to excellent, and this has made Japan the “nation
of world quality.” The key factors for rapid economic growth in Japan were
analyzed by Dr. Ezra Vogel in 1979, in his book titled Japan as Number
One: Lessons for America, and also the highly valued Japanese
management, which includes the Kaizen initiative.
Let us look at this example;
In 1990, a research team of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
studied the Toyota Production System to find sources of the
competitiveness of the Japanese auto companies and then published a book
with the title, “The machine that changed the world.” In this book, TPS was
generalized, reorganized, and then renamed as the “lean production
system.” It was also named as the “six Sigma,” which was later produced
and developed by Motorola in 1980. It was derived from Japan’s QCC
characterized by the bottom-up approach and reliance on unexpressed
knowledge. It was later modified to take the top-down approach. It was
centered on quantitative evaluation incorporating some statistical
techniques which had to do with data management.
Later on, it was developed further by the General Electric (GE) Company. It
was applied for the process innovation of the entire management system. In
this present time, the “six” Sigma and the lean production system, which
were later combined to become “Lean and Six Sigma,” were applied as
representatives of the western quality and productivity improvement
techniques.
Previously, we mentioned the approaches and techniques used by the
Japanese and the Americans and Europeans for the improvement of quality
and productivity. These techniques have evolved greatly via mutual
learning and competition. Below is the comparison of approaches between
the two, or should I say, three nations?

Table 1.1: Comparison of Japanese and US/Europe Approach and

Techniques
Japanese Approach and US/Europe Approach and
Techniques Techniques

Human-oriented System-oriented

Priority is placed on the utilization They first rely on this upgrading of

of wisdom from humans and their their systems, facilities, and
experiences instead of innovative methods before allocating other
techniques, resources, and resources and the right beings to
investments. make use of them.

Combination of the Top-down approach

bottom-up and top-
down approach Not every member of the
organization is expected to
This involves every member of the contribute their ideas. Instead, top
organization or company, from the managers establish the system, and
top managers to the lower the rest of the managers (middle
managers. Here, everyone is and lower) are to follow
expected to contribute ideas for instructions as directed by the
greeter improvement. people in command.

Site-oriented Management-oriented

In this approach, the organization In their respective organizations,

values ideas, observations, and professional managers establish the
trials at the specified site. Also, entire systems, and the people
suggestions from every worker are underneath follow instructions
welcomed. given.

Growth in business is Growth in business is

obtained through the obtained through system
development of human reforms
resources
Here, innovation and reformed
Making use of existing human systems come first before the
resources and other resources allocation of the necessary human
comes first. resources needed for their
operation.

Process-oriented Result-oriented

Both the results and processes are Here, the results are very important
important. Whenever a result as the process brings about good
seems wrong, they try to identify results, making it a good process.
the causes in the process that
 brought about such a result and
then attempt to modify the
processes.

Gradual advance Immediate change

Small yet step by step Immediate yet prompt results

improvements are made, and its matter. A more drastic method that
accumulation leads to a huge can bring about a great change
difference eventually. quickly is adopted.

Adoption and utilization Adoption and utilization

of basic tools of sophisticated
techniques
This approach begins with very
simple actions that are on basic From the start, this approach makes
tools and methods and then later use of systematic yet sophisticated
apply advanced techniques and techniques, including statistical
tools when necessary. tools.

The essence of kaizen is that people who perform any task in the company
are very knowledgeable of the task, and by showing confidence in their
capabilities, owning the process is increased to a higher level than its initial
one.
This particular team effort encourages innovation and also change, and all
these involve every layer of employees. Every wall disappears for more
productive improvements. Kaizen is everyone’s business and not just an
approach to competitiveness in the manufacturing industry. This is because
it is based on the fact that everyone is interested in improvement. Kaizen
helps make the job of every individual easy by dissecting them, studying
each part, and making improvements where necessary. This message is not
for one person in the organization but to everyone in it because everyone is
a contributor. Kaizen for each individual is an attitude for continuous
improvement for them and the company.
According to Masaki Imai, there are three pillars of kaizen. He stated that
the management and the employees of an organization must be able to work
together to fulfill the requirements of the pillars. For the success of this, he
places three major factors that must be taken into account, and they are;

a. The visual management

b. The role of the supervisor in the organization
c. The importance of creating a learning organization and
training.

The Great Pillars of Kaizen

1. Housekeeping: In Japanese, the workplace is known as

Gemba. It is the process of managing the workplace majorly
for improvement. The Gemba was introduced as a place where
value is added to the services of products before they are
passed to the next process of production. For this purpose, a
tool of methodology was used. It is known as the 5S. It was
derived from the first letters of the Japanese words, which also
referred to the five practices for a manageable and clean work
environment. The 5S are Seiri (organization), Seiso (purity),
Shitsuke (discipline), Seiketsu (cleanliness), and Seiton
(tidiness). In equivalence to the English words, they mean,
sort, and straighten. Sweep, sanitize, and sustain the work
environment. The 5S helps provide insights into the
orderliness of a working environment. For manufacturing and
non-manufacturing organizations, there are specific criteria
they must meet; cleanliness, safety, and ergonomics. The Five
S helps evaluate the feedback of employees concerning a
product, the company thoroughly, and also each other.
Presently, it has become an essential tool for every
organization engaged in manufacturing. The practice of the
5S’s would place manufacturing organizations at world-class
status.

Table 1.2: The 5S of Kaizen Activities

Seiri Seiri means to sort what is not needed from what it. For
this to be done, use the red tag system to tag items that
you consider not useful. Also, everyone should be given a
 chance to indicate if the items are needed or not before
eliminating them. Any item that has been red-tagged
should be sold to scrap dealers, given away, sold to
employees, or trashed.
Seiton Seiton is to straighten the items which must be preserved;
must be kept. These things should be made visible. Tools
should be pegged and outlines so that they can easily be
identified via their location. Apply the rule which states
that there is a place for everything, and everything has its
place.
Seiso Seiso means to scrub everything that is left. Ensure they
are clean and paint them if possible, to provide a more
eye-catching and eye-pleasing appearance.
Seiketsu Seiketsu has to do with the spreading and checking of
routine. When there is an improvement in any selected
kaizen area of a company, others would want to be
trained also. Give them that training and the time to
improve their work area in the company.
Shitsuke Shitsuke has to do with standardization and discipline of
self. First, establish a rather clean schedule and ensure
that you make use of downtime to clean and straighten
your work area.

There are certain benefits attached to the 5S’s, some of which are;

a. The creation of clean, pleasant, and safe working

environments for the employees.
b. It revitalizes the workplace and also improves the motivation
and morale of the employees in the organization.
c. It removes waste by minimizing the need to look for tools.
This makes the work of the operators very easy.
d. It helps reduce strenuous work while also freeing up the
workspace.
e. There is a sense of belonging already created in the workplace,
and love is shared among the workers therein.
 2. Elimination of waste: In Japanese, waste is called Muda.
These wastes are activities that do not add value to the
workplace. It is said that work is a series of activities that add
value. They range from the raw materials to the finished
products. Below are some examples of waste in a company;

a. In manufacturing, wastes can be overproduction, shipping

defective parts, having excess inventory, transporting parts,
and waiting for inspection.
b. In an office, routing documents, bureaucracy, and signature
approvals, having a lot of papers and files, excess
documentation, and passing on error-filled work are regarded
as waste.

The Seven (7) Deadly Wastes

Kaizen aims to eliminate all these wastes. There are about seven (7) deadly
wastes;

i.
Overproduction: This develops when there is machine failure,
employee absenteeism, and rejects. Other times, trying to be ahead
of production can bring about tremendous waste, wasteful input of
utilities and human resources, an increase in the burden of interest,
consumption of raw materials before they are required,
administrative and transportation costs, more space to store excess
inventory, etc.
ii.
Motion: Any form of motion from personnel that does not add
value to production is regarded as a waste. Workers need to avoid
lifting, walking, or carrying objects that would require a great
exertion of force because it is risky, complicated, and also
represents activities that do not add value. For human movement
to be eliminated, rearranging the workplace would be of great
help.
iii.
Defects: Interrupted production, rejects, and the needed rework are
great examples of waste of efforts and resources. These rejects can
require additional time to repair, increase the time spent on
inspection, require workers to be on standby always to stop the
machines when they are ordered to and also increases paperwork.
iv.
Waiting: This occurs when the operators are idle. For the work of
an operator to be put on hold either because of limited parts, or
downtime is called waiting and it results in a waste of time. Lead
time, during manufacturing, begins when the company pays for the
raw materials that are needed for the production of the item and
ends when the company has received payment from the customers
for the product given. Lead time refers to the turnover of money.
When there is a shorter lead time, it merely means that resources
are used aright, there is an excellent level of flexibility in meeting
the needs of customers, and there is the very low amount spent on
operations. The elimination of waste is a very significant
opportunity for kaizen. In this category, another type of waste is
time. When time is wasted, products, materials, documentation,
and information are dormant and with no value added to the
company.
v.
Inventory: Inventory wastes are semi-finished products, final
products, and part supplies that are kept in the inventory but do not
add value to the company or the production of the item; instead,
they cost more. They add more to the cost of operations by simply
occupying space; they require additional equipment and facilities
such as forklifts, computerized conveyor systems, and storage
units. Whenever these products are kept for a long time, they tend
to deteriorate in quality, and when there is a change in the market
value, customers desire a taste for new products, or there is an
introduction of new products, the product becomes obsolete. The
storage units also require additional administration and manpower
for operation. They are also prone to damages through disaster or
fire. To solve this problem, the introduction and initialization of
the Just-In-Time production system are to occur.
vi.
Processing: There are lots of ways in which wastes can occur
during processing. An example is; failure to synchronize all
 processes. This can be eliminated by allowing for the redesign of
assembly lines, which would reduce the utilization of input to
produce the same number of output required. Examples of input
are materials, utilities, and resources, while the output is the
products required by the customers, services to be provided, added
value, and yield. Redesigning the assembly line entails reducing
the number of people on the line because the fewer the people, the
fewer mistakes to be made, and it would reduce quality problems.
It does not necessarily have to lead to the dismissal of other
employees. They can be assigned to other sections for production.
When there is an increase in productivity, there would be a
reduction in cost. In the manufacturing industry, when there is a
long line of production, more workers would be required, and it
would also mean more work-in-process and also longer lead-time.
Somewhere in this book, lead-time has already been explained.
Well, when there are more workers, the possibility of making more
mistakes would increase, and it would lead to an increase in
quality problems. So, in summary, longer lead-time, unreliable
machinery, more workers, and newly hired employees with little or
no training whatsoever, would lead to an increase in the cost of
production.
vii.
Transportation: Transportation in the
manufacturing industry means the use of forklifts, trucks, and
conveyors. It is a very important part of the production, too, but
the movements of materials do not add value to the production of
the items. During transportation, there is always room for
damages, so, to avoid waste, any part of processing that seems
distant from the mainline should be fixed into the mainline.
Reducing waste is one of the fastest ways for a company to improve its
workplace operations.

3. Standardization: for there to be a change in the industry,

certain standards are set by the management of the
organization. Once they are in place, what would be left is to
acquire flowers. Employees would review the standards set,
and they can either correct the organization’s deviation or
 advise the management to either improve or change the
standards.

The 5 Ms
For the management of an enterprise to improve and maintain the
improvement of the workflow of employees, there are great management
tools otherwise known as The 5 Ms. Keeping an eye on the 5 Ms would
make the top managers of the company notice what is working and what is
not in a process. The 5 Ms are as follows;

a. Manpower: Managers must know their employees intimately.

This would make them see if they are completing the tasks
assigned the right way to them, understand whenever they
have a problem with something related to work, know what
skills each employee possesses, identify if there are lots of
absenteeism and the reasons behind them and also know if
their morale is high or not.
b. Machines: Apart from the employees, the top managers
should have an excellent working knowledge of every
machine and tool in their respective departments. The
managers must check in regularly to see if the machines are
being maintained and if they are in excellent working order.
They are to ensure that the items being produced are of high
quality or not and find out if it is the fault of the machine or
not.
c. Materials: In kaizen, the flow of materials is very important.
Only the materials that are needed in a particular work zone
should be there. If the materials are more than is required, they
should be stored away in a different location. Every work
station should have a particular level for each process, and
such a process should be maintained strictly.
d. Methods: When a workplace has a standardized method, the
managers would be able to notice if the jobs assigned to the
different employees are done the right way or not. For the
achievement of proper adherence to the standardized method
of the department or the entire enterprise, posted diagrams and
 worksheets that are show quality control and sequence control
for each process can help.
e. Measurements: To know if a process is running as it should
or if the improvement is being made, production schedules and
targets should be displayed prominently for everyone to see. It
is also important for gauges to be marked clearly to show the
operating ranges of the equipment.
Once these tools are integrated into the culture of the enterprise, it would
aid in ensuring that kaizen creates long-lasting results in the productivity,
safety, team morale, and profits of the organization.
 Chapter Two

Kaizen and Innovation

Every firm indeed face competitive challenges as economies advance in the
world’s market place. For instance, Ferrari and Ford have competed since
the time they were brought into the market place. Through competitive
advantage, companies find different ways to improve their productivity and
quality to satisfy the needs of their customers and also offer greater value to
the market. For all this to be successful, a very important key must be used
to pave the way, to open the doors to greatness and that key is innovation. 
How do kaizen and innovation connect?
Before going into the gory details, how can we define innovation?
Innovation can be defined in so many ways, and they are as follows;
Also, innovation can be defined under four types: process innovation,
organizational innovation, marketing innovation, and product innovation.

1. Process innovation: This is a significantly improved delivery

method or production method. It simply includes specific
changes in equipment, software and also skills and techniques.
2. Organizational innovation: This involves new organizational
methods in workplace organization, external relations or
business practices.
3. Marketing innovation: This has to do with specific, yet
significant changes in the packaging or product design,
product promotion, product pricing, and product placement or
advertisement.
4. Product innovation: This is simply goods or services that has
been improved significantly. It includes significant
improvement in the materials or components of the product,
the software of/in the product, its technical specifications and
other functional characteristics of the product.
Innovation can be captured in another dimension which is the time the
innovation is to take place. In this case, there are two types of innovation;
incremental and radical innovation.
 a.
The incremental innovation involves an existing service,
process, product, method, and organization whose performance
can be upgraded or enhanced significantly.
b.
The radical innovation is one that has an impact on the global
market and the economic activity of the organization in the market
place.
The more dominant form of innovation is the incremental innovation,
but in some cases, the disruptive innovation began from the
incremental as the innovation process includes minute incremental
steps that are not innovative.
Relationship between Innovation and Kaizen
In the book “Gemba Kaizen – A commonsense approach to a continuous
improvement strategy”, written by Masaki Imai, who was one of the first
people to introduce the relationship between the kaizen and innovation,
innovation was described as an opposing concept from Kaizen.
He saw innovation as an attention-getter, very dramatic, but on the other
hand, he saw kaizen as subtle, less dramatic. He sees innovation as a major
change in technological breakthroughs.
Kaizen is a set of incremental activities that are for improvement. Everyone
of each activity may not induce any significant change but the accumulation
of all these changes can add up to more significant transformation. Also, the
accumulation of all these changes can help develop the workers’ capacity.
Each worker is forced to think with the use of statistical data to solve actual
problems that they might be facing and to always have a kaizen mindset in
everything they do. Kaizen helps enhance the organization’s capability
which would thereby enable the organization to take the right actions,
experiment with the different ideas and solutions provided and adopt the
new technologies and achieve innovative outputs.
Function of Innovation
The concept of innovation is captured in three basic functions. They are
innovation inputs and knowledge activities, innovation outputs and
outcomes, and impact.
 a. Innovation Inputs And Knowledge Activities

Equipment
Human Capital
Technology
Intellectual Property Use
Engineering and design
Software and databases
Managerial and organizational capital and practices

b. Innovation Outputs and Outcomes

Improved or new products and services

Improved or new business processes
Newly improved organizational and managerial practices
Intellectual property
Patents

c. Impact

Firm growth (increased market share or new demand due to

cost advantage or enhanced quality)
Productivity growth (improved business processes and
technology)
Economic diversification
Kaizen is said to be one of the key elements of innovation inputs, as it is a
management approach in which quality can be enhanced, as well as the
enhancement of human capital. It is also a paramount process for the
achievement of innovation outputs, as it is a continuous activity to seek
improvement in the different areas of the product quality, business process
efficiency and also managerial practices.
Table 2.1: Factors That Show the Differences between Innovation and
Kaizen
No FACTORS INNOVATION KAIZEN
Economy In a good economy Even in a slow
economy
 People Involved Few champions A good number of
people
Main Resource Investment of money Personal
involvement
Improvement Size Massive Small improvement
improvements
Orientation Improves results Improves process
Improvement Basis Equipment Conventional
technology knowledge

