This blog is the last in the series. Prior to this blog, I have discussed the previous four lean principles; flow, pull, zero defects, and visual management. All of the lean improvement principles work in harmony to shape behavior and guide organizational thinking to deliver compelling value to customers by repeatedly seeing and eliminating waste.
The last lean principle is to practice kaizen. Kaizen is a combination of two words "kai" which means change and "zen" which means for the better. Kaizen thus is about making change for the better. As a principle of improvement, kaizen is a mind set to perpetually pursue perfection. The first three principles flow, pull, and defect free are used to design your processes. The fourth principle, visual management, is how you manage your lean processes. The fifth principle, kaizen, is used to ensure improvement is continuous.
In a lean environment, the spirit of kaizen is being met when several improvement behaviors are present.
- Success is not declared to soon, an improvement is identified only as a building block toward perfection. Perfection in a lean world is all value added activity lined up in continuous flow.
- Processes are repeatedly improved using PDCA thinking.
- Improvement is seen as incremental and continuous. Good ideas are not discussed but are implemented quickly. Small ideas are tested and put in place every day.
- The organization understands that a 50% solution today is better than an 80% solution six months from now.
- Every process is studied and re-studied. The organization never settles for good enough.
I like to view kaizen as a mindset to improve on the first four principles. World class organizations practice kaizen every day. Their greatness among other things, is that, there is an understanding that the next challenge always awaits them.
Lean Blessings,
Ron
Ron Bercaw
Shingo Award winning author
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