Internal Communication & Kaizen Benoît ROZIERES Jérôme DIDOT How a Kaizen approach may humanize the workplace?

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KaizenKaizen

Benoît ROZIERESJérôme DIDOT

How a Kaizen approachmay humanize the workplace?

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Summary :

- Introduction to Kaizen- Tools used to develop a Kaizen spirit at workplace- Application of Kaizen attitude within Toyota- Some reasons why Kaizen can lead to a failure- Conclusion

Introduction to Kaizen – PartI: Basis of Kaizen

Japan, 1950’s:A post-WorldWarII need to restore the nation

Experts worked on methods & processes destined to improve working structures :

Operations standardization & optimizationConstant measures for continual improvement

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Introduction to Kaizen – PartII: Ancestral meaning

Japanese translation of “KAIZEN”: ‘KAI’ : ‘change’ or ‘the action to correct’ ‘ZEN’ : ‘in a good way’ improvement

Not a simple concept, but a whole philosophy

Ancestral meaning focused on better life in society

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Introduction to Kaizen – PartIII: A way of thinking

Workplace ‘quality’ strategy: Processes, monitors then adjusts technics Eliminates mental & physical wasteful works/tasks Improves continuously the way of doing business

- Linkage between a process & its result as a whole- Learning & non-judgmental views re-examination- Smooth way of approaching changes (not radical!)

Former ‘Kaizen’ values applied to the business place

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Introduction to Kaizen – PartIII: A way of thinking

Every stakeholder is an equal active actor for the development & improvement of the company.

“Upward model” of the basic organizational chart

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Customers

Staff (Workers)

Middle Management

CEO & Top-Management

UPWARD

Tools used to develop a Kaizen spirit at workplace

- 5S Methodology- Total Quality Management (TQM)- PDCA (“Wheel of Deming”)- Six Sigma |- Lean Thinking |- Balanced Scorecard- …

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TOC Lean Six Sigma

- 5S Methodology

Organization, Orderliness, Cleanliness, StandardCleanup, Discipline

- Sorting- Simplifying- Shining- Standardizing- Sustaining

Improve levels of quality communication Improve information sharing, morale, safety

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- Total Quality Management (TQM)

Management strategy in organizational processes :

- Quality- All members’ participation (Teamwork)- Long-term success- Benefit to all stakeholders

Educate and create employees’ satisfaction

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- PDCA (“Wheel of Deming”)

Problem-solving process used in quality control

- PLAN- DO- CHECK- ACT

Review all steps Improve it for next implementation

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- Six Sigma / Lean Thinking TOC Lean Six Sigma

Set of practices that improve processes by eliminating defects

- Executive Leadership (CEO + Top Mngers)- Champions- Master Black Belts- Experts- Black Belts- Green Belts- Yellow Belts

Professionalize quality management functions Improve process to that level of quality or better

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- Balanced Scorecard

Concept measuring concordance of objectives with corpo’ strategy,by providing greater contextual justification for each measure taken.

- Learning & Growth - jobs (human capital), - systems (info capital), - climate (organization capital)

Provide a ‘human’ view of a business to act in the best long-term interests of both workers and CEO.

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Kaisen and Toyota:

Reduce cost, increase productivity is the key of the success.

For Toyota, the internal crisis during the 90’s wasn’t a symbol of good corporate management.Kaisen method was the solution to:

Fight the wasting to reduce the number of the tasks and the agents of manufacturing, thus increase the productivity.

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Some reasons why Kaizen can lead to a failure

Reason 1: Lack of internal communicationReason 2: Lack of top-down management supportReason 3: Lack of middle management/supervisor buy-in Reason 4: Non understanding of the link with human behaviorReason 5: Lack of customer focus Reason 6: Lack of improvement measures Reason 7: Lack of lean leadership Reason 8: Gap between human measures and lean goals Reason 9: Using Kaizen as a sole improvement measurement Reason 10: Using bonus pay systems to only generate ‘profit’

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Conclusion

Kaisen activity imply 4 effects: Paying attention to the quality and the productivity A long and durable process not short and radical

(innovation): acquiring little by little kaisen and problem solving ability

Perceiving the work place as their own Understanding the meaning of kaisen

Obviously Kaisen imposed provokes their workers hostile or negative reaction against improvement of their own working process.

So, it’s the priority for company to construct good human relationship among them, which workers kaisen activities can be one of the means to involve them in.

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