Kaizen & 5 S

Over the past several years terms have been mixed up in the industries that some have thought that they don’t need the one or need the other because they might know it well. The main three terms that are mixed up the most are Lean, kaizen, and Six Sigma. These terms are used loosely because when someone learns one, they tend to turn a blind eye to the importance of the other two. When using this methodology, they are playing an important role in problem-solving and fixing the main issue that the organization has. There may be a time when you might not use each tool every time but it is essential to know all three for this reason to be able to troubleshoot and fix complex problems in the organization.

?When getting started with lean you would want to know the basics of it and what benefits come along with it. in lean, there is something called the lean building blocks which helps the organization. The first Building block in lean would be Kaizen. The Main concept of Kaizen is lean thinking. Kaizen is a Japanese term for improvement or change for the better. This lean thinking process focuses a lot on continuous improvement to get the best results. It is generally interpreted as meaning?continuous incremental improvement that?involves everyone in the organization.?In kaizen, there are 3 Mu’s to help to get things to perform better and more efficiently.

1.?????Muda stands for waste, but this form has several different kinds of waste. It has overproduction waste meaning made too much of one thing. Time on hand can have several meanings, but one main meaning could be if an employee is standing around not working it could be a waste of company time. Transportation means the excessive cost for shipping which would be beneficial to always to look to save as much as possible. Transportation means moving products that do not require to be moved. ?Processing Itself means when a label or item must be processed more than once it can become a waste because it takes up time in the system and is causing more work. Stock at Hand means when inventory sits for too long for example at a dealership it cost the dealer money because they cannot get newer inventory in. Defective Parts mean when a product is broken or returned to the company it becomes part if it cannot be sold right away and needs any kind of work done to it.

2.?????Mura Is a Japanese word for unevenness. Because Mura is considered it can have bumps in its path that cause it hard to get the job done. Since there are constantly inconsistencies in the system process this would lead to overburden on employees in the workplace.

3.?????Muri is a Japanese word for overburden that is used in kaizen. This word can be used frequently because it means a tedious process of putting too much of a load on workers or even a machine. This can lead to defects like breakdowns in the machines, employees quitting, and morale being low in a company.

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?The next building block in lean is 5S or it could be considered just workplace organization. 5S is one of the most important lean building blocks because it can reduce cost and save the company money but making small adjustments that are necessary. First, sort; get rid of anything that isn't needed,?then set an order;?put everything in its place.?Next is to shine; clean and?inspect everything and make any needed repairs.?After that, standardize; set?the expectations for ongoing organization,?and make them clear to everyone.?Finally, sustain; monitor the process for compliance,?and reinforce the standard.

?Using different color tape in your workplace to identify certain areas is a perfect idea to help Reduce excess movement, Travel distance improve opportunities for communication,?and optimize the use of floor space.?This also allows you to define certain spaces and paths. Red, yellow, and green traffic light systems on?machines that identify the state?of the operation or process. Effective use of visual signals can?simplify and speed up the communication of information,?provide faster and more accurate decision-making,?improve communication across language or?cultural barriers, and improve safety.

In the next article I will discuss The history of Lean and Six Sigma but I will also talk about DMADV.