Kaizen, known as Continuous Improvement, is a practice that aims to make short-term efforts by monitoring processes and performances but aims to create the most efficient result in the long term. It enables the elimination of problems and the development of works and projects without interruption. Why is Continuous Improvement Important? The changing world causes different expectations and changing demands in life and business life from consumers to producers, from white collar to blue collar. Continuous improvement encourages managers and employees to continuously improve processes, services, and products in this changing world. In this way, it ensures that businesses always stay up-to-date in the sector and meet expectations. It is extremely important to adopt continuous improvement to follow the changes that occur, to keep up with the industry, and to stay among the best in today’s competitive world. Benefits of Continuous Improvement The most important benefit of continuous improvement are that it makes processes more efficient. Let’s take a brief look at some of the other benefits: Continuous improvement encourages employees to participate in process improvements, increasing their motivation and strengthening team spirit. Continuous improvement in processes encourages innovation. It reduces costs and increases profits by making business processes more efficient. Reduces errors and risks in business processes. Shortens delivery times. Continuous Improvement (Kaizen) Techniques Some techniques have been developed for the implementation of continuous improvement. Commonly used techniques are the PDCA Cycle, Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma. PDCA Cycle In companies implementing continuous improvement, the PDCA (plan-do-check-act) method is used as the planning table. The planning stage is the stage where the improvement area and process are determined and how they will be carried out. In the do phase, action is taken based on the determined plan. In this stage, the improvement steps are implemented with changes to the process. In the check phase, the effectiveness and performance of the changes made are evaluated. Data is collected, analyzed and how close the desired outcome is calculated. Finally, in the take measures phase, the necessary corrections and improvements are reflected in the tables according to the results obtained. After this stage, continuous improvement is realized and brought into the cycle. Lean Manufacturing One of the first techniques that comes to mind when Kaizen is mentioned is Lean Production. Lean manufacturing focuses on reducing waste in business processes and maximizing efficiency. Lean manufacturing aims to eliminate waste and unnecessary steps in companies and to streamline existing processes. Six Sigma Another continuous improvement technique is the concept we call Six Sigma, which consists of the building blocks of improvement techniques. Six Sigma is a technique that combines PCDA and lean production. In this technique, the problem is defined and then the necessary measurements and analyzes are made to find a solution. In addition, the improvement result is controlled. To summarize, these techniques have a single goal: to make continuous improvement continuous. Making Continuous Improvement Ongoing Continuous improvement depends on the contribution of employees to the process. Therefore, the commitment and willingness of employees is crucial to keep the cycle going. Rewarding employees when successful results are achieved develops the culture of continuous improvement in the company and encourages them. In addition to this, it is of great importance to ensure that the improvement targets are clear, that the plans are correctly spread throughout the process, and that feedback is given to the suggestions in order to ensure the continuation of continuous improvement. Manage Your Continuous Improvement Processes on a Single Platform oneri.io is a platform designed for businesses to carry out continuous improvement processes and for employee participation in improvement processes. There are 6 modules in total within the platform. Suggestion System Kaizen Near Miss Reporting 5S Audit Management Lesson Learned Action Management Thanks to these modules, businesses can easily track all kinds of improvement processes. Thanks to its artificial intelligence support, Oneri.io automatically detects repetitive suggestions, prevents the same suggestions from being entered and saves time. Employees can easily access the platform via mobile application or web, independent of time and space, and can realize, measure and report improvement processes in cooperation.
