1 Koichi Kimura Institute – US, Spain & Japan www.kokinstitute.com. CC 2015 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

KAIZEN CYCLE Eduardo L. Garcia. © 2015 V1.0. The KAIZEN CYCLE (Jp. Kaizen 改善, ‘KAI-chage to ZEN-better" or "improvement" in japanes. The common use of its translation into Engish is continuous improvement") is sparsely developed in business, although it is the basis of the commonly known as Lean methodology. Master Koichi Kimura shows us the way in which this cycle can be used to achieve excellence in operations.

KAIZEN CYCLE ABOUT PRODUCTIÓN

1. Inventory reduction ( ∇ WIP )

Tension superficially the stream of production so that

problems come out to the surface.

2. Problems are shown.

Lack of ability, training.

Line balancing.

Quality problem.

Problem in machine.

Large batch size.

Lead Time long and lack of SMED.

3. Kaizen Event using PDCA+A3

QRQC (Quick Response Quality Control)

QRKA (Quick Response Kaizen Activity)

PDCA Tool ‘ HIMADESHO* ’

4. Tighten the stream again ( ∇ WIP )

WIP; Eng. Work In Progress

MAKE PROBLEMS MORE VISIBLE

Make visible problems or ‘bring to the surface the

PROPBLEMS', may seem a contraction. Traditional thought

leads us to hide the problems. Many manager think, 'I already

have enough problems to get more to the surface', however,

is precisely because those hidden problems that managers

spend much of their time to ‘extinguish fires’ rather than

implement a strategy of management and appropriate

improvement.

KAIZEN CYCLE

KAIZEN CYCLE is often

confused with the Deming or

PDCA cycle. However is not a

methodological descriptive

cycle, but a cycle of operations

that aims to show the

underlying problems in the

business processes of any type,

although it was initially

developed to optimize

production processes in the

automotive sector.

KAIZEN CYCLE is widely used

by Japanese industries to make

patent problems in the Gemba:

lack of tools, dirt, excessive

inventories, lack of maintenance

of machinery, lack of training,

lack or excess of information,

etc.

2 Koichi Kimura Institute – US, Spain & Japan www.kokinstitute.com. CC 2015 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

BRINGING TO THE SURFACE OTHER PROBLEMS

A study of the German of Machinery Manufacturers Association

published at 2002, refers to dirt as the cause of 40% of faults in

machinery.

For instance, every day, the worker of Honda, is delivered freshly

washed linen. Souchiro-Honda’s philosophy is 'not hidden dirt and

it is exposed to the surface'. Honda understands that dirt hides a

problem inside, the same made to get dirty and to detect dirt,

clothes must be always clean and white.

暇でしょ – HIMADESHO*

In Japanese it means 'free time or probably lost'.

It is the time taken to recover the normal

condition of the process.

KAIZEN CYCLE ON OTHER FIELDS

To improve in other areas we can 'tighten superficially other variables',

which do not have to be the inventory or WIP'

Reduction of space (space efficient) reduction of the space

available for the deposit of goods. In this way come to the

surface problems of logistics or other related to the management

of inventory, invoicing, stores or administrative processes.

Reduction in the number of defects (quality) the reduction in the

number of admissible in the process defective products in

production or administrative. Objective SMART (Specific,

Measurable, Attainable, Realistic & Time-Related).

Reduction of the Lead-Time (LT) less the total of production

time, reduction of time of waiting, reducing time of stops

scheduled or unscheduled machinery, lines, etc.

Increased Cash-flow (KPI-CashFlow) reduction of money assets

in inventory, machinery, and various not purely productive

facilities, reduction of the gast...

The correct action method,

within the KAIZEN CYCLE,

before the presentation of a

problem is when filed, i.e.,

during the time the problem

generated by lost time while

it implements a

workaround or solution in

English we call 'temporary

workaround', and that

many companies end up

being like the 'saying' is

very popular in the

industry : 'provisional

for life'.

To act immediately,

Problems have to takle

using HIMADESHO

perspective. Act via a Quick

Response Kaizen tool:

QRKA or through the PDCA

cycle QRQC. Later

standardize the solution

immediately, so that does

not happen again.

If we do not act

HIMADESHO under a

QRKA or QRQC and PDCA

cycle +A3 furthermore

Standardize the solution,

the time that we use to

implement a workaround is

definitively lost.

HIMADESHO*

暇でしょ