The Kaizen approach is a Japanese concept meaning “change for the better”. It focuses on making gradual and continuous improvements to achieve more efficient results in the operational processes, products, working environments and production centres of businesses. The aim of Kaizen is to increase customer satisfaction and competitiveness by providing better quality outputs.Although Kaizen emerged in the manufacturing sector, it is a philosophy adopted today in many sectors such as service, healthcare and logistics that want to reduce waste and achieve better results. We have prepared this content to help you understand Kaizen better by covering frequently used words and concepts related to Kaizen and to integrate this philosophy into your business processes more effectively.Kaizen Glossary of Terms5S Audit5S Audit is a system used to monitor the effectiveness of 5S principles and assess the organisation, cleanliness and safety of the workplace. This audit supports increased efficiency and continuous improvement by reviewing processes.5S Method5S Methodology is a technique that aims to organise space to create a quality and sustainable working environment in companies. It improves working conditions in terms of safety, cleanliness and comfort and increases productivity by reducing waste and variability. 5S PillarsThe 5S pillars consist of 5S Japanese words:Seiri (Sort): Eliminating materials and equipment that are not needed in the workplace.Seiton (Set in Order): Arranging the remaining items to optimise flow and ensure efficiency.Seisou (Shine): Keeping the work area clean and tidy with cleaning routines to create a comfortable and safe work area.Seiketsu (Standardize): Establishing standards and procedures to perpetuate the 5S steps.Shitsuke (Discipline / Sustain): Regular implementation and inspection of standards. A3 Report (A3 Problem Solving)The A3 Report is a lean approach developed by Toyota that summarises problem solving, situation reports, and planning efforts. It takes its name from the A3 size paper used. This report documents a problem, current situation, and proposed solutions on a single page, accompanied by graphs. The A3 Report aims to present only a clear representation of the problem and solutions, leaving out unnecessary information.Before – After KaizenFirst Then Kaizen is an approach that aims to make improvements in daily business processes. It first analyses the current situation and then makes improvements through simple and small improvements. This approach creates a practical environment that allows small improvements to be easily implemented and simple problems encountered to be easily solved.Continuous ImprovementContinuous improvement is a business philosophy that focuses on making continuous improvements to products, services or processes to reduce waste and increase efficiency. The goal of continuous improvement is to achieve greater results with small changes over time.Continuous LearningContinuous learning is a strategic approach that encourages an organisation and its employees to continuously improve their competence, performance, knowledge and equipment.Company CultureCorporate culture is the common understanding that shapes the values, beliefs and norms of an organisation and determines the way employees do business, their interactions and decision-making processes.Data Based Decision MakingData-driven decision making is the process of using factual information, metrics and data to align business decisions with goals, objectives and strategies.Employee Suggestion SystemThe Suggestion System is a platform that enables businesses to collect, evaluate and reward suggestions from their employees in a digital environment in order to optimise their processes and increase efficiency. It enables different ideas from various departments of the company to be brought together on a single platform and prevents these valuable ideas from being lost. Gemba WalkGemba is a Japanese term meaning “real place”. It is used in business to refer to the place where value is created. Gemba Walk is the process by which leaders observe and understand problems in a business process on the spot, gain information by asking questions, and build relationships with employees. This method is important for process improvements and identifying safety risks.GembutsuGembutsu is a practice adopted by Toyota as a method of solving problems and means “go and see” in Japanese. This approach involves going beyond the data collected at the desk, analysing on the spot and directly observing the way the problem occurs. Gembutsu is used to get to the root of the problem and develop more effective solutions by getting information from process workers.HanseiHansei means introspection or observing one’s own reflection in Japanese. The word “Han” means to change or reverse and “Sei” means to look back at oneself and examine. Hansei is a systematic approach to recognising and reflecting on mistakes made throughout the project lifecycle. This method helps to understand misunderstandings, mistakes and failures, enabling organisations to learn from these mistakes and identify appropriate improvement actions.KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)KPIs are measurements designed to monitor and promote progress towards the organisation’s critical objectives. Kaikaku (Radical Improvement)Kaikaku is a Japanese term and means “radical improvement” in Turkish. Radical improvement refers to the radical improvement of an activity to eliminate factors that do not add value and cause waste. It involves large step changes compared to small kaizen improvements.KaizenKaizen is a concept that is a combination of the Japanese words “kai” (change) and “zen” (better) and means continuous improvement. The main purpose of the Kaizen technique is to improve the processes with small but continuous improvements in production processes, to increase customer satisfaction and competitiveness. Kaizen PrinciplesKaizen principles form the basis of any Kaizen activity. There are 5 basic principles:Focus on the Customer: The way to create value for the customer is to understand their needs and expectations. Therefore, in order to improve the customer experience, it is necessary to know them well and identify their interests.Going with the Flow: Kaizen wants to achieve zero waste in processes. Therefore, everyone throughout the company should strive to reduce or eliminate waste in the value creation process.Going to Gemba: Gemba refers to the actual place where the work is done. Managers