Kaizen means “continuous change for the better” in Japanese. In this philosophy, which is applied to increase the efficiency of businesses and provide competitive advantage, employee participation is of great importance. Employees are at the center of the Kaizen process and their active participation directly affects the success of improvement efforts. In this blog post, we will discuss why employee engagement is so important in the Kaizen process and what you can do to increase employee engagement. What is Kaizen Technique? The Kaizen technique is a philosophy that aims for continuous improvement in the production process, products or services. The aim of Kaizen is to create big changes in small but continuous steps. In order to achieve better results in the production process, processes need to be improved. Improving processes helps businesses to provide better quality products/services, increase customer satisfaction and generate more profit. The Kaizen philosophy also ensures that waste is eliminated, standards are set and processes are continuously reviewed. What are the Basic Principles of Kaizen Philosophy? Kaizen basically has 7 principles. These principles are as follows: Problems should be recognized before they create major consequences. Choose projects that do not require too much cost. Look at our own problems first, not others’. Prioritize well. Issues such as quality, production, cost, distribution can be addressed. Economic benefit should not be the only goal. The PDCA cycle (plan-do-check-act) should be followed. Use the right techniques for the solution. What is Employee Involvement? Employee involvement is the contribution of employees to the improvement of business processes and decision-making processes. This participation allows employees to identify problems, propose solutions and increase productivity by sharing their experience and knowledge. In Kaizen philosophy, employee participation is one of the cornerstones of continuous improvement culture. It encourages teamwork, taking responsibility and problem-solving skills. In this way, quality and performance are improved throughout the organization. Why is Employee Involvement Important in Kaizen Activities? Employee involvement in the Kaizen process is of great importance for the realization of continuous improvement goals. Determining what the problems are in a company and deciding which areas need to be improved is not a process that only the management team can do. Because we have employees who are directly responsible for the success of the business. These employees can develop creative ideas that can identify the way the work is done, the problems that arise during the work, and solutions to these problems. In this way, managers can effectively use the knowledge, skills and experience of employees to optimize business processes and increase productivity. Therefore, allowing employees to diagnose the situation and encouraging them to share their ideas is very important in the Kaizen process. What are the Ways to Increase Employee Involvement? You can apply some ways to create a kaizen culture in your company and involve employees in kaizen processes: Training and Awareness The first step is to organize comprehensive training programs for employees to teach them the Kaizen philosophy and methods. These trainings enable employees to better understand the purpose and benefits of Kaizen and kaizen techniques such as the PDCA cycle, 5S method, fishbone diagram, etc. Collaboration between Departments Teams should be formed to bring together employees from different departments to analyze business processes and develop improvement projects. These teams help create more comprehensive solutions by combining information from various perspectives. Regular Kaizen Events Kaizen events and workshops should be organized regularly. These events enable employees to review business processes and identify opportunities for improvement. Suggestion Systems Establish structured systems to collect feedback and suggestions from employees. Employees should be encouraged to share their ideas through suggestion boxes, digital platforms or regular meetings. Through these systems, employees can take an active role in the processes. Rewarding Employees Employees who actively participate in Kaizen processes and offer successful improvement suggestions should be recognized with material and moral rewards. This rewarding increases employee motivation and loyalty. oneri.io is a continuous improvement solution that enables businesses to digitize their continuous improvement processes. Kaizen, Employee Suggestion System, 5S Audit, Near-Miss Reporting, Lesson Learned, Action Management and Help Desk modules enable all improvement activities to be carried out digitally on a single platform. With oneri.io, a web and mobile compatible solution, you can easily carry out your kaizen, suggestion collection and employee rewarding processes: With employee suggestion management software, you can collect suggestions and ideas from your employees in the field. With the Kaizen solution, you can carry out your work in a systematic and measurable format. You can use different employee reward scenarios to increase employee motivation. In addition to all these; With near-miss reporting, you can enable employees to quickly share potential risks within the business and take the necessary security measures quickly. With the 5S Audit Management, you can plan 5S steps in a digital and systematic way. You can easily carry out your inspection, maintenance and cleaning processes. With action management, you can create actions for your improvement processes, assign responsible persons and monitor the status of actions instantly. With the help desk module, you can easily collect customer requests and assign them to the relevant people. With the lessons learned module, you can digitally archive the lessons learned from your improvement efforts. In short, oneri.io is a comprehensive solution designed for businesses to carry out continuous improvement & lean production activities. For further details regarding oneri.io, feel free to reach out to us.