How Kaizen Can Create Lasting Excellence

A kaizen philosophy of taking small steps at a time would make you attain
your management goals. These small steps can help;

a. Boost your morale

b. Contain or reduce cost
c. Improve the quality of products, services, and personal life
d. Develop new services and products
e. Increase sales
f. Reduce the health-care expenses of individuals and
enterprises.
Boost Morale: Morale can be boosted by showing appreciation, defusing or
getting rid of difficult people and also encouraging employees to take the
same small steps towards finding a solution to their problems. For instance;
the management realizes that the morale of their employees is low. They
then hire consultants that charge more money than the regular ones. Their
package is for the improvement of employee satisfaction, which includes
breaks for employees. It is said the morale-building is important because it
is important to pay people for work done. Also, what people want is to feel
appreciated for their effort put in their work. Employees also appreciate
small gestures of thanks. Employees can be unhappy because of some
things such as; recent layoffs, freeze on the increase of their wages and the
discontinuation of incentives given to them. Most employees tend to
understand that the reason for the financial difficulties of the company is
not the management’s fault but the economic climate at that moment. As
said before, there are small steps to be taken to create lasting excellence in
the organization. Morale can be boosted by involving in “hand-holding”
activities with other employees who can be done for five minutes daily.
Some of these include;

a. Asking the staff you come across about their plans for the
weekend
b. Greeting any employee that passes you in your workplace
c. Showing appreciation when a project is turned in by the
employee
d. Remembering the names of the staffs in the organization
e. Leading by example.
Once this is achieved, you can go about your daily business. When their
employees praise bosses for being great communicators, it is not about their
outgoing personalities or their oratory skills. The reason is that the leaders
(bosses) take advantage of the small moments they have with their
employees to connect with them. They try to remember the names of their
employees to ask questions and wait for answers and also show
appreciation by saying thank you.
If you have very strong morale, you would need to set the right emotional
tone of your workplace through small interactions.
Low morale is one of the many global problems in organizations, but it can
be strengthened in just a few minutes every day. To come up with a kaizen
plan to boost the attitude of staffs, here are some questions to be asked;

a. What can I do to increase morale that would take nothing more

than one minute every day?
b. What can I do to increase morale that would take nothing more
than three minutes every day?
c. What can I do to increase morale that would take nothing more
than five minutes every day?
Contain or Reduce Cost: The Kaizen approach to control cost is one that
engages employees to trash any process that does not contribute to the
productivity and quality of products and services. Kaizen does not, in any
way, undercut the well-being of employees in any organization.
In kaizen companies, employees are expected to remain very alert for
wasted resources. Whenever employees find a process that does not add
quality or increase value, the company removes it from the activities of the
company. This makes the control of cost very effective and efficient. The
depending on employees for the control of cost might seem unproductive
but once they are invited to take little steps towards saving money for the
company, you will realize that they can help control company costs.
However, this does not give the management the right to place the
responsibility of reducing cost on the shoulders of the employees and leave
them to it. This would first of all, create a kind of fear that would not allow
change to happen. What is to be done is to shape the approach of the
employees to their daily jobs in the enterprise, so they would be able to spot
opportunities that would allow them to save. Trust me, they would be fully
engaged. As the boss, you should be able to help them bypass their fear of
making suggestions that are invalid and also help them bypass their fear of
you.
Allow the employees to think outside the box.
How can cost be controlled?
Steps to Controlling Cost

a. Offer Little or No Rewards: In Japan, employee suggestion

plans tend to be consistently successful but in the United
States, the reverse is the case. According to research, the
United States offers cash rewards that are proportional to the
amount of money saved by the suggestion made in the
company. This motivates the employees to save more money
because with that, they would get more reward money in
return. Unlike Japan, there are either modest cash rewards or
no rewards at all. Psychological studies have proven that
human motivations are illuminating. Motivation is of two (2)
types: extrinsic and intrinsic. The intrinsic motivation comes
from within. They are the desire to contribute, to engage in
meaningful tasks and also to take pride in their jobs. People
want to be challenged at what they do and to be proud of what
they do. They have an inner drive to do meaningful things.
 The extrinsic moves are found outside an individual. Some of
the extrinsic motivations are drivers like money and titles. The
extrinsic motivations pay people to stick with stressful work.
The key to controlling cost is to make the rewards as small as
possible.  When there are cutbacks, one can still maintain a
kaizen outlook by ensuring the cuts are calm and thoughtful.
b. Ask Small Questions: I have noticed that though some
managers try to ensure their employees provide continual
improvement, they are very aggressive in their tactics and this
creates setbacks. Using this approach would not let things be
done as efficiently and effectively as you want it to; instead, it
would make the employee feel embarrassed and
uncomfortable in your presence. Because of this, they tend to
give vague answers to the questions asked by their managers.
An example of a big question that can give them a paralyzing
effect is “what can be done to save the company millions of
money?” This kind of question can set the brain off and even
mute the employee. Try a softer approach, like, “can you think
of a way we can save money?”  You can also try to encourage
the employee to think of the things that do not seem right to
them at work. There are lots of possibilities for kaizen change.
c. Connect Savings to The Mission of the Company: Some
companies have notice boards that do not attract the attention
of employees. They should be taken down. This implies that
the suggestions made are different from the real work of the
employees. Small questions lead to suggestions for small
improvements in the company. Treasure them.
d. Be Open to Suggestions: Most employees are afraid to bring
up ideas or suggestions because they are afraid of looking
foolish or their suggestions to be seen as stupid. They also are
afraid of bringing up suggestions because they do not want to
make you angry, so, they keep any cost-saving suggestion they
have in their minds unless there is an active insistence on their
input. When kaizen is adopted, assignments can be given to
employees to find out cost cuts. This does not mean you are
not in charge. Convey authority and be responsible for
evaluating already-filtered ideas. Set up procedures for
 managing suggestions. While filtering the suggestions given,
take every one of them seriously. Try not to confuse stupidity
with simplicity and vice versa. Sometimes the most naïve
suggestion may hold the key of genius. Do not forget to thank
the employee whose suggestion brought about the change the
company needed. Also, take the opportunity to retrain the
employee. Remember, kaizen offers employees and the entire
management opportunities to learn.

Improve Quality of Products, Services and Personal Life: Try to

improve your ability to locate little mistakes. These mistakes may seem
pretty annoying at first but if they are not addressed early, they can develop
into quality-control problems. Kaizen requires that we find out and address
mistakes while they are still little. It might be tempting to overlook these
problems until they become catastrophes. Whenever a company puts on
heroic performances daily, they tend to ignore little mistakes. Whenever a
business succeeds, it tends to worship the factors that brought about such
fortune, which are the people and the institutional procedures. When
something is not functioning right in such business, it is hard to speak up;
glossing over the mistakes; and with this, they would lose chances to focus,
and remain competitive. Whenever you ask your employees if there are
problems that need to be known, and they reply that there is none, mark
their confidence as red flags.
The fact that human beings will make mistakes is a kaizen presumption.
Have it in mind that in an organization, every individual is responsible.
Allow the little mistakes that have been noticed to change your criteria for
either failure or success. Improve your ability to locate the little mistakes,
announce that you expect everyone in the company to see them and to
proffer solutions to them.
Kaizen insists that everyone in the company is highly responsible for
quality and productivity to the same degree. It is also the responsibility of
the management to make it easy for suggestions and ideas to flow from the
lower managers to the top managers and towards those who are in need of
them. These ideas and suggestions should clear pathways from bottom to
top.
Companies can as well, create mistake policies. Below are some steps that
can lead to the development of a mistake policy in a company:

a. Define the mistakes that the enterprise would want to avoid at

every cost necessary.
b. Share the mistakes with your team and try to figure out what
the early signs look like.
c. Ask your staff for mistakes they have observed and make sure
they do not overlook anyone.
d. Decide the safe what for employees to talk about the errors
they seem to have encountered.
Develop New Services and Products: There is a common misconception
that the small kaizen steps we take tend to yield small results, but these
steps we take lead to great inventions that change the world over time.
People tend to believe that the only time questions are asked if one is
curious. Asking questions is an important skill and not curiosity; there is a
difference. Asking questions brings about one’s creativity. Creativity is not
something that pops up whenever it feels like. It is an activity; attention to
the insignificant moments of life. Creativity leads to successful services,
products and changes. Though creativity can be practiced at any time, there
is a moment when it tends to be fruitful for the production of ideas. Some of
those moments are;

a. Wastefulness: Whenever something is out of place, time is

wasted or something gets broken, temper is lost and this makes
us either reconfigure your schedule or replace the item that
was broken. Doing this, you can act with curiosity.
b. Embarrassment: Sometimes embarrassment is caused
because there is a space between what they did and what they
ought to have done. Of course, this feeling is a very
uncomfortable one, so it is instinctive to avoid it by simply
trying to hide the mistake from people who might not have
heard about it yet. Some people might own up to their
mistakes and even laugh at the fact that they committed them
and will move on as quickly as they can. In this state,
creativity can come in the form of trying to cover up the
mistake.
 c. Boredom
d. Silly problems: Sometimes, we long to be significant but this
yearning can become less attractive and be seen as self-
importance. The dismissal of people’s problems as silly is seen
as self-importance.
With this, you will realize that creativity does not require any special talent
of the sort. It only requires attention. To be focused and inquisitive, you
must practice mental discipline. The kaizen steps can help cultivate that
attentiveness and also grow the curiosity you need.
Another kaizen strategy is for the increase of curiosity is to attend to the
mistakes made. There is one paradox for mistakes which is that innovation
requires a trial and error learning and also making mistakes and nobody
likes making mistakes; so the best way to resolve this paradox is to create
small pilot experiments and also encourage mistakes that allow for learning
at the same time, reducing cost.
As one enjoys the benefits of creativity, they would realize that such
creativity was born from patience. This patience brings about long-lasting
results.
Increase Sales: No matter how sales are defined, it is scary. Imagine this:
sales are defined as an act of persuasion that allows the encouragement of
other people to exchange money for goods and services to give out their
support to ideas. The work of salespeople is to offer themselves and the
products and services they are required to exchange to the world; but
sometimes, the world does not seem kind to them. It responds with rudeness
and rejection, but the salespeople still have to keep pushing till their
services and whatever thing they are to exchange is done. For some people,
the act of preparing a sales call is terrifying for them, but for others, there is
kaizen. A lot of salespeople do not enjoy that fear that comes to their minds
and the high rate makes this fact of turnover in the sales department of the
organization. Kaizen is said to be an ideal tool when it comes to training
and retaining sales personnel. Kaizen is also a perfect tool for frightening
situations. A lot of us are programmed to shut down mentally whenever we
are found in scary situations. Now, this does not make anyone a poor
salesperson. It is simply a response to physiology. For instance, when faced
with challenges that seem serious, the amygdala in the brain senses a kind
of threat to our survival.
It is true that when choosing salespeople, you should choose those whose
brains naturally relish sales excitement, but these set of people tend to burn
out easily and quickly. Training a salesperson can be very expensive and
dropouts are inefficient and very costly too. The question to be asked is,
“Why not teach every salesperson a strategy for fear management?”  The
strategy for fear management is a kaizen method of moving past the fear,
taking one step at a time. Instead of asking your employees to change the
way they act, encourage them to make small changes in the way they
reason. Some kaizen steps to guide them along the way include:

a. Changing the way they see themselves

b. Changing the way they talk about themselves
c. Changing the way they imagine sales
d. Connecting their sales to a greater mission of the organization
Taking small steps towards the main goal will keep your mind at peace
and push you to keep moving. Sometimes, an activity can seem
difficult or frightening, or you feel emotionally charged whenever it
seems like taking these small steps are proving difficult. What can be
done in this case? This is where mind sculpting comes in. Mind-
sculpting is one of the many simple kaizen tools. It is a way of melting
the resistance of the mind. Mind sculpting was formed from a
psychological technique known as guided imagery. The goal was to
help patients improve a particular physical skill without actually
performing the act. For example, if a patient wants to improve his or
her vocal ability, he or she would close their eyes and take in deep
breathes. When in a relaxed state, the psychologist in charge would
then invite the person to imagine being in a dark movie theatre, sitting
very comfortably in front of a screen that is blank. The patient at that
moment is supposed to see a movie on the screen delivering a
presentation.
At a time, the guided imagery process was very popular, but it became
lukewarm as time went by. It was successful but not as most people
hoped for. The Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans backed up
the general impression which then showed that guided imagery
engaged only one part of the brain, which is the visual cortex.
Anyway, back to mind sculpture…
Mind sculpture helps build on what other psychologists have learned
from the guided imagery process. It is an imagined, yet total sensory
experience. This time, instead of pretending to be in a movie theatre,
you can imagine you are performing a particular activity. You would
still be making use of the virtual cortex.
This mind sculpturing has been used by athletes to practice whenever
injuries sideline them. Whenever they come back to the field, you
would see that their performance is stronger than ever. Musicians also
make use of the mind sculpture.
How can mind sculpturing be used?

a.
First, choose a skill you would want to learn or improve.
b.
You can also choose a situation in which you like to feel more
comfortable.
c.
Decide on the amount of time you would want to devote to the
sculpturing of the mind daily.
d.
Sit in a very quiet place and take deep breathes slowly.
e.
Without moving, imagine yourself immersed in a situation. For
example; if you seem to be responding to your anxiety
unproductively either by talking too fast, or withdrawing
emotionally, place yourself, mentally, in a tense sales situation.
Imagine yourself responding more effectively than usual. Imagine
every part of your body is releasing its tension. Do you feel
connected with the other people who are with you? Now, imagine
yourself asking the right questions, exploring the needs of your
customers, and trying to understand their businesses showing
 genuine interest. Can you hear the confidence in your voice and
the clarity of your words?
f.
Practice this mind sculpting exercises daily for about 60 seconds
or less. Once the time spent daily seems effortless and automated
or even fun, try to elongate the time spent. The speed at which you
increase your time spent doing the mind sculpting exercise is
determined by how much you love the exercise. Unless the
exercise if effortless, do not increase your time. Once you begin to
start making excuses for not performing the mind-sculpting
exercise daily, you would realize that too much has been asked of
yourself. So, cut your time back. Avoid overreaching. Assure
yourself that a step-by-step kaizen approach would change your
behaviors for as long as it can with no urgency attached.
g.
Increase the time spent on mind sculpting continuously till you
have achieved one of two possible results. The first result is to lay
the foundation for change. You would begin to feel comfortable
with the exercise that you would feel ready to try out the activity
even if you want to take it one small step at a time. You might
even want to practice sales with someone, preferably a friend.  The
second possibility is that your brain would begin to get the idea
and also create new patterns at its own time with little or no
additional conscious effort on your part.
With all these, you would know when the mind sculpturing has worked
especially when you find yourself in a tough sales situation and you see
yourself using words effortlessly as you have practiced. Mastering sales
which at first, felt awkward to you would become very automatic and
what seems unnatural to you would become natural.
Mind sculpture for new habits can be very effective in a few minutes of
every day or maybe less. The reason is that the brain uses repetition to
decide the skills to store in the neural pathways and cells. This is the
reason why commercials are shown several times a day because the
advertiser knows that it is the only way to make impressions on your
brain.
 As we have explored the ways to increase your sales power by simply
looking at sales and thinking about it differently, once the connection
with a customer has been made, other small steps can aid in the
improvement of sales. They are as follows:

a.
Sales are to occur, one customer at a time, regardless of how much
money is spent on advertisement. According to the CEO of
Starbucks, Howard Schultz, the only way one can succeed and at
the same time, sustain growth and innovation is all linked to the
basic elements of a small cup of coffee, one barista and one
customer at a time. With each interaction, try selling your
customers on your business enterprise. Also, be especially alert for
little attention or acts of helpfulness that can cement your
relationship with your customers.
b.
Ensure that the first and last contact your company has with a
customer is very positive ones.
c.
When business messes up and you are sure that you have in one
way or another irritated your customers, a great opportunity to
increase the loyalty of customers and sales would occur.
d.
After the exchange of products and services to customers, follow
through on the relationship.
As you begin to think about these steps on how to improve interaction
with your customers, do not forget to rely on your inner knowledge.
Reduce The Health-Care Expenses of Individuals And Enterprises:
Some years ago, who would have thought that managers are to feel
responsible for the healthy habits of their employees? But as health care has
become a significant cost for companies, it is bound to happen. Look at it
this way, if the health of staff members is stable, the cost would be reduced
and the organization would save money. Some organizations encourage
their employees to do better through incentives. In relation to health, they
offer money to anyone who can demonstrate some improved health
behavior. Another way is to apply social pressure with departments trying
to compete with each other on who would lose the most weight. When there
are external motivators, the employees tend to relax and go back to the way
they were before once the program is over and this pressure or reward is
removed.
With this, employees observe that any attempt to change their health
behaviors would encounter serious health resistance. As a manager, do not
be too hard on your employees. Eating right, losing weight and also being
involved in an exercise program are seen as the toughest changes a person
can make in life. You might be one who possesses strong self-discipline
when it comes to your business life but for your healthy life, you are like a
baby forced to take medication. Why is it so that health changes seem very
hard for people? Some reasons include;

a. They are too busy

b. They are very tired
c. They do not have enough support
d. They are not motivated enough
e. Their partners tend to sabotage their efforts
f. The bad behaviors have been etched into their psyches and it is
deeply comforting.
These obstacles are very important to change but the major reason for it all
is fear. One of the kaizen premises is that change is frightening. Even if you
believe that such a change would bring positivity to your life, the reaction
to fear would make it difficult to stop your bad eating habits or even begin
an exercise program. This is where kaizen is proven to be shockingly and
remarkably useful. By taking these small steps, people can move slowly but
steadily toward change that there is no arousal of fear.
Employees cannot be encouraged to take these kaizen steps until you are
convinced that kaizen for health is very effective. This would be well
detailed as we proceed. Once you have been convinced of the power of
kaizen for health, you can then begin to spreads the word to every
individual in the organization. Kaizen can also help in the management of
stress.
 Chapter Three