need to go to the place where business processes are carried out, follow the actions that create value, see problems at the source and communicate with field workers.Empowering Employees: The Kaizen approach wants employees to participate in improvement processes and to reach the goal together. Therefore, leaders need to support and encourage their employees.Data Based Decision Making: The most important factor that enables to measure success in a transparent way is data. Therefore, Kaizen relies on real data for improvements and performance analysis. Kaizen SoftwareKaizen solution enables this process to be carried out in a digital environment by presenting the methods and techniques needed by businesses in a kaizen process on a digital platform. Businesses can use the kaizen solution on a digital platform to identify improvement opportunities, develop plans and measure the efficiency of the changes made. Kaizen CultureKaizen culture is a business approach based on the philosophy of continuous improvement. In this culture, employees and managers aim to make small, incremental changes to continuously improve business processes, products and services.Kaizen EventsKaizen events are effective and short-term brainstorming sessions aimed at solving a specific problem or improving an existing process. These events aim to continuously improve processes, products or services in organisations.Kaizen BlitzKaizen Blitz Method is an intensive improvement workshop designed to produce effective and fast solutions to specific process problems in a short time. It is a process improvement method that is carried out with a small number of people in a few days and focuses on a specific area.Kobetsu Kaizen (Focused Improvement)Kobetsu Kaizen is a term of Japanese origin and means “focused improvement”. Focused Kaizen aims to increase productivity and quality by making small, continuous changes to specific processes or machines. Teams make continuous improvements by focusing on specific areas.Karakuri KaizenKarakuri Kaizen is a method that focuses on improving processes with simple mechanical solutions rather than automation and technology. This approach aims to increase production efficiency with low-cost, energy-efficient and easily implementable mechanical systems. Often based on basic physics principles such as gravity, springs and levers, Karakuri Kaizen reduces waste and makes operational processes more efficient. KanbanKanban is a Japanese term and means "visual board" or "visual card" in English. The Kanban approach is implemented using Kanban boards, a visual project management tool. On the boards, tasks, represented by cards, progress through columns indicating work phases. In this way, teams can monitor in real time what stage the work is at and focus more on the work processes. Lessons LearnedLessons learned are the knowledge and insights gained from positive or negative experiences as a result of work carried out within the company. This information enables us to reflect on past projects, studies or situations to determine what worked and what did not work. In this way, future decision-making processes are carried out more consciously and effectively in line with these insights. Lessons Learned SoftwareThe Lessons Learned Solution is a solution that enables the recording of information about business processes such as project details, problems, solutions, impacts, and gains on a digital platform. It prevents the loss of positive or negative gains obtained from the work carried out and strengthens the corporate memory. Major KaizenMajor Kaizen is a type of Kaizen applied to make comprehensive and detailed improvements in enterprises. This method addresses problems by adhering to a specific timetable with teamwork. It uses in-depth data analysis and root cause analysis to identify the causes of problems. With this approach, it is aimed to solve persistent problems in the process and achieve continuous improvement.PDCA Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) PDCA Cycle is defined as PDCA Cycle (Plan, Do, Control, Take Action) in Turkish. It is an iterative approach used to improve processes.Plan: Define the problem and opportunities. Develop a strong plan.Do: Implement everything planned.Check: Verify whether the plan works, whether the desired results are achieved.Take Action: review and evaluate the plan and repeat the process.Quick KaizenRapid Kaizen is an intensive process improvement method that aims to identify and solve identified problems in a short time. Its aim is to quickly calculate the effects of the solution and establish standards for successful applications.Quality Management SystemQuality Management System is a system that determines the policies and procedures necessary to meet customer expectations and to provide them with better quality products and services. It helps businesses to meet customer needs and improve their products and services through continuous improvement.Quality CirclesQuality circles refer to groups of employees who meet regularly to identify, analyse and solve quality-related problems and to improve quality.Quality ImprovementQuality Improvement is a process that aims to reduce variability in processes and products. This approach involves continuous improvement efforts to improve product quality and ensure customer satisfaction.Root Cause AnalysisRoot cause analysis is an approach that focuses on finding and solving the underlying root causes of a problem rather than finding instant solutions to a problem.Standard KaizenStandard Kaizen is a continuous improvement method that ensures regular review and improvement of existing processes. In this method, which is used for mid-level changes, the causes of the problems are revealed by root cause analysis and the necessary improvements are made to ensure that the process is efficient.SMART GoalsSMART is a method that expresses the concepts of “Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound” and is used as a best practice framework for goal setting in project management.Specific: The objective should be clear, specific and precise.Measurable: Objectives should be measurable in order to monitor progress.Achievable: The goal should be realistic and it should be possible to complete the goal within the specified time frame.Relevant: The goal should be in line with the company’s values and long-term goals.Time-bound: SMART goals should have a start date and an end date. In other words, an appropriate time frame should be determined for the objectives.
