Step One 5S - Step Two Kaizen

Four of my posts this month have been about 5S. Kaizen is a natural companion to 5S.

The fifth "S" is to sustain. Sustain means engage in activities that ensure the gains accomplished through 5S are maintained and improved on. This is done by feeding back to the other four steps information that allows corrections and improvements to be made. Kaizen is the perfect tool for accomplishing this.

Kaizen is a process of continual improvement. It is a process of taking suggestions from those directly involved in getting the work done and implementing those suggestions quickly to create a continual stream of improvements. That's exactly what the fifth step of 5S requires.

We have a free Kaizen guide available that can help you understand kaizen, get an overview of the benefits of kaizen and read a quick synopis of what it takes to implement kaizen. You'll see that once you've moved into implementing 5S, the next logical step is begin using kaizen techniques.

Learning The kaizen Ropes

You may have heard the words... Kaizen, Kanban, 5S, but they sound strange and don't mean anything. You are hearing that kaizen can help improve your business... it can cut costs, improve quality, and develop new products. You've heard your competition may be using kaizen and that's why they seem to have a new product coming out every month. What is kaizen? How does kaizen work? What are the benefits of kaizen?

There are many questions and many unknowns.

A good place to start is with a booklet called Introduction To Kaizen. It is free and it provides a quick overview of kaizen; how kaizen is implemented; and what benefits you can expect. Use the link above to order your copy.

Kaizen is a system of continual improvement using small steps that come from employee suggestions. It harnesses the resources you already have in your employees, those who are closest to what is going on in your facility, and uses that resource to find ways to improve your business. Typically suggestions resulting from kaizen are low-cost changes that can be implemented quickly. This means that using kaizen you can get a "big bang" for your buck... a great ROI, and improved and new products that help you overcome the competition.

Kaizen and the Visual Workplace

Two additional sections of our lean manufacturing suite of web sites have come online.

Kaizen - visit this site to learn about kaizen, what it is and the benefits of kaizen. Test your knowledge of kaizen using the free, online Kaizen Quiz.

Visual Workplace - a basic component of all lean methods is visual communication, which results in a visual workplace. Visual communication is the use of labels and signs to communicate information at the point of need, when it is needed. This includes OSHA required safety signs as well as non-required, but still essential labels that identify equipment, and provide operating and maintenance information.

Lean Manufacturing meet the Lean Web

Perhaps I missed the boat on this one, but I had no idea internet giants like Ebay had dedicated lean departments.

Ahem. "Process Improvement for Customer Service" departments.

I find this out through the news that Peter Abilla, author of the shmula blog and a fellow U of C graduate, will be speaking at the Lean Six Sigma Summit.

A quick glance through the speakers gives a powerful testament to the advantages of adapting lean - Ebay, United Airlines, Walt Disney World Resort, Wells Fargo.

Companies from all walks of business are dedicated to lean - to the point that they have in house experts ready and willing to spread the word. Lean is coming, it can save you money.
Just ask Xerox, or Johnson & Johnson, or Countrywide Financial, or Tyco International, or ...

The visual organization of space, the implementation of kaizen, the use of a kanban system - these tools are used by some of the biggest and best companies in the world, why not yours?