Kaizen and the Capabilities of the Organization

Is innovation less likely to occur in most developing countries compared to
more advanced economies? One particular theory is that when firms lack
capabilities, innovation is less likely to occur. The level of firms'
capabilities, which are organizational and managerial practices make
innovation work while the level of government capabilities are related to
the formulation of policies that are effective and can support the firm’s level
of innovation.
The capabilities of an organization are defined as the working practices and
the knowledge which are used by firms in production and the development
of new products. The capabilities of any organization manifest in
productivity and quality.
In organizations that lack capabilities, if an entrepreneur comes up with a
brilliant innovative idea, it is not entirely possible for the idea to be
transformed into a product. For this particular product to be installed in the
market, the continuous effort of the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle is
needed for the trying out of the different prototypes and then modifying
them to satisfy the needs of the market. Every step, every process, every
activity is known as the Kaizen activity and it enhances the capability of the
organization. In summary, kaizen is an approach for the enhancement of the
capabilities of organizations.
Fundamentals of Policy and System Development for the dissemination
of Kaizen
In a lot of countries around the world, Kaizen has been disseminated under
the leadership of the government, though private organizations took the
initiatives of the quality and productivity movement and the Total Quality
Control (TQC). Kaizen was implemented by Japanese companies without
help and also the expansion of their businesses overseas. They also hired
foreign consultants when the need arose. Considering Africa’s current
industrial level, which is increasing by the day, not many companies and
organizations can undertake these measures. Also, low management
capabilities with little or no recognition of the importance of improvement
prevent the private sector from taking the Kaizen dissemination initiative.
In many countries in the world, kaizen activities are carried out under the
assistance of kaizen promotion firms that are within the framework of the
public support system.
The government works on the improvement of quality and productivity
while adding support measures that target different countries and their
organizations as part of their industrial policy. According to research, the
manufacturing companies are not actually the ones that need productivity
and quality improvement. It is also required in the service industry as well
as in the public sector. Do you know that the need for productivity and
quality improvement is also needed in the lives of the general public? This
gives reason to why it is important for the spread of kaizen thereby
promoting the changes in the attitude of people towards productivity and
quality as a movement worldwide. An example is the government-led
dissemination and promotion of kaizen in Ethiopia and Singapore which
resulted in highly successful results.
Activities Necessary for the Promotion of Kaizen

1. Policy and Finance Support By Relevant Government

Agencies
For nationwide dissemination of kaizen, the first step is to involve the
selection of some organizations that are responsible for the development of
mechanisms and systems that support the activities of kaizen, secure and
train the human resources, otherwise referred to as kaizen trainers. To begin
these steps, the government is expected to implement policies to support the
promotion of kaizen and also to support operations and activities of the
promotion organizations of kaizen financially. Through understanding,
cooperation, and the demonstration of strong leadership of government
officials towards the dissemination of kaizen, it can be realized. With the
support of the government, the promotion organizations of kaizen can help
develop plans and strategies for the dissemination of kaizen in order to
secure the government’s approval. The plans and strategies must be in line
with the framework of the national development plan of the country. With
this, the kaizen can effectively spread throughout the country. During the
development of the framework of the dissemination system of kaizen, the
promotion organization of kaizen is expected to establish effective yet
detailed action plans with the national development plan of the country and
its industrial policies.

2. Kaizen Promotion Organizations’ Dissemination Activities

The activities of dissemination are to be carried out by every individual in
the company for the improvement of productivity and quality and also to
enhance the organizations’ capabilities and its industrial competitiveness.
The effectiveness of the activities of kaizen is to be recognized and
implemented continuously in order to establish the culture of Kaizen. The
creation of the kaizen culture through the dissemination and increase of
awareness is important for the kaizen dissemination as a national movement
in the country. It is expected for the promotion organizations of kaizen to
start with the communication of information and the increase of awareness
on its concept and significance to the world through the use of equipment
such as radio, bulletins, television, government-organized events, the
Internet and also Social Networking Service (SNS).
These promotion organizations should be able to organize conferences and
seminars for other organizations and companies so as to offer training and
consulting services when it is needed. In the introductory phase, it is
important to raise awareness by increasing opportunities for companies and
people in order to acquire more knowledge of kaizen. For future marketing
purposes, it is necessary to try to offer services at a low cost or free of
charge. It is an effective way of spreading the word and getting people to
listen. Another way of spreading the news and increasing awareness is to
organize kaizen conferences to commend Kaizen trainers and companies
that have been performing excellently.
Table 3.1: Some Kaizen Promotion Organizations and Their Structures
in Some Countries
No Countries Kaizen Promotion Ministry Roles
Organizations
Kenya
a. National a. Ministry of a. NPCC, an
Productivity East agency under
and African MEACLSP
Competitivenes Community administers
s Centre , Labor and productivity
(NPCC) Social improvement
b. Kenya Institute Protection programs
of Business (MEACLS across all
Training P) sectors.
(KIBT) b. Ministry of b. KIBT provides
Industry, BDS for
Trade, and MSMEs as
Cooperative their
s (MITC) beneficiaries.

Cameroon Small and Medium-sized Ministry of Small Offering BDS to small

Enterprises Promotion and Medium-sized and medium-sized
Agency (APME) Enterprises, Social enterprises (MSMEs) in
Economy  and every sector.
Handicrafts
(MINPMEESA)
Japan Each of the financially
a. Union of independent
Japanese organizations listed to
the left-hand side works
Scientists and on dissemination and
Engineers kaizen promotion.
(JUSE)
b. Japan
Productivity
Center (JPC)
c. Japan Institute
of Plant
Maintenance
(JIPM)

Zambia Kaizen Institute of Ministry of

Zambia (KIZ) Commerce, trade, a. The
and Industry beneficiaries
(MCTI)
are
organizations,
small, medium-
sized and large.
 b. The country’s
national plan
seeks quality
improvement
in every sector.

Singapore Ministry of Trade

a. Singapore and Industry (MTI) a. The current
Productivity government
Association aims to
(SPA) internationalize
b. Singapore SMEs and also
Innovation and promote shifts
Productivity towards a
Institute Pte. higher value-
Ltd. (SiPi) added sub-
c. Singapore sector.
Productivity b. The
Centre (SPC) productivity
d. SPRING Movement
Singapore started in 1980.
(Standards, Since that time,
Productivity the country has
and Innovation been promoting
Board) human
resources
development
for the
government-
led industry.
c. The
government is
actively
offering
subsidies for
different
businesses.

Tunisia Ministere de
a. Centre l’Industrie et du a. The
Technique de Commerce beneficiaries
l’Emballage et are mainly
du medium and
Conditionneme large-sized
nt (PACKTEC) manufacturing
b. Unite de enterprises.
Gestion du
 Programme b. MIC’s policy s
National de to aid medium
Promotion de la and large-sized
Qualite en manufacturing
Tunisie (UGPQ) businesses
c. Centre enhances their
Technique de la quality and
Chimie (CTC) also
d. Centre competitivenes
Technique du s in order to
textile expand the
(CETTEX) European
e. Centre market.
Technique des
Industries
Mecaniques at
Electriques
(CETIME)

Tanzania Ministry of
a. Small Industries Industry, Trade, and a. DID support
Development Investment (MITI) the
Organization manufacturing
(SIDO) industry, small,
b. Department of medium-sized
Industrial and large
Development businesses.
(DID) b. SIDO supports
c. Tanzania kaizen MSMEs.
Unit (TKU)
d. College of
Business
Education
(CBE)

Ethiopia
a. TVET Institutes a. Ministry of a. EKI supports
b. Ethiopia kaizen Education both medium
Institute (EKI) Regional and large-sized
c. Kaizen Governmen businesses.
Regional t (MERG) b. It aims to
Institutes b. Ministry of disseminate
Public and spread
Service and kaizen into
Human every business
Resource sector.
Developme
 nt
(MPSHRD)

Costa Rica National technical

University-Technical a. The technical
Instructor and Personnel assistance are
Training center (UTN-
CECAPRO) conducted for
the Dominican
Republic and
El Salvador.
b. They provide
paid training
and consulting
services when
necessary.

Thailand Thailand Productivity Ministry of Industry TPI is an organization

Institute (TPI) (MOI) that helps oversee the
productivity
improvement
movement in the
country, thereby
providing programs and
also consulting for
other organizations
including the private
enterprises.
 3. Training Kaizen Trainers
While trying to disseminate kaizen through the use of publicity tools and
seminars in order to stimulate demand for kaizen, it is important to train
Kaizen trainers who are to provide services that are kaizen-related to meet
the created demands of the company. The kaizen trainers can be employees
of the promotion organizations or even private consultants who have
already completed their training which was conducted by kaizen promotion
organizations. It is important and expected of them to acquire theoretical
knowledge through Classroom Training and also obtain practical skills
through In-Company Training. Such knowledge can be acquired in
vocational schools, higher education institutions and other institutions of
learning. Some practical methods of kaizen and techniques can be acquired
by practically applying them through In-Company Training; so, prospective
trainers must gain as much practical experience as possible to gain practical
skills that would allow them to deal with issues related to kaizen. The level
of kaizen techniques that are required in business areas in a country differs
depending on the level of industrial development of the country. For this
particular reason, it is advised that they must determine the scope of
training to develop and enhance the contents which come in form of
manuals, textbooks, curriculums, guidelines, etc., based on the needs of the
enterprises. Kaizen trainers are divided into two; those who belong to the
private sector and those who belong to public agencies. As they are of
different types, it is necessary that kaizen promoting countries provide
strategic training for them and also to document the roles in which they are
expected to play when providing individuals in companies their consulting
services.

4. Consulting Services to Support Businesses

Once the creation of a level of kaizen demands through activities created
for awareness and dissemination, the trainers are to provide consulting
services for companies and other organizations in the selected countries.
The activities are to be conducted through concerted team efforts among
every individual in the company and the kaizen trainers and not via the
efforts of the trainers alone. For these activities to be implemented
effectively and to bury its roots in the organization, the trainers should be
able to conduct training on the various levels of management. While the
training is in progress, it is vital to allow employees to develop mindsets to
think and also conduct activities of their own and also make the
management support the activities.
The promotion organizations of kaizen are to be able to organize a series of
events in order to share the outcome of kaizen to the public. For the support
of businesses, it is important to make use of some mechanisms so as to
encourage voluntary promotion activities.

5. Collection, Analysis, Review, And Release Of Data

Once kaizen activities have been implemented in various organizations, the
outcome is to be collected, analyzed, reviewed thoroughly in order to see
and understand the impact of the activities on businesses in each company
kaizen was implemented before releasing the data. Sorting through the
kaizen data by business size and the industry provides the private sector, the
general public and the government with useful information on the
contribution the dissemination has on national welfare and the economic
growth of the country. The data generated can help encourage the
companies to sustain and maintain continuous kaizen activities and top use
that opportunity to motivate companies that are striving to meet them.
It is expected that the data generated from the kaizen activities should be
quantitative for an easier understanding of the degree of impacts. This can
also be achieved if the promotional organizations of kaizen have a
mechanism and the capability to collect and accumulate the right yet
reliable data. In addition to this, it is important to study and compile
qualitative outcomes too. Some of these qualitative outcomes are the
employee’s attitude, mindset and mentality with the customer satisfaction
levels as a bonus. Every kaizen activity is expected to increase the
dissemination of kaizen and also improve the productivity and quality of
industries and organizations, thereby enhancing the industry in the country
and also their competitiveness. It is somewhat difficult to measure the
impact the activities of kaizen have made directly for the growth and
enhancement of the competitiveness of industries and the reduction in the
unemployment rate and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. The
promotion organizations of kaizen should aid in the implementation of
kaizen and its accumulated data in other companies in order to present
visible results. Kaizen activities allow for the enhancement of the capacity
of industries, help build credibility and achieve social recognition.  Such
activities can be conducted intensively and more extensively in every
society when it is done with the help of a wide range of stakeholders which
includes trade associations, government-affiliated organizations, financial
institutions, educational institutions and private instructions also. With this,
it is advisable to build strategic partnerships with stakeholders.
I believe that with the understanding of how kaizen can be disseminated, we
would see its importance and use it wisely. Before the government can be
allowed to put in their efforts continuously, it is very important for them to
be ready to support kaizen activities and to show how committed they are. 
There are things that are to be considered in order for the government to
assist the promotion organizations. They are;

a. How can kaizen promotion organizations be selected?

