When talking about philosophy or systems of thought, people generally think of it as independent of the material world, moving towards spirituality. However, if we consider how important the business world and money economy play in our daily life, we can see that we actually need the real thinking system here. Here is the one that is based in Japan This is where the Kaizen philosophy comes into play.

In general, we execute our strategies result-oriented in business. Kaizen philosophy, on the other hand, approaches the subject from a completely different angle. and he says that we can only change the results if we are process-oriented instead of result-oriented. Let’s take a closer look at what the Kaizen philosophy is, what it does and what it focuses on, allowing you to approach business processes from a different perspective than ever before.

Let’s start with the basics, what is kaizen philosophy?

Kaizen philosophy is a thinking system that aims at you to achieve rapid development and reduce costs by applying it in the business world over a period of time. With this system, the goal is to increase customer satisfaction and become stronger against your competitors. In business processes with Kaizen, on employeesin time planning, technology studies It is possible to catch fast but rapid changes without rush. The word Kaizel originated from the combination of the Japanese words ‘kai’, meaning change, and ‘zen’, meaning better.

So what does the philosophy of kaizen do, what does it strive for?

The Kaizen philosophy is applied within days to a project or plan carried out by a limited number of people with a multifunctional structure. Although commonly used in manufacturing processes It can also bring effective results in the service sector and technical field. It is the continuous improvement to be achieved thanks to the kaizen applied to the process rather than the result. Because if the process doesn’t work, the result won’t work either.

In the Kaizen philosophy, people are seen as resources. This resource, which should be given importance, should be properly maintained, not only in the workplace but also beyond. Employees are not based on their performance at the end of the job, It is necessary to evaluate and reward them based on the progress they have made throughout the process. The process dimension of the work is also evaluated and corrective measures are taken at that time to improve the process.

Applying the kaizen philosophy, which also focuses on the time dimension of the process, changes in the sector are directly monitored and quick response to changes. When time is well spent, costs drop and productivity increases. In the technological aspect of the process, the technologies must be simplified by converting them to each other.

Before applying kaizen, it should be considered to instill this philosophy, especially in the management unit, and to change their thinking system. Because administrators by closely monitoring business processes They are the first to see potential problems and to intervene first. The idea of ​​Plan – Do – Check – Measure is the epitome of the Kaizen philosophy.

What does Kaizen philosophy mean? Here is the value system in this philosophy:

According to the Kaizen philosophy, it doesn’t matter what stage of the work Improvements need to be made for these objects. Improvement studies must be performed continuously in accordance with carefully prepared strategies such as quality circles, employee collaboration, teamwork, automation support.

If the kaizen philosophy is applied in a process, every person involved in that process is responsible for this thought. This responsibility is treated as a value, not a burden. All parties involved in the process are consulted. Incoming ideas are used in improvement analyses. The more honest and sane the feedback, the more successful the improvements will be.

The seven basic principles of the Kaizen philosophy are:

• First, acknowledge the problem.
• Choose projects that cost little.
• Address our problems, not theirs.
• Do not think that the only measure of enforcement is economic interest.
• Prioritize principles such as quality, cost, distribution.
• Implement the PDCA, Plan – Do – Check – Act system.
• Use the right tools for the solution.

The main features that briefly describe the kaizen philosophy are:

• Management is based on value.
• All elements participate in the application.
• The team must be capable and multifunctional.
• Full focus is expected from everyone.
• The application is completed in a short time.
• Goals are approached boldly.
• There is no room for waste.
• Applications are not limited, but large-scale.
• Before a new process is started, a training is followed.
• There is a focus on sustainability.
• Developing the workforce is extremely important.

The rules the team must follow in order to comply with the Kaizen philosophy:

• All members of the team start the day together and end the day together.
• The first priority is to be a close-knit team.
• Arriving late is not an issue.
• Means of communication are disabled within the team.
• All members of the team work in one room.
• Outside interference is unacceptable.
• It is not possible to go beyond the goals initially set.
• Team members are not guilty.
• Non-team members have no voting rights.
• Protesting is strictly prohibited.
• What’s in the team stays in the team.
• Titles don’t matter.
• Saying ‘I can’t’ is forbidden.

Let’s launch the kaizen application:

When the team is complete and the rules are clear, we can start applying the kaizen philosophy. First define process functions, Build a general understanding of flow, collect the most up-to-date information on performance issues, and make preliminary decisions for the future.

By finding five reasons why you should apply the Kaizen philosophy, creating a cause and effect diagram, editing control documents, performing Pareto analysis and brainstorm as a team Take the first step of the application. While brainstorming, don’t forget to identify problems, generate new ideas, talk about the ideas produced and prioritize issues.

Iterative ideas to make the application much more efficient, thoughts that are inconsistent with ethical values, Eliminate points that don’t fit the kaizen philosophy and combine similar points. Now that you have the most correct ideas and thoughts, you can improve the process with an application of 2 or 5 days.

How is the Kaizen philosophy applied? Example kaizen application calendar:

• The first day of the application; discuss the process, design the future and brainstorm.
• The second day of the application; design improvements, establish a process standard and test standards.
• The third day of the application; continue designing, view efficiency status and end work process.
• Fourth and final day of implementation: Attend employee training, prepare an implementation report, and give a presentation summarizing the process.

Focused on achieving successful results by improving business processes What is the Kaizen philosophy, what is the goal, what are the principles We’ve talked about the details you need to know about this thought system by answering the curious questions. If you have applied the Kaizen philosophy, share your experience in the comments.