Study of Tqm

Institute of Management, Nirma University, Ahmedabad

Total Quality Management

(December 12, 2012)

Project Report on

“Study of Kaizen”

Submitted To:

Prof. Amit Saraswat

Submitted by:

Ankit Shah

(111103)

INTRODUCTION:

After World War II, the occupational forces brought in American experts who were familiar with statistical control methods and with the War Department's Training within Industry (TWI) training programs to restore a war-torn nation. TWI programs included Job Instruction (standard work) and Job Methods (process improvement). In conjunction with the Shewhart cycle taught by W. Edwards Deming, and other statistics-based methods taught by Joseph M. Juran, these became the basis of the kaizen revolution in Japan that took place in the 1950s.

The Japanese word "KAIZEN" means improvement. Kaizen is a popular word in industry, worldwide, to claim practicing innovative management methods.

Japan has long been sensitive about waste, as the land and raw materials are scarce. Waste can be turned into profit if it is eliminated and everybody is encouraged to participate in improvement efforts.

Kaizen is a daily activity whose purpose goes beyond improvement. It is also a process that, when done correctly, humanizes the workplace, eliminates hard work (both mental and physical), and teaches people how to do rapid experiments using the scientific method and how to learn to see and eliminate waste in business processes.

"Kaizen" is the correct usage. "Kaizen event" or "kaizen blitz" are incorrect usage.

Kaizen is often misunderstood and applied incorrectly, resulting in bad outcomes including, for example, layoffs. This is called "kaiaku" - literally, "change for the worse." Layoffs are not the intent of kaizen. Instead, kaizen must be practiced in tandem with the "Respect for People" principle. Without "Respect for People," there can be no continuous improvement. Instead, the usual result is one-time gains that quickly fade.

Importantly,...