b. Budgetary measures
c. Strong leadership of high-ranking government officials

How to Select Kaizen Promotion Organizations

This is the first area in which the government can demonstrate its
commitment. New organizations established specifically for kaizen can be
used as a kaizen promotion organization, or better still, new tasks can be
assigned by the government (the dissemination of kaizen) to already
existing support organizations that provide BDS. A kaizen promotion
organization can even be a technical assistance organization. Decisions that
are to be made on any kaizen promotion organization should be according
to the development agenda and the policies of the particular country. There
are certain items on which kaizen promotion organizations should be
considered. They are as follows;

i. Careful selection of agencies that would oversee the

selected kaizen promotion organizations.
ii. Consistency with existing support organizations’ policies
and industrial policies.
iii. Mission, vision, plan, and strategy of the organizations.
iv. The legal status of the organizations.
 v. The structure of the organizations which include the staffs,
offices, address, financial resources, etc.
vi. The systems that would aid in the monitoring of outcomes
and activities.
vii. The objectives and roles of the organizations.
viii. Partnership with the private sector and other stakeholders
which include research institutes, industry associations,
educational institutions, etc.
ix. The operations of the organizations which would determine
whether they are to be made temporary organizations or
permanent ones.
Budgetary Measures
The securing of the budget for operations to begin is a very important issue.
Due to less funding for the dissemination of kaizen in developing countries,
the operations of the kaizen promotion organizations have been disrupted.
When kaizen promotion organizations are yet to produce tangible results, it
is difficult to secure a sufficient budget. Sometimes, when a small budget is
secured, most, if not all of it goes into personnel costs, administrative
expenses and the rest would not be enough to fit the kaizen promotion
activities bill. Because of this, the fees they charge from seminars and
consulting services are in view of their public nature. This sometimes
prevents kaizen promotion organizations from being financially
independent, able to obtain funds themselves.
As this has become a problem, it is expected that the government
implement systems which would enable kaizen promotion organizations
implement their activities and produce perfect outcomes and also monitor
their impact on the economy of the nation and the industries too; some of
which include human resources development, creation of employment
opportunities for the people, economic effect and also the enhancement of
industrial competitiveness.
With these outcomes, they should act as a boost for the government to
allocate the right amount of money to support the promotion organizations
and their activities in the next budget cycle. If it seems less possible for the
government to secure a sufficient budget for the promotion of kaizen
activities, another way of raising funds can be by asking donors to bear the
expenses for kaizen activities or charging those who would want to be
beneficiaries of the seminars or their consulting services or even the
companies in order for them to pay the subsidies of the government.
Though this is a good idea, it is not the only way the kaizen promotion
organizations can be financially supported by the government. They can be
indirectly supported by the government by establishing the right legal
systems and policies and also improving access to financial resources.
Strong Leadership of High-Ranking Government Officials
Knowing how to select kaizen promotion organizations and taking
budgetary measure are great ways for the government to show commitment
but above all, having strong leadership from government officials held in
high esteem, some of which include the prime ministers and other ministers
in power, is a best way of letting the public give listening ears to the gospel
of kaizen and also spread the word throughout the nation. The high-ranking
government officials can also try to incorporate kaizen into the policies of
the nation. It is said that without the implementation of kaizen into the
nations’ code of conduct or whatever name they give to it, the people of that
particular country would not take it seriously. It might even be seen as a
fraudulent act; also, the government work to ensure it is brought down but
once they become educated about it for their own growth and development,
they would try to imbibe it in their legal systems.
Let us use Singapore as a case study;
In 1980, after the late Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew successfully
introduced kaizen to the country; they launched the “Learn from Japan
Campaign” a year later as they saw Japan as their role model based on the
recognition that they achieved rapid economic development immediately
after the war. As part of a program, they decided to disseminate kaizen
activities throughout the country. There were some major factors that
enabled the introduction and successful modernization of kaizen. The
policies of the country which consistently supported the move while Prime
Minister Lee was still in power were one of the major factors.
More detailed information;
The dissemination of kaizen in Singapore began in 1981. It began when the
National Productivity Board (NPB) which was established under the
Economic Development Board decided to intensify their efforts for the
productivity movement which incorporated the Japanese productivity
improvement methods and labor management. The productivity movement
was initiated by the late Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew. He announced the
policy which was to be for the development of a skilled workforce for
industries. He made it clear that it would be part of a measure for the
promotion of the economic growth of the country and they would do so by
following the productivity improvement movement in Japan which had
already achieved remarkable growth.
In 1893, the Productivity Development Project was launched and over a
period of seven years, it was extended. Among the people/organizations that
completed the project training, about 28 of them served as Kaizen trainers
for the provision of assistance for smaller companies. After the project was
completed, they just did not put a stop to it; instead, the country continued
to serve as a consultant for a fee. About half of the fees they charged were
covered by the subsidies of the government and this made many companies
use the service. By 1993, the productivity movement had attained its peak
and it was at that time, the Productivity Standard Board (PSB) was
established. They began to provide different forms of BDS and kaizen-
related services.
Soon, PSB grew into a very large organization, having about 1,500 staff in
order to provide a wider range of BDS. In 2002, the government than
reorganized it into different organizations which included  PSB
Corporations serving as a provider of services and the policy development
body, Standards, Productivity, and Innovation Board (SPRING Singapore).
The Singapore government then shifted its priority from the promotion of
innovation from the improvement of productivity. The promotion of
innovation was in accordance with the changes made in the industrial
structure of the country and also the economic development level, even
though the productivity of most SMEs still needs improvement.
After the reorganization has been successfully implemented, SPRING
remained as a national agency while there was a separation in the
organizations that provide kaizen services. They were private as PSB
Corporations. This made PSB Corporations to begin to provide their own
version of kaizen. They customized what has already been learned through
the projects done and provided a combination of different BDS services in
the country. They called it the Singaporean Kaizen.
Later on, PSB Corporations were dissolved, leaving the country with a
reformed system with services being provided through the cooperation of
SPRING and other organizations willing to partner with them. As private
entities, PSB Corporations decided to respond to the needs of companies
and then involved private consultants in the process. This was done by
developing and providing different kaizen services. This is one of the
reasons why SPRING was able to collaborate with other organizations and
to date, there are wider ranges of SME support services in Singapore.
Moving on;
Another major factor is public dialogues which included government
officials. In Ethiopia, this dialogue was actualized by late Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi and the Prime Minister after him, Prime Minister
Hailemariam Desaleghne. They had a very strong interest in kaizen and this
allowed for the incorporation of the dissemination of kaizen into the
development plans of the nation.
More details on the start-up of Kaizen Promotion Organizations in Ethiopia;
In 2008, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, at that time, participated in the
Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD
IV) which was in Yokohama. After that, he requested assistance from the
Japanese government for the industrial development of the country at the
Africa Task Force Meeting of the Policy Dialogue Initiative in Addis
Ababa. Japan responded a year later by starting two projects, the Japan-
Ethiopia industrial policy dialogue and technical cooperation for developing
planning in the country.
The start of these projects brought about different discussions on the
establishment of a unit in Ethiopia which was under the jurisdiction of the
Prime Minister of Ethiopia at the time, Meles Zenawi. Ethiopia used
experiences of SPRING Singapore as a case study, which was a successor
of the then introduced NPB, an organization that had been supported by
japan to help improve the productivity and quality of the country’s products
through kaizen from 1981. The Ethiopians were very inspired by the
commitment of the Singaporean government, which was a national
movement that had emphasized the importance of instilling the kaizen
philosophy into the mind of their people and the Ethiopians made rapid but
steady efforts to inculcate and disseminate kaizen as a movement in the
nation. With great determination and strategy of the Director-General of the
EKI, Mr. Getahun Tadesse, there was a great contribution to the successful
dissemination of kaizen in Ethiopia. He focused greatly on some activities
for kaizen dissemination. The activities are as follows;

a. Japanese experts worked on about 30 companies to help

ingrain the activities of kaizen and to also train other members
of the kaizen unit through ICT and CRT. The outcome of this
training was then reported through an extensive campaign by
mass media.
b. About 10 people were hired from technical centers under the
Ministry of Industry for the establishment of the kaizen Unit.
c. The development and establishment of the vision for the
dissemination of Kaizen in the country as the nation’s policy.
d. As a part of the technical cooperation project, the 10 people
selected were trained by Japanese experts to acquire
knowledge and understand the methods of kaizen, and also to
form core members for the dissemination of kaizen.
There was focus on the building of institutional foundations, the raising of
awareness about kaizen campaigns, and also the development of the
dissemination plans from the beginning which led to the winning of the
government leaders’ commitment and the promotion of kaizen. This
promotion also led to the enablement of more institutional development and
expansion of the kaizen unit. The selected members of the unit who were
trained by experts acquired not only the methods of kaizen but they
implemented the kaizen promotion activities, established the dissemination
of networks which involve their technical centers (home organizations),
developed dissemination plans, trained pilot enterprises that were in
collaboration with technical centers, and public relations activities. Efforts
were combined together by every individual in order to establish the EKI,
and those efforts also contributed to the strengthening of the EKI
organization and the present successful outcomes of the kaizen
dissemination.
Though these examples tell of how the government officials (Prime
Ministers) embraced and took the initiative of kaizen to support it, the
Prime Ministers in other countries may not share the same minds as they
did as they might not be able to select kaizen on their own initiative or
adopt it in the policy of their respective nations. How can they go about it?
The primary key here is how to approach other government officials for
support in the kaizen programmer. Once this is done, it is important to also
establish the right mechanisms for the analysis and evaluation of the
outcome of the activities of kaizen both qualitatively and quantitatively and
also to report whatever findings there are to the high-ranking government
officials when necessary. The expression of the impact of kaizen in
monetary values can help the individuals in power to be able to explain to
the public the importance and significance of incorporating and
implementing kaizen into the policy of the nation, thereby promoting it as a
government-led support program for businesses. Also, by gaining the
support and understanding of the public, they can help promote kaizen with
greater leadership and confidence.
 Chapter Four

The dissemination of Kaizen

Kaizen Dissemination Stages
The kaizen dissemination stages are divided into three; the introduction
stage, the dissemination, and the full-fledged stage. There are certain points
to note when considering these stages;
First, the introduction stage is the trial stage having very limited resources.
During the introduction stage, it is possible that the activities of kaizen are
conducted on a pilot basis, thereby making the right use of the limited
resources there is. For kaizen to be spread all over, the production of
tangible results every step of the way, based on an already set plan is
important instead of being aggressive and extensive when trying to do
everything at once. The dissemination stage has to do with the
dissemination of kaizen through the right human resource, systems,
organization and policies. The full-fledged stage is where the utilization of
the resources of the private sector, the securing of financial independence as
a program occurs.
During the first two stages, the introduction and dissemination stage, the
kaizen promotion organizations direct the dissemination of kaizen. Once the
foundation of dissemination has been developed during the introduction and
dissemination stage, the full-fledged stage which is for the dissemination of
kaizen comes next. During this stage, the collaboration with the nation’s
private sector becomes very much required.
The dissemination of kaizen by the private sector is not entirely easy. In
Africa, not every local company can afford the consulting fees for kaizen.
The promotion of kaizen through the activities of private organizations
becomes difficult in countries where the industries are not fully developed.
As it is desirable, the government should try and encourage the private
sector of the nation to be very much involved in all their effort in the
dissemination of kaizen so as to create demand for any kaizen-related
activities. There is the need to establish a system for the outsourcing of
some of the operations of the public sector to the private sector and also
develop the dissemination structure of kaizen that makes use of the private-
sector capabilities.
Characteristics of the Mobilization of the Private Sector for the
Dissemination of Kaizen

i.
There are different types of technical services that cannot be
offered by public organizations but can be provided by private
organizations.
ii.
Private organizations under a few legal restrictions tend to use
their discretion when deciding on the fee to be collected for
consultation and for training contents. This allows them to
accommodate the requests and situations of private companies
flexibly.
iii.
Before private companies offer consulting services as a business,
they are free to charge higher for technical assistance.
iv.
The top executives in private industry are not as vulnerable to the
influences of the political factors or government budgets as those
in the public sector.
v.
Private organizations can provide services that are not covered
by the networks of public organizations.
vi.
Since the private sectors are financially independent, receiving no
public funding, the members of the private industries are aware of
the need for self-sustaining growth for their business. With this,
they are very motivated to expand their businesses for the increase
of the life span of their organizations.

Human Resource Development System as it relates to Kaizen

Since the beginning of this book, the term “human resource” has been
mentioned in a couple of sentences.
Before one can become a qualified kaizen trainer, there are some
qualifications for attaining success in this area. There are two levels of
personnel that help provide consulting services and training for companies.
They are qualified kaizen consultants and kaizen trainers.
Kaizen trainers are people who have completed kaizen training. They are
classified into two; the basic kaizen trainers and the advanced kaizen
trainers. Personnel would be classified based on the course they have
already completed.
A qualified kaizen consultant is one who has passed the proposed kaizen
certification system. Once that is acquired, they are classified further into
kaizen consultant, senior kaizen consultant and then, principal kaizen
consultant. There are kaizen leaders who lead kaizen activities which
organizations which they belong to.
Table 4.1: Kaizen Leaders and their Activities
Qualified Kaizen Consultant
These are kaizen consultants who have been
Principal Kaizen Consultant promoted. They have management abilities, in
addition to their experience as senior kaizen
consultants.
These are trainers qualified to meet other
Senior Kaizen Consultant certification criteria.

They meet the other certification criteria under

Kaizen Consultant the consultant qualification certification system.

Kaizen Trainer
These are persons who have completed both the
Advanced Kaizen Trainer basic kaizen courses and the advanced ones.

These are individuals in the company that has

Basic Kaizen Trainer completed the basic kaizen courses.

Kaizen Leader The kaizen leaders are persons that have

completed the kaizen leader course and control
in-house kaizen activities.

I believe you now understand the rivers to cross in order to be top-ranking

kaizen personnel. What are the roles of these kaizen trainers?
 Table 4.2: Roles of Kaizen Leaders and Trainers
Kaizen Leader Kaizen Trainer
Definition Kaizen leaders are a staff A kaizen trainer is someone who
member(s) of the company or is not an employee of the
any public agency that company or organization. They
implements the activities of give guidance on the different
kaizen in the organization. kaizen activities from outside
They are trained directly by and not within the enterprise. As
kaizen trainers and experts and already mentioned, there are two
it plays a leading role in the types of kaizen trainers. They
activities of kaizen. are the bias can the advanced
kaizen trainers. The basic kaizen
trainers are in charge of offering
guidance on basic kaizen. An
example of basic kaizen is 5S.
The advanced kaizen trainers
give guidance on both basic and
advanced kaizen training for
enterprises of different sizes in
different locations.
Selection Criteria Anyone that meets the criteria Some of the criteria for selection
of kaizen can be selected by are;
the top management of the
industry. The criteria are; a. Have a Bachelors’
Degree or an
a. A group-leader with equivalent.
practical knowledge b. Be committed to the
and experience and improvement of
is able to productivity and
demonstrate quality at your
leadership for the workplace.
guidance of c. Have about three
employees at the years of work
workplace. experience.
b. The kaizen leader
can also be selected
from circle leaders.
This occurs if QCC
activities have
already been in
practice.

Activities Kaizen leaders play a leading Kaizen trainers identify

role in the carrying out of the problems in an enterprise or
activities of kaizen which have industry, they propose the
been proposed by kaizen relevant kaizen activities
 trainers and experts. They also required in the company and
organize QCCs for kaizen also instruct people on the
activities. application or implementation of
the kaizen techniques which
have been acquired from
advanced kaizen trainers or
experts.
Training Methods
a. In-Company a. In-Company Training
Training (ICT) at the pilot enterprise
b. Class-Room Training or company.
(CRT) on the basic b. Overseas training for
kaizen skills and kaizen trainers.
awareness on how to c. Class-Room Training
identify problems. (CRT).
c. Presentations at
kaizen conferences.

Evaluation The kaizen trainers or experts The kaizen trainers or experts

help evaluate the kaizen evaluate the kaizen trainers
leaders based on their candidates based on the result of
attendance at CRT, process and their skill maps, ICT
the results of the kaizen performances, and written
activities, the performance of examination.
the soon-to-be kaizen leaders
at kaizen conferences.

Kaizen Trainers Requirements

The requirements are divided into two capabilities; basic and specific
capabilities.
Basic capabilities Specific capabilities
Have a Bachelor’s degree or an Have skills and knowledge in specialized
equivalent with about three years of fields.
experience.
Have common social sense, language Have both knowledge and experience in fields
and mathematics ability, and particularly technology.
understanding.
Must have the ability to get things done Must have more than his or her share of
for the improvement of productivity and experience of guidance in the workplace.
quality. Must also have an inquiring
mind.
Communication skills are highly Must have report writing skills.
required.
Have management capabilities. Must have a major understanding of the
 concepts and methods of leadership and
kaizen.
Must be committed to the improvement Must have the ability and knowledge to
of productivity and quality in the provide guidance in fields of productivity and
workplace. quality. Must also have business management
skills.
Have negotiation skills, cooperativeness,
sociability, presentation skills and also
sympathy.
Must be able to provide solutions and
directions to problems and also have the
ability to cultivate human resources.

