The Kaizen method: an easy way for continuous improvement as a team

Kaizen methodology: learn how to boost your performance with continuous improvement

The Kaizen system, first implemented in the 1950s in Toyota plants in Japan, is a management approach aimed at solving problems and optimizing working methods through small daily changes. The lean Kaizen approach, where “kai” means “change” and “Zen” means “good”, focuses on continuous improvement.

In this kit of 7 well-known and less well-known Kaizen methods, you can take inspiration to improve your teamwork, by taking simple and inexpensive concrete action. The aim is to work as a team to make small improvements day by day, be it for your organization as a whole or in your shared work environment.

For example, here is what you can do with this set of templates:

• Optimize your processes with the 5S or 8 Wastes of Lean templates.
• Solve a problem by analyzing it from all angles with the 5W1H method.
• Find the root causes of a problem and unearth them with the 5 Whys.
• Improve your management with new processes such as the 8D method, QRQC and the PDCA Cycle.

Thanks to these proven methods, it’s easy to improve both your team performance and your management!

Why adopt the lean Kaizen approach?

To improve the performance of your organization, you can choose to make radical changes. Sure, they can prove spectacular, but they also might be unsustainable because they disrupt too many processes at once. Or, you can try the Kaizen methodology, which focuses on small actions repeated every day for lasting and profound change.

As well as using it in your project management and your team management, the Kaizen approach lets each member of the team get involved in the changes to be made and take ownership of them. This is because these changes are applied gradually, one step at a time. This makes employee well-being and, in turn, customer well-being going from strength to strength.

What’s more, this also leads to improving your performance constantly, as you are optimizing your processes on a daily basis. Through Kaizen, you end up saving time, reducing delivery time for your projects or products, and improving your teamwork!

Finally, Kaizen methods can be used in any type of team. Originally used in industry, they are now commonly used in all other sectors such services or business. And even if you’re working remotely, you can use them to boost your own personal effectiveness. So go on, give it a try!

How to use the Kaizen method template

In this kit, first of all you will find two templates that will show you how to optimize your work processes: 

• The 5S
• The 8 Wastes of Lean

The 5S method will help you analyze and optimize your work environment in 5 steps. You will learn how to work as a team to boost efficiency, save time and energy, reduce the risk of accidents and improve end product quality.

The 8 Wastes of Lean method will show you how to find waste in your working processes, and define the best solutions to eliminate it.

If you are dealing with a recurring problem, we suggest trying to use the 2 following Kaizen methods to help you analyze and solve it:

• The 5W1H method helps your team analyze all the aspects of your problem in detail, by asking yourself 7 important questions. Then, you can precisely define the corrective actions to be implemented.
• The 5 Whys method helps you go back to the root cause of a malfunction, and do everything in your power to find lasting solutions.

Finally, you can take your pick of the 3 remaining Kaizen methods aimed at implementing a continuous improvement process based on problem-solving:

• The 8D: here, you have 8 steps to follow to respond to a problem quickly, and find appropriate and lasting solutions.
• When several entities or teams are involved in one project, be sure to try the QRQC method. This one helps you take stock of the malfunctions that everyone encounters every day, and solve them together permanently.

Finally, have fun constantly improving your performance with the PDCA cycle. This problem-solving approach takes you into a virtuous circle of planning your new actions, developing them, then checking and adjusting them if necessary, by starting over from the beginning.

As a team, you’re holding all the cards to launch yourself on the path to continuous improvement!