Specific capabilities are divided into related fields of productivity and

quality and also to the business management field. Considering the structure
of the industry in Africa and its level of corporate development, there are
certain scope and levels to cover in both fields;

a.
Knowledge in Productivity improvement and quality: Kaizen
trainers are expected to have the ability and knowledge that is
related to kaizen. Considering the general situations of the
industries in Africa, not every kaizen trainer is expected to have
acquired a high-level of kaizen-related skills. The basic kaizen
skills (Visual Control, 5S, etc.) are preferred especially for kaizen
in small-scale companies and micro-companies. Looking ahead to
the future, advanced kaizen skills (TPS, TQM, SMED, Layout,
etc.) are needed for the enhancement of international
competitiveness and also for the development of the industry.
b.
Knowledge in business management: Manager of the Medium,
Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) tend to lack the basic
knowledge of business management. Kaizen trainers are then
asked to provide business management advice in relation to kaizen
at workplaces both in the service and the manufacturing industry.
In order to assist such companies in the exploitation of outcomes
of the activities of kaizen for the growth and development of their
business, it is important to provide guidance on issues that are
related to business management. This simply means that the
 kaizen trainers should acquire skills that are related to productivity
and quality improvement and business management.
Below are some of the skills that are necessary for kaizen trainers. They are
organized into four modules two for each field;
Table 4.3: Skills Necessary for Kaizen Trainers
Productivity and quality fields Business management fields
Module I Module III

Introduction to Kaizen Critical Thinking

Productivity and Quality Basis of Management

Module IV
Visual Control

Production Planning Marketing

Kaizen Consulting Business Development

Basic 7QC Tools HRM & Organizational

Behavior

Inventory Control Accounting

5S Strategic Planning

Method Study

Waste Management

standardization
 QCC

Module II

Time Study

Line balance

SQC

TPS

TPM

Cost Management

Advanced 7QC Tools

Work Sampling

SMED

Layout

TQM

New 7QC Tools

As the module is arranged, this is the order in which they should be
completed. In order to help SMEs apply the skills of kaizen which is
learned from Module I that would allow them to grow and survive, the
skills and knowledge required in business management are needed. So, the
first modules to be studied are modules I and III, which are the bias kaizen
skills. Once they have been studied, the specialized methods for the
improvement of productivity and quality in a workplace in Module II
should come next. It constitutes a part of advanced kaizen. The acquisition
of deeper skills and knowledge on business management is covered by
Module IV. They are necessary for the advising of companies with better
workplace organization when trying to help them improve their
performance.
There are certain standard programs for kaizen trainers. The training
processes are as follows;
Table 4.4: Kaizen Training Programs
Training Process Objectives
Class-Room Training (CRT) Acquire the theory of skills which is necessary
for kaizen from experts or advanced kaizen
trainers.
In-Company Training (ICT) at pilot Learn and improve practical skills by giving
enterprises guidance to pilot enterprises.
Overseas Training (This is Optional) Improve the acquired skills by learning the
advanced experiences of other industries in
other countries.
Continuation of ICT at pilot enterprises Proffer more guidance to business and
enterprises; improve the ability to apply
acquired skills with the experience of learning
in overseas training.
Evaluation of Abilities Be evaluated on the level of skills that have
been acquired from the previous training
processes.
Kaizen Trainer Recognition Certification offered as having the capabilities
for the provision of kaizen guidance to
industries and for self and also to train lower-
level kaizen trainers if he or she is a student for
the advanced kaizen training.
Give kaizen guidance and train lower-level Proffer help and guidance to businesses and to
kaizen trainers continuously train lower-level kaizen trainers.
In the Training of trainers approach, the Japanese experts' train candidates
for advanced trainers at the beginning (first stage), then the Advanced
Trainers would train those who just completed the Basic training and
Advanced junior trainers. Advanced Trainers can also improve their own
skills and capacities through the training of the candidates.
In-Company Training (ICT)
This form of training is conducted with the guidance of the advanced
trainers or the Japanese experts in the form of on-site kaizen guidance for
businesses or enterprises to enable them to obtain the abilities to apply the
learned skills in the CRT.
Below shows the general flow of ICT activities conducted in kaizen
guidance form at the pilot enterprises;
ICT Activities ICT Items
Pilot Enterprise Selection Select the pilot organization or enterprise of
ICT based on the selected criteria.
CRT for Kaizen Leaders Train the leaders of the pilot organization.
CRT in the Enterprise Train every employee of the establishment and
QCC Setup set up QCC.
State Analysis Presentation With the help of the kaizen leaders, analyze the
Kaizen Themes determination present conditions quantitatively and determine
the themes for kaizen.
Base Line Setup Hold on to the current situation which is related
to the kaizen themes and also proffers help and
guide the baseline setting.
Kick-Off Guide the top managers of the establishment to
announce the commencement of kaizen
officially.
Implementation of Kaizen Guide the leaders of kaizen for problems under
the advanced kaizen trainers or Japanese
experts.
Confirmation of Result With the help of the kaizen leaders, confirm the
results of kaizen.
Standardization Guide to train every employee for the
standardization of new methods.
Result Presentation Be of assistance to the kaizen leaders to present
the results of kaizen at any kaizen conferences.
There are certain methods for the selection of pilot enterprises participating
in ICT.
Methods for the Selection of Pilot Enterprises Participating In the In-
Company Training

a. Determine the necessary requirements for the selection of pilot

companies.
b. Make a list of candidates of the pilot enterprise.
c. Visit enterprises for evaluation by;

Checking the site of the workplace. You can check the process
flow, work-in-process, maintenance, and operations of equipment,
quality, visual control, storage practiced at the workplace, etc.

Checking the business attitude of the top-level management,

the understanding of productivity and quality, the motivation of the
kaizen leaders or the QCC leaders as kaizen leader candidates,
strong interest in kaizen, awareness of the importance of kaizen
which is practiced at the workplace and employees’ consideration,
etc.

Identifying potential kaizen themes in which the visibility of

kaizen achievements would be obtained.

Confirming the degree of interest which is identified in the

kaizen themes through the exchange of opinions via conferences,
discussions, etc. with the top management and the already-
assigned kaizen leaders.

d. Select pilot enterprises.

e. Begin with the kaizen guidance for the selected pilot
enterprises.
How can pilot enterprises be evaluated? The evaluation is in the form of
numbers 1 to 5.

5 – Excellent
4 – Good
3 – Normal
 2 – Rather Poor
1 – Poor
Below is a sample of the Pilot Enterprise Evaluation sheet;
Table 4.5: Pilot Enterprise Evaluation Sheet
Items Required For Selection Evaluation Evaluation Marks
Contents
Top Problem Numeric goals 5: The issues and
Management consciousness and Policy. targets of the
enterprise are clear.
3: the issue and
targets of the
enterprise are
recognized to an
extent.
1: There is no
awareness of the
issues and targets.
Eagerness for Interest in 5: there is an effort
Kaizen Kaizen. to consider kaizen
as one of the
activities of the
enterprise.
3: there is interest
in Kaizen
1: there is no
interest.
Leadership A number of 5: subordinates are
visits to the led by example.
workshop and 3: Leadership is
office and the displayed
number of depending on the
directions for situation.
improvement 1: Everything is left
activities to on the
employees. subordinates.
Level of Excepted Themes Themes need to 5: Already have
Challenge and of Kaizen be reviewed to ideas on the kaizen
Kaizen Theme be agreed upon themes.
during the 3: have a rough
interview. idea on the kaizen
theme.
1: No idea
whatsoever is had.
 Implementation Degree of 5: The themes are
and Result implement- feasible and
ability and implementable.
feasibleness. 3: The themes are
feasible and
implementable to
an extent.
1: the
implementation of
the theme is low.
Kaizen Leader Leadership Leaders’ 5: there is
Experience strengths and personnel with
weaknesses. sufficient
leadership skills.
3: there is
personnel with
some leadership
skills.
1: there is no
personnel with
leadership skills.
Eagerness to The processes 5: there is strong
Kaizen and items you eagerness from the
want leaders to kaizen.
improvement 3: There is
on. eagerness from
some leaders to
kaizen.
1: There are no
leaders with
eagerness to
kaizen.
Electrical devices Examples are; 5: have sufficient
operating skills ability to use experience.
Microsoft Suite, 3: have some
digital cameras experience.
and also e-mails 1: Have no
and web experience.
browsers.
Kaizen Team Discussion and Examples are; 5: there are
meeting facilities. availability of sufficient facilities.
projectors, 3: there are meeting
employee rooms.
noticeboard, the 1: there are no
internet. facilities.
Whiteboard,
 pen, camera,
etc.
Team availability. The number of 5: The necessary
team members amount of time is
and teams, and spent on kaizen
how much time activities.
is spent on 3: Some amount of
kaizen activities. time is spent on
kaizen activities.
1: No time is spent
on Kaizen
activities.
Total Marks
Selection:
Yes/No

Some important evaluation viewpoints are;

i. The willingness to assign In-company personnel that is

suitable to uphold the task of being a kaizen leader.

ii. The capacity and willingness to accommodate an ICT team

with the inclusion of working facilities.
iii. The high commitment of the top managers in order to
conduct kaizen to improve productivity and quality.
iv. Knowing whether to include organizations or companies
when targeting every sector in the service of public sectors
and service as well as those in the manufacturing sector of
the nation.
v. The willingness to provide the right management data and
also to disclose the kaizen training results in conferences or
other kaizen occasions.
vi. The stability of the business and management to be able to
implement kaizen and also check effects for verification.
vii. Permission for video recording and photographing which
is required for the activity of consultation.
The art of choosing the right field leader is very important for the adoption
of kaizen activities as a daily practice. Good leadership and decision-
making leaders fully committed to productivity and quality improvement
and also the activities of kaizen are necessary in order to boost the morale
of the remaining employees of the organization.
In-Company Training for Basic Trainers
It is important that due to the multiple candidates for training, these
candidates are divided into teams and the ICT is conducted on a per-team
basis. For the effectiveness of training, and the ease of conducting the
kaizen activities, there should be about 2-4 people in one team or 3-5
people, including the senior Advances Trainer or an expert.
If the technical guidance for the pilot enterprise takes at least half a day per
session, it is realistic for an ICT team to visit one selected pilot enterprise
daily. This is in consideration of the fact that there might be a necessity for
each selected pilot enterprise to carry out kaizen activities proposed by the
team. It is appropriate to visit once every two weeks. Each team should be
able to visit about three companies weekly, having six companies as the
target number of pilot enterprises. It is also necessary to produce a visible
Kaizen effect by visiting about 20 times having it at the back of your mind
that a standard ICT period is 18 weeks. Summing it up, a standard training
period for Basic trainers is 6 months. The 6 months would comprise of 2
weeks for CRT, 3 weeks for the selection of pilot enterprises, I week for
CRT for kaizen leaders, and 18 weeks for ICT.
In the activities of kaizen, the implementation process and the outcome are
very important. They are necessary for the measurement of activity results
in numerical terms such as the productivity improvement rate and the
number of QCCs.
Table 4.6: Basic Trainer Activities for the Implementation of Kaizen
Activities at the visitation  to enterprise Activities within the consulting team
Kaizen Training I
Confirming  the problems found
Inspection of the site with kaizen and suggestions
leaders Study for suggestions on the next
Finding problems and suggestions visit
Meeting with QCC members Report writing of consultations
and submission

Kaizen Training II
 Inspection of the site with the Confirming the progress of
Kaizen leader suggested items
Confirming progress and suggested Conforming problems and
items suggestions
Finding problems and suggestions Study for suggestions at next visit
Meeting with QCC members Report writing of consultations
and submission of the report.

Kaizen Training III

Confirming the progress of
Inspection of the site with kaizen suggested items
leader Conforming problems and
Confirming the progress of suggestions
suggested items Study for suggestions at next visit
Finding problems and suggestions Report writing of consultations
Meeting with QCC members and submission of the report.

Kaizen Training IV
Confirming the progress of
Inspection of the site with kaizen suggested items
leader Confirming kaizen results
Confirming the progress of Report writing of consultations
suggested items and submission of the report
Confirming the kaizen results Consulting review
Meeting with QCC members
Assisting for standardization
Assisting for presentation

Basic trainers are expected to compile a consulting report on guidance such

as problems found and recommendations after every visit that is being
submitted for each company. Once that is completed, a case sheet should be
prepared for each company.
During ICT, the following key points are to be adhered to;

a. The objective of each kaizen activity in pilot enterprises is to

provide In-Company Training for the kaizen trainers as well as
verifying the effectiveness of kaizen. This should not be
forgotten.
b. Advice and guidance for kaizen trainers should not be
provided in the presence of the employees of the pilot
 enterprise so it would not cause them, to doubt the capacity of
the trainers.
c. When a visit is made to the pilot enterprises, a team leader
should be appointed to be a form of contact for the particular
enterprise. The person appointed is responsible for the
preparation of case sheets and consulting reports.
d. Consulting reports should be sent to the selected pilot
enterprise with enough time in-between before the next visit.
e. The consulting reports should include the provision of advice
in a cumulative and chronological order to make the reader
understand the process of consulting service.
ICT for Advanced Trainers
This is basically conducted in about 6 pilot enterprises with the same
procedures meant for the Basic Trainers except for the time it takes for ICT,
selection of the pilot enterprises and CRT are longer. The reason for this is
because the training incorporates certain subjects and themes with higher
technical levels making it difficult for them to find the right pilot
enterprises. Also, the long hours are needed in order to obtain the right
effects from the activities of kaizen. For Advanced Trainers, the standard
training period is about a year. It consists of 3 weeks of CRT, 1 week for
CRT for top managers and kaizen leaders, 4 weeks for the selection of pilot
enterprises and also 40 weeks for ICT. The time for training both Advanced
and Basic Trainers is based on the information and experience obtained
from implementing kaizen in countries, specifically in Africa. 
Class-Room Training (CRT)
This training simply lectures which are provided by Advanced Trainers or
experts prior to ICT, basically for the purpose of educating the required
theoretical elements of skills to both Advanced Trainers and Basic Trainers
alike.
The first stage for CRT is prepared by experts; the next stage is for the
Advanced Trainers to revise the textbooks. This is important as it is to be
in-step with the progress of the dissemination of kaizen.
Table 4.7: ClassRoom Training for Basic Trainers
Days Classification Time (9:00am to 12:00pm) Time (1:00pm to
4:00pm)
 1 Basic Kaizen Productivity and Quality Productivity and
Quality
2 Basic Kaizen Kaizen Kaizen
3 Basic Kaizen 5S Visual Control
4 Basic Kaizen Muda-Dori (Waste QCC
Management)
5 Basic Kaizen Basic 7QC Tools Inventory Control
6 Basic Kaizen Production Planning Production Planning
7 Basic Kaizen Method Study Method Study
8 Basic Kaizen Standardization Kaizen Consulting
9 Basic BM Kaizen Consulting Basic of Management
10 Basic BM Critical Thinking Critical Thinking
Total 60 hours (10 days)

Table 4.8: ClassRoom Training for Advanced Trainers

Days Classification Time (9:00am to Time (1:00pm to
12:00pm) 4:00pm)
1 Advanced Kaizen SQC SQC
2 Advanced Kaizen Advanced 7QC Tools New 7QC Tools
3 Advanced Kaizen New 7QC Tools SMED
4 Advanced Kaizen Time Study Work Sampling
5 Advanced Kaizen Line Balance Layout
6 Advanced Kaizen Cost Management Cost Management
7 Advanced Kaizen TQM TQM
8 Advanced Kaizen TPM TPM
9 Advanced Kaizen TPS TPS
10 Advanced BM Accounting Accounting
11 Advanced BM Marketing Marketing
12 Advanced BM Human Resource Human Resource
Management Management
13 Advanced BM Strategic Planning Strategic Planning
14 Advanced BM Business Development Business Development
15 Wrap up Group Discussion Group Presentation
Total 90 hours (15 days)

Kaizen-related Human Resource Development (HRD) Program

Management
To ensure smooth training for both Advanced and Basic Trainers, there are
some activities and actions that are to be undertaken. These activities range
from the planning stage to the implementation stage.
Planning Stage

i. Formulation of HRD plan: The objectives of every kaizen

trainer, the number of people to be trained and the training
schedules are to be determined in this stage.
ii. Securing Advanced Trainers or experts as instructors:
Possible candidates for this stage are experts in third countries
(Japanese experts inclusive) and those from countries
concerned who have been trained and also recognized to have
the equivalent ability of the experts from the third countries.
iii. Securing Trainees: The trainees can either be staff members
of the kaizen promotion organizations or those belonging to
related agencies or even people who are participating from the
private sector. Trainees from related agencies are expected to
go back to their previous positions in the company after the
kaizen-related activity training. This should be in agreement
with regard to the second commandment to kaizen
implementation organizations as required.  As for the trainees
from the private sector, there should be a clarification of future
careers to determine whether they may be hired by the
promotion organizations as advanced trainers of Basic
Trainers.
iv. Training fees determination: This is a very important factor
to be determined. It is an important factor for the participation
of those from the private sector. This should not be a big
problem for those who belong to the implementation
organization of kaizen or other related government agencies.
v. Treatment of Trainees Decision: It is of basic importance to
decide on the treatment of trainees. Such treatment means
payment standards for food, allowance availability, daily
allowance and accommodation for visit to companies in remote
locations.
vi. Preparation of materials and equipment for CRT: Teaching
materials required for CRT are prepared in presentation
software; some of which are Microsoft PowerPoint, Slide
Sheets, etc. For this to happen there should be the provision of
 a Personal Computer and a Projector in addition to a marker
and a whiteboard.
vii. Workspace securing: It is a very important point to secure
meeting rooms that would be needed for ICT and CRT-related
meetings with workspace fort the preparation of consulting
reports, and other required documents for every trainee.
viii. Selection of pilot enterprises for ICT: It is important to
decide on how to allocate pilot enterprises for ICT between
regions, sectors, and sizes.
ix. Securing mode of transportation: It is very important to
secure vehicles that would be needed for the transporting of
ICT teams for their visits to pilot enterprises assigned to them
as the equipment might be located in remote places. When
there is simultaneous on-site guidance conduction between two
or more teams, it is a duty to secure vehicles for as many as
their number is.

CRT Implementation Stage

a. Attendance Check: When there is proper attendance, it

constitutes a recognition requirement for both Advanced and
Basic Trainers.
b. Monitoring: This is made in regards to whether the instructors
conduct a lecture in an interactive way, whether there are
lively exchanges of ideas and experiences among one another,
etc.
c. Evaluation: A questionnaire survey should be conducted to
hear the different opinions of the trainees and also reflect on
them in the next CRT program as is required.

ICT Implementation Stage

a. Trainees Participation: When there is proper attendance, it

constitutes a recognition requirement for both Advanced and
Basic Trainers.
b. Progress of Kaizen activities confirmation.
c. Evaluation of the kaizen guidance by the pilot enterprise
through hearing or questionnaire surveys.
 d. Recognition of Advanced and Basic Trainers: For this to
occur, decisions are to be made before the handing over of the
certificates of recognition.

Recognition requirements for both Advanced and Basic Trainers

Once the training has been completed, recognition is made to determine or
confirm those who are qualified to be either Advanced or Basic Trainers.
An example is shown below;
Table 4.9: Recognition Requirements for Kaizen Trainers
CRT
Attendance Ratio: 90% and above
Written examination: 65 marks and above
ICT
Number of pilot companies to give Kaizen guidance: 5 companies and above for both Advanced
and Basic Trainers
Number of visits to pilot companies:

a. Total visits with an expert: 805 and above

b. Visits by Advanced or Basic trainers alone: at least once a month for each
company

Number of Kaizen guidance cases: Two and above per company

Report Submission for each visit: 100%
Case sheet submission: one or more case sheets per company
SKILL LEVEL
Evaluation by skill map: 3.5 points and above on average, 2.0 points and above for all selected
skills
TRAINING PERIOD
Training Period:

a. Basic Trainers: 6 months

b. Advanced Trainers: 1 year once they have been certified as Kaizen Trainers

Attendance for regular meetings with an expert: 70% and above.

Certification System for Kaizen Consultants

Undergoing training as a kaizen trainer does not only build your capacity to
implement kaizen to other enterprises in the country in order to aid in the
improvement of productivity and quality but in the transfer of skills and
knowledge from Advanced Trainers to Basic Trainers that would help
contribute in the increase in the dissemination of kaizen from the point of
view of the human resources development. It does not only guarantee the
sustainability of the dissemination of kaizen but to go one step further and
implement the certification system of kaizen. A major advantage of this
certification system is to allow kaizen trainers to be motivated by helping
them see a clearer career path. Such certification can be used as benchmarks
for clients in selecting the right kaizen consultant they require. Advanced
Trainers who have completed the training programs of both Advanced and
Basic Trainers are eligible for the application for certification as kaizen
consultants. Below are the requirements for the different kaizen consultant
titles;
Table 4.10: Requirements for Kaizen Consultant Titles
Kaizen Consultant Titles Qualification Requirements
Principal kaizen Consultant
a. To complete both basic and
advanced kaizen courses and also
have kaizen consulting experience of
about 5,000 hours.
b. To pass the oral and written
examinations.

Senior Kaizen Consultant

a. To complete both Basic and
Advanced Kaizen courses and have
a kaizen consulting experience of
about 3,000 hours.
b. To pass the oral and written
examinations.

Kaizen Consultant
a. To complete both Basic and
Advanced Kaizen courses and have
a kaizen consulting experience of
about 1,000 hours.
b. To pass the oral and written
examinations.

It is better to link the certification systems to the training curriculum for

every kaizen trainer. Basic Trainers spend approximately 500 hours for
kaizen guidance during training while Advanced Trainers spend
approximately 1,500 hours for kaizen guidance during training.
The Establishment and Management of the Certification System
For the development of the standards for certification, it is ideal to
determine who conducts the certification examinations and how it is done in
advance. Also, it is ideal to determine the interval and the conditions to
review for the renewal and the expiration date of the certification to ensure
the credibility of the consultants and what qualities they possess.
For the successful establishment and management of kaizen consultant
certification, consider the following items;

a. The establishment of a certification board: The certification

system has to maintain very high levels of objectivity and
fairness if it is intended for those in the private sector
including the staff members of the kaizen promotion
organizations. It is also ideal for the inclusion of the
representatives from agencies, ministries and other external
organizations. The certification board should operate mainly
with three positions which would be explained below with
guidance committee members being at the top level of the
structure, hierarchically.

The certification board guidance committee members:

They need to have broad and in-depth knowledge in kaizen
and should be able to establish the certification system.
Necessary revisions to the system can be made after its
establishment whenever such a situation arises.
Certification examination members: These set of people
should be able to prepare the written examinations and also
evaluate the test-takers’ ability during oral examinations
appropriately. They are also the ones who would determine
whether the certification should be renewed. This is done by
monitoring the activities after the certification has been
acquired by the trainers. Consulting activity reports which
have been prepared by the applicants are checked and
 interviews can be conducted with the enterprises which have
been enlisted in the reports for confirmation.
Certification board secretariat: They perform regular
monitoring and administer the certification exam after the
certification has been granted.

b. The development of a kaizen consultant certification

system by the certification board: For the establishment of a
kaizen consultant certification system, the certification board
is responsible for such actions, the details and also the
conditions of the certification. It is highly recommended to
prepare a chart to present the levels of difficulty and the scope
with regards to the skills and knowledge essential as
certification criteria for kaizen guidance.
c. The management of the certification system: For the
continuous operation of the certification system, it is ideal to
consider incentives for the certification holders. It may be
somewhat difficult for the certification to be set as an
occupational license for giving kaizen guidance to others. It is
however effective and possible to establish policy measures;
some of which can be introducing certified consultants to
enterprises in search of consultants for the implementation of
kaizen on a preferential basis or for the provision of subsidies
for enterprises that are in need of certified kaizen consultants.
 Chapter Five

Kaizen Training
Kaizen Training of Intra-Firm Human Resources
Top Management Training

1. Top Management Role: For the success of kaizen activities,

the key factors of the top management are to be strongly
committed and be great leaders. Demanding results from the
implementation of kaizen without participating in any of its
activities would not raise the motivation of employees and
fewer results, rather than expected, would be generated. The
top managers must be able to understand the soon-to-be-listed
key points for the implementation of kaizen;

a. What does Kaizen mean?

b. What is the difference between innovation and kaizen?
c. What are the benefits of kaizen?
d. What methods are necessary to measure the results of kaizen?
e. What methods and procedures are required for the
implementation and monitoring of the activities of kaizen?

2. Actions necessary to be taken by the top managers to show

commitment to kaizen.

a. Kick-off meeting: This marks a formal declaration of the

official beginning of kaizen activities by the top managers to
every employee of the organization. It demonstrates the strong
commitment of the top managers to kaizen thereby raising the
motivation of employees.
b. Support for Kaizen Leaders: Supports can be in the form of
appointment and announcement of kaizen leaders, permission
to conduct some kaizen activities during working hours and
other indirect support they can offer.
c. On-site patrol: This has to do with the visiting of shop floors
in order to obtain information on working conditions and also
 the operation of equipment by the top managers.
d. Attendance at kaizen meetings: Attendance can clearly show
how strongly committed the top managers are to their
employees.
e. The required investment for kaizen: one major feature of
kaizen is making use of existing management resources
without making much investment. Minimal investment is
usually required for this.
f. Diagnosis by top managers: The top managers receive
reports regularly from the QCC team and then evaluate the
status of the kaizen activities. This is a valuable opportunity to
let the voices of the top managers be heard by the employees.
g. The awarding system: Any incentive given to an individual
or a team is given because they have produced excellent
results that help for sustainable implementation. Some of the
possible incentives are;

Prize gifts
Reflection on the assessment of personnel
Prize money
Commemorative dinner and picture session with the top
managers
Awards
To ensure that the top managers are aware of the activities detailed above, it
is important to conduct training before attempting to conduct CRT training
for kaizen leaders. It not only helps them to have a sound understanding of
kaizen, but it gives them the opportunity to exchange vital information and
also share problems with the top managers of other companies.
Kaizen Leaders Training

1. The role of kaizen leaders: In kaizen activities including the

implementation of recommendations made by both Advanced
Trainers and Basic trainers, kaizen leaders take the lead. One
of the keys to the success of kaizen activities is leadership and
commitment. Some of the roles of kaizen leaders are briefly
summarized below;
a. Kaizen leaders are to serve as one for the implementation of
kaizen activities under the guidance of a kaizen Trainer(s).
some of the activities they can perform are;

QCC startup
Transfer of basic knowledge such as problem-solving
techniques, QC tools, etc., to the members of QCC.
Guidance while selecting QCC leaders
Supporting QCC teams or particular members whose activities
are sluggish or lagging.

b. Another role is to develop event plans, annual activity plans,

educational plans, technical plans, etc. for QCC activities with
budget proposals, create internal posters, prepare logos and
pamphlets, etc. for the promotion of kaizen activities and also
obtain approval from the top managers before implementing
them.
c. To compile progress reports of all kaizen activities and send
them to the top managers.
d. To prepare presentations, presentation slides and also assumes
leadership at kaizen conferences or meetings.

2. Kaizen leaders training: The capacity of kaizen leaders can

be built through the following listed experiences and activities;

a. Sharing awareness on problems faced in group discussions in

the CRT.
b. Learn the basic knowledge in CRT which would be organized
by the kaizen leaders for the pilot enterprises before beginning
an ICT.
c. Implement activities related to kaizen.
d. Mentor QCCs under the guidance of Basic Trainers, Advanced
Trainers or kaizen experts.
e. Make presentations at kaizen meetings and conferences.

3. Class-Room Training for Kaizen Leaders

4. In-Class Training for Kaizen Leaders
5. Recognition of Kaizen Leaders
Advantages of Training and Recognition of Kaizen Leaders

a. There is the availability of internal personnel with sufficient

kaizen skills and experiences.
b. The official recognition of kaizen leaders serves as motivation
to play leadership roles.
c. Promotion of sustainable kaizen activities within enterprises.
d. Recognition of kaizen leaders serves as a status, thereby
providing some personal advantages such as allowing them to
take pride in their work and also have an advantage in terms of
personnel evaluation.
e. When there is an interchange between kaizen leaders in other
enterprises, it allows them to learn with and from each other.
f. The training of kaizen leaders provides opportunities for
aspiring candidates to gain some teaching experience.

Kaizen Overseas Training

This is not compulsory but sending Advanced and Basic trainers to further
their training in foreign countries serves as a bonus and is very effective for
them to develop their knowledge and skills further; some of which include
hands-on consulting skills.
Important Points to Be Considered For Effective Use of Overseas
Training
Participating in overseas training without having a clear sense of purpose
leads to having a very limited effect. Some important points to be
considered are;

a. Select a suitable course according to the career you intend to

participate in as a kaizen Trainer.
b. A mismatch in the technical specialty or level may prevent
some trainees from understanding the contents of their
selected courses.
c. Personnel selection is to be made by taking into account some
factors on every level, not just on technical levels, and the
willingness and motivation as Kaizen trainers with a good
 personality to ensure good human relations and also effective
communication with client companies.
d. This form of training can be used as a way of raising
motivation within the entire career path for kaizen trainers.
e. When coming to training, participants should have a strong
and firm attitude for problem-solving. They need to have a
clear understanding of problems that are to be solved and are
related to productivity and quality improvement, the
dissemination of kaizen and issues that would be addressed in
the respective organizations before training can be attended.
f. Each participant must be able to compile both experience and
knowledge that are obtained in the course of training as
materials that would be used practically and would be shared
within their organizations after returning to their respective
home countries. Such experience and knowledge can also be
used for consulting services for clients.
g. During the course of their training, the participants should try
to strive hard to learn the techniques and knowledge of kaizen,
the history and culture, organizational know-how and social
institutions of the country where the training is being held.

Total Quality Management (TQM) and Kaizen

Kaizen is a concept that contains the combination of activities and
initiatives like suggestion systems and TQM.
What exactly is TQM? It is a movement that is centered on the
improvement of managerial performance at every level in the organization.
Total Quality Management deals with safety, quality assurance, employee
involvement, safety, cost reduction, productivity improvement and
continuous improvement.
In the TQM process, people are very important and it is strongly
emphasized. Some considerations such as training, teamwork, culture,
incentives and work involvement are typical in TQM.
The TQM journey deals with the cross-functional management of the
organization, the development of the organization and also the deployment
of quality in the organization. TQM is used as a tool and a concept for the
improvement of the overall performance of the individuals in the
organization.
TQM integrates existing improvement efforts, fundamental management
techniques, and the technical tools which are under a disciplined approach
that is focused on the continuous improvement of the organization. These
activities are ultimately focused on the increase of user-customer
satisfaction. It is necessary to emphasize the technical aspects of
improvement which can either be technology-related or mechanically-
related with very low emphasis on people and their roles in such processes.
For the improvement in productivity and quality to achieve
competitiveness, there is a need for an enterprise to capture the potentials
inexplicit in the workforce by allowing every employee to perform his or
her job right at the start. It would also require the top managers to
demonstrate to every worker in the organization that for the improvement of
quality, it requires the commitment and the pursuing of efforts continually
by every single one of them.
An environment must be provided by the organization in which every
employee would cooperate voluntarily to achieve the objectives of the
organization. It would also require that the management would accept every
idea that comes from the employees that want to contribute or can
contribute. The top management flows down ideas and goals and then
encourages ideas to flow upwards to them. The philosophy of TQM helps
provide comprehensive ways to improve the organizational quality by
examining the way in which work is done from an integrated, systematic,
consistent and organizational perspective.
The Total Quality Management journey’s major focus is to;

a. Satisfy the needs of the external and internal customers;

b. Involve every functional unit in the organization;
c. Understand the effects of variation on the processes of TQM
and the implications for the improvement of such processes;
d. Emphasize on the continuous improvement of kaizen; and
e. The involvement and motivation of employees to become the
major driving force behind the improvement of productivity
and quality in the organization.
If there is no patience during the TQM journeys, the result would be
disappointment and frustration. Patience and leadership are crucial in the
promotion. It is very obvious that the involvement of employees and the
process-oriented approach of manufacturing are major foundations, hence,
the cornerstones towards TQM. The structure and activities of the team are
basic requirements for the fostering of the individual participants and the
enhancements of the organization’s ability to pursue these processes across.
TQM which drives improvement in organizations is analogous to the kaizen
approach. The characteristics and various elements are very supportive of
each other and both of them can mandate a united organizational concept.
Rewards and Recognition Functions of Kaizen
In the corporate culture, there are three (3) very important components:
corporate values, leadership, and structure of rewards and recognition
of the organization. The rewards system strongly reflects the democratic,
innovative and corporate philosophy. It reinforces the commitment of
employees to the corporate culture and values.
Rewards and Recognition (R&R) are great tools for organizations that are
aspiring for TQM. Some examples are;

a. R&R activities aid in the provision of feedback which is a

major element of Kaizen. It indicates achievement too. These
recognitions are forms of feedback about the result of team
efforts and individual. It shows the members of the team that
they are doing the right thing and not just that, but doing it
toward continuous improvement. This feedbacks in
recognition form can be gotten from other teams, supervisors,
external customers in the market place and internal customers
within the organization.
b. R&R help improves the reinforcement of the quality-related
behavior and achievements of an organization.
c. The different forms of recognition show the public that
members of the team and individual players have achieved
some degree of success with the frame of TQM. They tell the
world of the jobs they have been consistent about and how
well they have been doing them. So, these rewards and
 recognition strongly highlight employees and team players
who can make the right contributions to the continuous
improvement of the organization or even the effort of TQM.
d. Recognitions stimulate more efforts in employees.
e. R&R shows how organizations appreciate the efforts of
employees and organizational values.
f. The R&R system increases awareness among those who work
in the organization that management is willing to reward them
if they seriously apply the essential TQM values which are
continuous improvement, quality and customer satisfaction.
With this, the employees would be motivated greatly if they
continue to work in the organizations and are consistent in
their jobs and the rewards and recognition processes. These
workers would perceive the initiative of the management as an
effort by the management of the organization. 
g. The processes of TQM and kaizen philosophy demand
empowered by team players, cross-functional activities and
employees. They help motivate the various teams and
individual members to continue participating actively in
whatever function they perform in the organization. It would
help in the creation of positive environments for them to
compete against each other thereby giving them a win-win
situation between employees and organizations. These
employees can be motivated when they make use of the
various TQM tools (which have already been mentioned
somewhere in this book), solve problems and also interact
with external and internal customers.

Team Structures in Organizations and their Characteristics

In an organization, there are different types of teams. Some of the most
common ones are;

a. Intact workgroups
b. Problem-solving team
c. Cross-functional teams
d. Implementation teams and proactive teams, and
e. Small groups.
These teams contribute to the activities of kaizen. Below are the purposes,
characteristics, process and reward system defined for all five groups.
Table 5.1: Purposes, Characteristics, Process and Reward System of Kaizen Teams
Team Activities/Purp Characterist Tools used/ Reward
Structures ose ics Of Process System
Members
Intact Work Completes daily Employees Tools used Benefits
Teams/Groups work are hired to are are;
fill specific performance Package
job positions Appraisal , Sick
such as Systems. Time,
forklift Vacation
operator, Company ,
merge procedures
operator, etc. policies and Rewards
The team guidelines. are
consists of Paychec
any member ks.
and this
purpose is
dependent on
the
requirements
of the job.
Problem-Solving This team is Employees Tools used The
Teams formed to solve selected from are SPC reward
specific the first charts, system
problems and group have summary is
implement content report forms, compan
solutions, knowledge, flowcharts, y-
measure and have the and cause sponsore
evaluate and temperament and effect d.
also refine to complete charts.
solutions. processes The process
and also have used is the
a vision. This problem-
team consists solving step
of about six process
to ten methodology
members. .
Problem-functional This team is Selected Tools used The
Teams formed to management are SPC reward
evaluate and charts, cause is
inter/intra employees and effect compan
company or from specific charts, y-
department departments summary sponsore
processes, to must have report forms d.
 evaluate and content and
also implement knowledge, flowcharts.
solutions. vision and
temperament The process
to complete used is the
processes. problem-
solving step
process
methodology
.
Implementation/proact This team is Selected Tools used The
ive Teams formed to management are SPC reward
implement and charts, cause system
specific employees and effect is
systems/process from the first charts, compan
es, evaluate and two groups, summary y-
measure which are the report forms sponsore
continuous intact and d.
problem-solving workgroups flowcharts.
measures. and the
problem- The process
solving uses the
teams, must Implementati
be in sync. on Process
They must Methodology
have content .
knowledge,
the
temperament
to implement
and solve
problems for
the entire
process and
also have a
vision.
The team
consists of
about six to
ten members,
cross-teamed
with
problem-
solving
teams.
Small group activities This group is Selected Tools used The
formed to management are SPC reward
implement and charts, cause system
specific systems employees and effect is
or process, to from the first charts, compan
measure and two groups, summary y-
evaluate which are the report forms sponsore
continuous intact and d.
problem-solving workgroups flowcharts.
measures. and the
problem- The process
solving used in the
teams, must Implementati
be in sync. on Process
They must Methodolog
have content y
knowledge,
the
temperament
to implement
and solve
problems for
the entire
process and
also have a
vision.
The team
consists of
about six to
ten members,
cross-teamed
with
problem-
solving
teams.
Small group activities: These activities were developed in Japanese
companies and aid in the improvement of business processed, and give
solutions to problems faced in the organization. The cross-functional teams
and quality circles are the most known small groups which were developed
in Japan and then transferred to different countries to work.

1. Cross-functional teams: These teams are formed to conduct

events related to kaizen. The team leader is more concerned
with how the members of the teamwork rather than what they
produce. As a team, solutions are sought after even if the
problem seems to affect just one member. This simply reflects
the kaizen process-oriented approach. The team leader
automatically becomes the coach. He or she would be
interested in time management, discipline, participation and
involvement, communication, morale and skill development of
the members of the team. This team is responsible for attaining
targeted results by the team itself. The difficult part is trying to
tackle the problem first and the measurement of the outcome
which is required.  The kaizen approach means that rules must
be established on the team. Some of these rules are;

a. Contribution and participation by every member of the team

b. Shared goals by every team member
c. Negotiation and resolution of conflicts among group members
and not suppression
d. Direct criticism at processes and not the individuals.
For the achievement of the same level of performance, here are some
ways they can be achieved;

a. Work teams control functional responsibilities and work

design
b. The machine and human interface is designed to be at
optimality
c. Development and training are considered long life endeavors
d. The jobs are designed and the skills are set to assure the
effective utilization of resources and the quick adaptation to
change
 e. The rewards achieved are based on the contributions made for
the teams’ effectiveness.

2. Quality Circles: A quality circle is a group of employees or

staff who meet on a daily basis to discuss quality-related
problems affecting the organization. The quality circle is a
source of empowerment to bring quality improvements and
promote them to fulfillment. The adoption of the quality
improvement team has a social focus. There must be a
commitment among every staff, from the senior management,
the unit management, the supervisors and other staff in the
circle. For the members to be responsible for test and pilots,
they would need budgets. They also need a good approach for
the analysis of the context of the problem and the situation
defining what the problem is and the relationship between its
components. It also needs such an approach for the
identification and verification that the cause of the problems
actually causes.  For the definition of the problem, quantitative
measurement is required and a consensus of qualitative
judgment too. The problems’ impact must be comprehended if
it is continuous.
At first, the quality circle was the key to Japan’s success. There were so
many success stories, but while some companies still made use of them,
others saw them as failures. The reasons why they failed are;

a. Lack of training with tools meant for solving problems

b. Inadequate measurement of results
c. Team members not right for solving the problem
d. Understanding of process by the management
e. Domination of the process by management
The Quality Circle teams, often called Process Improvement Teams (PIT)
or Quality Improvement Teams (QIT) are situated in both public and private
sector organizations. The entire management of the organization has to
believe in the team process, listen to the proposals laid down and also
enable feasible solutions to be accomplished from the pilot stages until it is
in full operation. Another important factor in quality service teams is a
desire to avoid blocking and open-mindedness. It is a very useful
philosophy that would help in the realization that experiments aid learning.
Suggestions and Proposals Systems and Kaizen
The suggestion and proposals systems are one of the most frequently
discussed aspects of kaizen in Japan. It is a part of the kaizen constituents as
already described.
Through the suggestion systems, employees are able to participate in the
continuous improvement activities in the organizational workplace and this
plays a very crucial role in the upgrading of organizational standards. This
simply means that the suggestions or ideas of employees serve two
purposes. It serves as both a productivity enabler and a culture change
enabler.
The suggestions and proposals begin from the perception of a problem and
the recognition of the need to solve it. The problems within an organization
are the sources of any form of proposal system used in a business place.
There are about five (5) levels of problems that can be perceived by
employees within an organization. They are as follows;

a. Level 1: People do not want to see the problems, so they deny

them.
b. Level 2: People find excuses not to solve the problem even
after admitting that the problems are there.
c. Level 3: People are unable to solve the problems because they
do not know how to, even after accepting the fact that the
problems are really there.
d. Level 4: People try to visualize the potential problems and
attack them by learning the proper methods to do so.
e. Level 5: People admit the problems, find methods to solve
them and also involve people to assist in the attack of the
problems. They are willing and always ready to attack
problems that to change the organization if there is a need to,
after solving the problem.
Now, every management’s target is to move their organization’s status to
either level 4 or 5. This is the reason why there we need a suggestion and
proposal system to enable the organization to move in that direction.
The effectiveness of the suggestions and proposal management system can
be evaluated via the combination of some results-oriented criteria, some of
which are individual employee suggestions already submitted, the benefits
generated via each suggestion, etc.; and the process-oriented criteria during
the processing of idea such as employee morale.
In Japan, this proposal system, which was devised, improved and
developed, is known as Teian-system . This system works on kaizen
environments where the process is significantly counted and has to be
evaluated by the process-oriented criteria. Below is a list of some elements;

a. Number of meetings
b. Rate of participation
c. Number of intermediate reports
d. The use of the seven (7) tools
e. The use of company policies in selecting projects
f. The originality of approach
g. The prevention and standardization of the recurrence of
problems.
Each element could assign certain points and then evaluation can be
accomplished easily.
Quality, Cost, and Delivery (QCD) and Kaizen Goals
It is widely known that customers are kings in the market economy; so, the
ultimate goal for every business is to satisfy the expectations of customers
for services and products in terms of QCD. The ultimate kaizen goal and its
activities aim at improving QCD. This makes QCD a top priority for the
survival of a business.
Quality runs throughout the entire process from purchasing to developing,
designing, producing, selling, distributing and also servicing of the products
or services. Imai said that the jobs of developing new products or services
or the design of new processed begin with blueprints and paperwork.
Malfunctions can be identified and rectified easily instead of identified
later, which would be very expensive to be corrected. The Japanese
management made use of the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) or
otherwise known as the Quality Assurance System diagram as a tool to
accomplish this task.
Cost-effectiveness follows quality and it refers to the overall cost of
designing, producing the product, selling to the customers and also
servicing the product or the service provided by the organization. Cost
reduction is not cost-cutting; it is about the management of cost. The teams
in charge of management cost oversee the development, production, and
sale of products or services of good quality while retaining a reduced cost.
The way a product is designed, produced and sold would determine if there
would be a huge waste of resources of not. The improvement of quality at
the same time, reducing cost is the best option for survival. Cost
management covers a wide spectrum of activities such as overall cost
reduction in a workplace by eliminating waste and cost planning to
maximize the margin between revenue and cost. The reduction of cost via
the elimination of waste can occur with the waste elimination methods
which have been explained earlier. The act of reducing cost by
restructuring, harassing suppliers and firing employees would disrupt the
quality process and this sometimes ends in the deterioration of quality. The
management covers other activities like standardization, policy deployment,
education and training. In this present day, where training is concerned,
most companies have the tendency to place too much emphasis on the
teaching of knowledge. In kaizen, there is great emphasis on the
improvement of the fundamental values of the organization which is placed
by the group learning places. These values are derived from self-discipline,
common sense, economy and order.
Successful Applications and Kaizen
It has been argued that the following elements should be included for
successful applications;

a. Specific goals and objectives with a clear and well-developed

mandate;
b. Highly committed top management to both new ideas and
rapid improvement in the organization;
c. Professional team preparation and education;
d. Highly experienced and well-trained facilitates for the
assessment, the event and the follow-up phase;
 e. Commitment to follow-up and also sustain the improvements
made;
f. A multi-disciplinary team, well balanced, for the event and the
sustenance of momentum; and
g. Clearly defined roles of all participants; the team leader, the
process owner, the kaizen consultants and co-leaders.

Measurement of Kaizen Effect

Kaizen promotion organizations are very much interested in the amount of
value-added a company generated during the implementation of kaizen;
since it is given that the Gross Domestic Profit is the total value-added that
is produced in a country for a particular period of time. It is also given that
the economic growth rate of a country is equivalent to the increase rate of
the total value-added.
Kaizen improves certain business performance such as profits and sales.
The effect of kaizen is not always seen in the improvement of the
performance of businesses in the short run; but, the value-added generated
by a company is the result of every activity in the company, of which part if
kaizen. It is therefore unreasonable to attribute every increase in value to
kaizen. It is wise to measure the effects of kaizen by assessing the effects on
an activity basis.
Some effects of kaizen cannot be qualitatively measured. But for those that
can be measured quantitatively, some of them can be indicated in the
economic effects while others cannot be indicated in monetary value.
The kaizen effect can be evaluated by measuring them quantitatively by
simply using measuring indices at the same time, doing it in monetary
terms. There are about four (4) categories of kaizen effects; qualitative,
quantitative, economic and non-economic effect.

a. Qualitative effect: These are effects that can only be observed

and not measured in numerical terms.
b. Quantitative effect: Quantitative effects are effects that can
be measured in numerical terms.
c. Economic effect: The economic effects are quantitative
effects that are indicated in monetary terms. There are two (2)
 types of economic effects; the actualized economic effect
and the proforma economic effect. The actualized economic
effects are economic effects with an actual impact on value-
added. Proforma economic effect is the economic effect which
has no direct impact on value-added as opposed to actualized
economic effect.
d. Non-economic effect: The non-economic effect is a
quantitative effect that is indicated in non-monetary terms.
The value-added in question is the net sales of the company with
outsourcing cost not included. It can also be said as the capital gain of the
company plus the labor cost.
Performance Indices

1. Evaluation Targets: These indices are used for evaluation. It

consists of not only those used to measure the achievement
indices (actual effects) but to evaluate a change in the behavior
of the employee and the work environment which includes
activity and environment indices (safety). The reason(s) for
this are;

In addition to the actual effect, kaizen attaches importance to

awareness, human resource development and also the change
in behavior of employees in an organization.
It improves the improvement of work safety.
It takes more time until the quantitative and actual effects
become easily observable especially when there is a need to
spend more time (significant time) for improving and
developing the work environment and the management system
of the organization before solving problems.
The qualitative effects are usually obtained before the quantitative effects
are realized; so, it should not in any way be underestimated.

2. Evaluation indices: This consists of raw data that can be

directly measured such as length of time, number of times,
number of cases and processed data, which are calculated from
multiple raw data. In some companies, the operators are
 responsible for recording and measuring data which are then
made use of by the managers and supervisors to calculate the
effects. The kaizen consulting service is often provided for
companies that are not able to measure data and record them
which are the conducting of proper production management;
so, there are cases when the quantitative effects canoe is
measured due to the lacking of proper information on the
conditions of the company before kaizen activities are begun.
For such a case to be prevented, it is of vital importance for
the kaizen trainers to collect important data and information
during corporate diagnosis and then obtain any missing
information in the course of kaizen guidance. The systems to
collect and measure important data at the different companies
should be built up as part of the activities of kaizen. Some of
the environment and activity indices consist of those that are
used to measure 5S and the kaizen activity level relating to
morale and work safety.
Raw materials that are not monitored on a daily basis should be
measured by the operators and field supervisors before and after the
implementation of kaizen.
The effect of kaizen does not always come out during the process
where the activity of kaizen is implemented.
 Chapter Six

Other Kaizen Applications

Kaizen for Personal Development
Apart from the organizational theory of kaizen, there are wider
applications of kaizen than that which is applied in the world of
business. It is said that every individual has an instinctive desire to want
to improve them one way of the other. Kaizen helps groom employees
with the principles and tools for personal development. This encourages
them to assess their lives against physical, spiritual, emotional and
mental life criteria and to make suggestions for change where possible.
Those who participate in this tend to work on plans that would involve
small actions that would bring about improvement in their lives.
When a person begins to undergo kaizen practices, most of the habits
they want to change are physical, some of which involve sleep, exercise
and diet. Once these new habits are tries, they are then encouraged to
work towards more of the emotional aspect of self-improvement. Any
employee who signs up for the kaizen programs would notice a change
in their habits and they become happier every day. Their exercise habits,
nutritional habits and even rest would improve. They would even begin
to demonstrate more sophisticated behaviors that are related to their
emotional intelligence and also spiritual engagements. They also would
develop a kaizen mindset in their personal lives and from this, they
would benefit greatly in every other aspect of life.
It is said that change is infectious. When one has succeeded in one area,
he or she would be pushed to apply the same techniques into the other
areas of their lives. Kaizen's philosophy makes it easy for individual
change in setting short-term, long-term and middle-term goals and to
think of making incremental adjustments as they work towards
achieving such goals. Once kaizen is adopted, the search for ways to be
better in more areas than one would not stop. This is why it is
encouraged that the adoption of the continuous improvement
philosophy. While trying to change habits, you must understand that not
all habits are negative or have negative effects on life. In order words,
habits are not “inherently” negative. They are important to enable us to
 function on a certain level every day. Our bad habits can be turned into
good ones, one that would be used to keep us safe and comfort us
whenever we feel tired and exhausted. The escape from the safety zone
of our habits can be strenuous and because of this, we tend to go about
our daily lives like we are some kind of robot.
You might ask why it is hard for one to change habits. Do you know that
habits save us a lot of time and energy? When it comes to changing
them, they may seem scary and daunting even though, normally, they
are seductive. For there to be a change in habitual behaviors, the first
step is to educate you in order to know how we acquired such
behavior in the first place. The next thing to do is to tackle the habits
by identifying the cues that are for unwanted habits. Apart from the
identification of the cue for such habits, you must be conscious of the
rewards, which are most times temporary that is gained from the
behavior, how these rewards can influence the desire to repeat such
behavior in the future and how such habits, if changed can give
permanent rewards.
The next question you are likely to ask is how long does this change
take? The length of time it takes for one person to reach that
automaticity varies from that of another person. This simply depends on
the person, the habits and the person’s attitude towards change. For the
transformation of habits, one has to acquire the new behavior through
the continuous increase in the strength of the association between the
person’s situations in which the particular habit is performed. The more
a habit is repeated in a situation, the more likely it is to become
automated.
How Kaizen Can Affect Your Nutritional Habits
The application of kaizen techniques to your dietary habit can be very
beneficial to those who really want to change in their relationship with
food. Instead of restricting or removing the pleasure you have for food,
try to make incremental changes to the way you consume food and
drinks in order to create a positive attitude towards the fuelling of your
body and mind. We would be looking at how can kaizen transform your
dietary habits in three different term-goals; the short, medium and long
term goals.
 1. Drink More Water: The amount of water taken in every day
should depend on your gender, what you eat, the number of
exercise you do, and also the weather. It is alright to include
milk, coffee, tea and sugar-free drinks, at the same time,
drinking water. It is also sometimes difficult to remember to
drink water but with the introduction of kaizen, it would
become a routine and also very beneficial to the body. Do not
forget to tune in to your thirst. Always remember to rehydrate.
Do not over-hydrate as it can be dangerous to the body.
2. Become vegan: In this present day, there are lots of meat-
eaters. Cutting down the amount of meat ingested in the body
has a lot of definite health benefits. Kaizen is an excellent tool
for such transition and it makes the change a gradual process.
Eat more fruits and vegetables. This is being emphasized daily
in the Japanese diet. It is a cheaper diet that includes all the
nutrients that can be generated from all the other classes of
food. Kaizen is a great approach to introducing fruits and
vegetables into your diet. As a vegan, you MUST cut down on
sugar. It is said that the consumption of sugar and soda drinks is
very unhealthy. There is great emphasis on it. This does not
mean you should cut down entirely on sugar because the fruits
you would be eating as you begin the implementation of kaizen
contains natural sugars. As it is a gradual process, you can
begin to cut down on the amount of sugar you normally take till
you achieve success. Do not eat cereals that contain hidden
sugar. Cut down on adding sugar to hot drinks. Instead, try
reducing the amount in small stages.
3. Control your food portion: This pertains to reducing the
amount of food you eat. For the reduction of food portions,
there are certain ways to go about it. You can begin by
measuring your food, using small bowls, having no leftovers
after cooking and dishing out, and observing hunger signals.
4. Eat mindfully: While eating, concentrate on every mouthful
you eat, and master it. Try eating at a table with little or no
distractions. Focus on the preparation of your meals.
The above-mentioned are short-term goals for the application of kaizen
in your dietary habit.
 For long-term goals;
You have to be mindful of the attitude you have towards what you eat,
how they are prepared, and you should feel connected to how the food
nourishes you. The change would happen gradually but ensure it fits
with your previous routine so as to obtain a lasting difference.
Whenever you reach certain milestones, track your progress, and reward
yourself.
To lose weight and for better eating, there are some doable suggestions that
can be shared by the managers to the employees of the organization. Some of
them are;

a. When in a restaurant, order the children’s meal. The size of the

food is always smaller than that of adult meals.
b. People who eat lots of sweets tend to eat rather quickly without
really tasting the food and enjoying it. Put down your spoon or
fork after every bit. The slower you eat, the faster the
satisfaction you would feel.
c. Replace your habitual morning muffin, bagel or doughnut with
toast or cereal. By so doing, you can lose about 20 pounds
yearly.
d. Without changing what you eat, drink more water daily. Let
there be a bottle of water everywhere you go to remind you to
always hydrate.
e. It is said that one of the strongest determinants of fullness is
psychological. So, in order to feel full with little food, put your
food on a smaller plate, and ensure there are no leftovers.
f. Before your meal is brought to the table, do not forget to tell the
waiter to box up half of the food.
g. To teach your brain new eating habits, try the mind sculpture
exercises for every 10 seconds of every day. Imagine yourself
in a restaurant, eating slowly, drinking lots of water, talking to a
friend or dinner companion, and leaving some food on your
plate. Add another exercise weekly. You would realize that
without making much conscious effort, your food portions
would reduce.
h. If you are the kind of person that when upset, you eat, try other
self-comforting experiments. Whenever you are sad or angry,
 try writing a journal, drink lots of water. Exercise for about five
minutes or less, breathe slowly or call a friend.
i. Whenever you are going to a restaurant, take a plastic bag with
you. Stash the bread in the bag when it comes and put it out of
sight. It is said that bread causes weight gain.
j. Two hormones are triggered whenever the body is deprived of
sleep. They are the ghrelin and the leptin. They both affect the
cravings of carbohydrate. Try going to bed a minute earlier than
your normal time every night for a week. That minute should be
sued to perform slow breathing exercises. You can also use that
minute to read something pleasant. After that week, try going to
bed two minutes earlier than the previous week. Continue this
pattern until you begin to feel active and less sleepy whenever
you wake up in the morning.
Once you begin to feel motivated, you can try setting email reminders.
The reminders can be to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, to
increase physical activities and exercises, to reduce the intake of
saturated fats and sugar, etc. They can also contain small suggestions
like taking a walk during your breaks at the office, ordering a salad with
chicken for lunch, etc.
As a manager, rather than just talking to your employees on health
behaviors, led by example. You can take the stairs instead of the elevator
or escalator, work on your food portion control, have healthy snacks on
your desk, and also you can place a healthy chart on your wall that
would reflect your daily healthy steps.
In order to burn additional calories, here are a few suggestions;

a. Walk up and down the stairs or the escalator.

b. Do up to five pushups or more daily for one week. You can add
one more every day.
c. While working, take a break after every 90 minutes of work.
Spend five minutes strolling through the office or stretching.
d. When talking on the phone, stand or pace, or when thinking
through a problem.
e. When traveling with luggage that has wheels, pick it up part of
the time.
Studying and Kaizen
For the implementation of kaizen, while studying, there are certain
habits that can be hugely beneficial to you.

1. Find out how best you work. There are different study
techniques that work better for every individual. Some people
prefer writing out everything in the textbook and then re-
reading to memorize. Other people remember information like
pictures in their minds. Some people have to re-write every
point as many times as possible until it sticks. It is best you
discover what works for you instead of trying to copy the
techniques of others. It may be that you like working or
studying in silence, or you like listening to cool music while
you do so, or better still, you like listening to hardcore songs.
With all these, the next thing is to build a study routine around
the best way you can maximize your energy and time.
2. Manage your time effectively. Some people can sit in a library
for a very long time, say for 14 hours without losing their
minds. Others cannot. So, for the rest of us, it is preferable you
take regular breaks or work in smaller bursts so as to be
effective. Try to find out if you are more productive in the early
hours of the morning, at noon or at night and try to fit your
routine around the time.
3. Take breaks when necessary. There is a saying that the body
is not firewood. That saying brought about the taking of short
breaks every hour. During that time, you can take a walk,
hydrate yourself, or eat a fruit. All these work wonders for both
concentration and motivation.
4. Set priorities. Before priorities can be set, you must first
acknowledge your weaknesses and put more focus on them.
5. Keep track of every page number or reference.
6. Try studying in a stimulating space.
7. Have a goal, and keep it in mind.
8. Track your progress.
9. Plan your day.
10.
 W
hen everything is over, reward yourself.

How to Use Kaizen to Improve Sleep

The first thing to take note of is your sleep environment. Your bedroom
should be a calm and clean environment, rid of clutter, and any form of
interruptions. This is a major key to good sleep. Once one change has
been adopted, try to see if another would make more difference than the
first.
To improve your sleep;

a. Remove clutter from your room.

b. Change your bedsheets at least every fortnight.
c. Get rid of every external noise.
d. Play relaxing music at a low volume while attempting to
sleep.
e. Shut out the lights in order to make your room dark and
cool.
f. Surround yourself with pleasant smells.
g. Turn off your phone and block out every form of
communication.
h. Read a book.
i. Be kind to yourself.
For times when sleep is not forthcoming, try performing some breathing
exercises. They would help you have a calm mind and also help you
sleep.
Below is an easy exercise that can be done anywhere and is very
effective for the promotion of sleep;

a. Maintain any position that seems comfortable for you. It might

be sitting upright or lying down.
b. Relax with your eyes closed. Imagine your eyeballs, swimming
in a cool pool of water.
c. Close the left nostril with your left thumb and rest the second
and third fingers of the same hand in the palm, extending the
fourth and fifth fingers.
 d. Breathe in through the right nostril and then close it with the
fourth finger of the left and, at the same time releasing the
thumb from the left nostril and breathing out through it.
e. Regulate your breathing and repeat the action for some minutes
until your breathing is slow and relaxed.
f. With this action, your brain would feel less wrung up, and you
might fall asleep.
g. Perform the same action with the right hand and the right
nostril.
Kaizen techniques can be used to form good morning habits. They are as
follows;

a. Get out of bed five minutes earlier than usual.

b. Get rid of things that are sources of stress in your morning
routine. Try deciding on something that would help eliminate
that source of stress.
c. Perform early morning exercises.
d. Practice breathing exercises, immediately you wake up. You
will observe a sense of calmness during the day.
e. Hydrate yourself. Let it be the first thing you do immediately
after your breathing exercises.
f. Make time for breakfast.
As mentioned at the beginning of the book, there are three (3) Japanese
style Zen practices that help bring joy and order to one’s life. As it is,
Zen is not exactly a Japanese invention. It was first originated with the
practice of Zen Buddhism, which came to Japan through China.
Kaizen can help improve one’s productivity. How can this be done?

a. Determine where time and energy is wasted by tracking your

daily activities, downtime, and interruptions for one week and
remove unnecessary time wasters. Try evaluating whether the
routine tasks to be accomplished can be made efficient by
applying the standardization techniques.
b. Begin with small tasks, making it easier for the stress levels to
be broken down into smaller, yet manageable parts.
c. Try evaluating the things that work for you and those that do
not. Pay more attention to things you can improve.
 Chapter Seven

Extras
The Pareto (80/20) Principle
This Pareto principle should be used by every individual in their daily lives,
by every enterprise or organization and by every form of society. It helps in
the achievement of much more with little effort. It can improve happiness
and the personal effectiveness of any individual. This principle holds the
key to increase both quality and quantity of services and products offered in
any organization at the same time, reducing cost.
How does one explain the 80/20 principle? It means, in Layman’s terms,
that 80% of whatever is achieved in any job comes from the 20% of time
spent on it. It also means that 80% of consequences flow from 20% of the
causes of it. It can mean 80% of something, caused by 20% of another thing
in every area of life, especially in business.
This principle was discovered more than 100 years ago by an Italian
economist named Vilfredo Pareto. His discovery has gone by many names
over time; the Pareto law, the Pareto principle, the 80/20 rule, the Principle
of Imbalance, and the Principle of Least Effort.
Definition of the Pareto Principle
This simply states that there is an imbalance between inputs and outputs,
effort and reward, and causes and results. This is divided into two (2)
categories; the majority and the minority.

The Importance of the Pareto Principle

The reason why this principle is so important is that it is counterintuitive.
Every cause has almost the same significance. Every customer is valuable,
and every business enterprise is as good as the other.
How does the Pareto Principle work?
This method uses the possible existence of the 80/20 relationship as a
hypothesis, and the facts are then gathered, so the true relationship is
revealed. This can also be referred to as 80/20 Thinking. This form of
thinking does not require the collection of data or to test the hypothesis.
What it requires of you is to think deeply about any issue that might be
important to you, and it then asks you to judge whether such a principle is
effective in that area. This form of thinking is more accessible and is less
likely to mislead you.
Why is this Pareto Principle necessary?
It is necessary for behavior change, and to concentrate on the most
important 20%. This principle has no boundaries. It is the best-kept
business secret. This is the reason why it is used during kaizen training. It
works in business to generate more money with less effort and expenditure
of assets.

Wabi-sabi
The other Zen practice, which is wabi-sabi, is quite difficult to translate. It
simply refers to the simplicity, humility, and being attuned with nature and
also appreciating its anomalies and quirks. Sabi is about accepting the
beauty, passage of time, and life’s imperfection. Wabi-sabi is a concept that
is encountered during the design or decoration of a home. This trend is
rooted in Zen Buddhism.
Wabi-sabi, an ancient approach to life which breaths in a new meaning to
the decorative and visual arts, is directed towards the modern Western
culture, which prefers the philosophy and design characters, more
consistent with organic nature and its flaws. Its consistency between design
and philosophy principles means that the message relayed by wabi-sabi is
of great relevance to the many aspects of modern life.
There are four (4) principles of wabi-sabi, and they are as follows;

a. The art of wabi-sabi is able to suggest and embody this

essential cliché of impermanence.
b. Everything in the universe is changing continuously, whether
it is coming from or returning to nothing.
c. Experiencing the expressions of wabi-sabi can give rise to
peaceful contemplation of the transience of things.
 d. By appreciating the transience of things, a new perspective can
be brought upon our individual lives.

Characteristics of Wabi-sabi

a. Roughness
b. Authenticity
c. Modesty
d. Asymmetry
e. Intimacy
f. Economy
g. Simplicity
h. Appreciation of the integrity of processes and natural objects.
This Zen can be applied to the lifestyle of an individual. For one to
improve, you must first embrace the emptiness and the solitude to
rejuvenate and inspire self. Try to anchor yourself in nature and the moods,
openness, and authentic colors of nature.
This brings us to the third Zen, ikigai.
What is Ikigai?
It is a Japanese term which is a combination of symbols representing life,
and life being worthwhile. This simply translates to “the happiness of
always being busy.” It has been proven that the ikigai of one person is
different from the ikigai of the rest of us. Our ikigai is within us, hidden,
and for it to be found, it would require patience during the search. Once it
has eventually been found, you must nurture it, pursue it, and it would bring
meaning to your life daily. Ikigai is of great importance in our lives.
Anyone with a clearly defined ikigai pursues their passion no matter the
obstacles on the way.
Rules of Ikigai
There are certain rules that everyone must abide by. These rules are slightly
similar to the wabi-sabi rules. They are as follows;

a. Always stay active. Do not retire.

b. Take things slow and steady.
c. Do not fill your stomach until you pass your limit.
 d. Always stay connected with good friends.
e. Stay in shape always.
f. Share a connection with nature.
g. Learn to live in the moment every day.
h. Be thankful.
i. Always pursue your ikigai.
Apart from the rules of happiness, there are certain things that can be added
up for longer and happier life.

1. Youthful body and an active mind: Having a sound mind

and a sound body gives you an insight into how important the
mind and body are, as it is said that the health of one is solely
connected to the health of the other. Having an active mind is
one of the major factors of staying young. It drives one
towards a healthy lifestyle, and this would slow the aging
process of such an individual. Giving an instance, as lack of
physical exercise has negative effects on the body, so it the
lack of mental exercise. It leads to the deterioration of the
neurons and their connections in the brain, and this would
result in the inability to react to one’s surroundings. The
neurons in the brain begin to deteriorate when one has reached
his or her twenties, but this process can be slowed by curiosity,
a desire to learn, and intellectual activity. This is the reason
why it is very important to perform brain workouts.
Research has it that stress is the reason why people age prematurely.
During periods of crisis, the body wears down faster. It has also been
proven that stress is a major cause of most health problems. Stress is
said to be a natural response to information received by the body as a
problem or a potentially dangerous bodily effect. How do we humans
feel stressed? The fact that the body is overworked is enough to cause a
human to be stressed; not eating right and not exercising too can cause
the body to be stressed; the brain can be stressed when it is at high
alert, in anticipation for something to come, etc.
Over time, stress has a degenerative effect. Its secondary effects are
anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and high blood pressure. It also highly
psychosomatic, thereby affecting the entire system, majorly from the
digestive system to the layers of the skin. This is the reason why it is
important to prevent stress from taking its toll on you. As there is bad
stress, there is good stress. The bad stress is otherwise known as
intense stress. This is the form of stress that is an enemy of mental and
physical health, and an enemy of longevity. Good stress is the low level
of stress. It is said that a small dose of stress brings great positivity to
the body. People who live with low levels of stress develop healthier
habits, drink less alcohol, and smoke less. All these would also lead to
effectiveness in the workplace.