LECTURE NOTES ON KAIZEN, 5‘S’ & 6σ

Ramun Prasad†*
(Lecture No. - 47 & 48)

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Recapitulate

Learning Outcomes

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After this session students will be able to:

- Explain the term “Kaizen”.

- Differentiate between Kaizen and Innovation.

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- Explain the concept of 5‘S’.

- Describe the concept of 6-Sigma.

- Differentiate between 6-Sigma & Kaizen.

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1 Introduction to Kaizen, 5‘S’ & 6 Sigma

1.1 KAIZEN
• ‘Kaizen’ is a Japanese word meaning “Continuous Improvement”.

• Kaizen is defined as continuous improvement. It is a philosophy of continuing im-

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provement involving small changes throughout all areas in an organization. When

applied to the workplace, Kaizen involves all employees - from executives to laborers,
and everyone in between.

• The Kaizen philosophy has been implemented in organizations around the world. It
has been used as a way to improve production efficiency as well as improve employee
morale and safety.

• The premise of a Kaizen is based on the concept, that every person has an interest in
improvement.
* Lecturer,Department of Humanity (Economics), Government Polytechnic, Gaya, Bihar
†
E-mail: ramuncup@gmail.com, Homepage: https://ecoramun.wordpress.com/
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©Govt. Polytechnic, Gaya

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• According to Imai, Kaizen is an umbrella concept that embrace different continu-

ous improvement activities on an organization as shown in Figure-1 and Kaizen con-
stituents are presented on Figure-2

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Source: https://www.michailolidis.gr/pdf/KAIZEN08.pdf

According to M. Imai, - housekeeping, waste elimination and standardization are

the three pillars of Kaizen.

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1.1.1 Definition of Kaizen

• Kaizen (Ky ‘zen) is a Japanese term that means continuous improvement, taken from
words ‘Kai’, which means continuous and ‘zen’ which means improvement. Some
translate ‘Kai’ to mean change and ‘zen’ to mean good, or for the better.

• If you are aware of the Kaizen philosophy and strive to implement it, not a day should
go by without some kind of improvement being made somewhere in the company

1.1.2 Kaizen versus Innovation

Improvements can be divided into two groups: innovation and Kaizen. Innovation, which is

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a domain of western companies, is perceived as a change caused by breakthrough in tech-
nique discipline, implementation of the newest management concepts and manufacturing
techniques. It has rather revolution character.

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Kaizen is small improvement, but permanent, with determination and consequence. Im-
provements have gentle character. A characteristic feature of this approach is this, that it
does not need complicated techniques or the newest technologies. This what is needed it is
conventional techniques (e.g. Pareto diagram, Ishikawa diagram, control cards) and com-
mon sense.
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The concept of Kaizen Vs. Innovation can be understood with help of following graphs:

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If you look at a diagram of Kaizen vs. Innovation, Kaizen creates a constant slope, while
innovation creates a staircase effect. Often, innovation does not continue the staircase effect
because it does not incorporate Kaizen thinking.
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1.1.3 The Benefits of Kaizen
The benefits of Kaizen have been significant. Kaizen leads to improved quality, greater
productivity, increased safety, and better morale. When Kaizen is first introduced, many
companies see productivity increase by 30 to 100 percent, all without major capital invest-
ments. Kaizen helps lower costs and lets management become more attentive to customer
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needs because it creates an environment that takes customer requirements into account. The
benefits of Kaizen implementation are:

• Process Standardization.

• Waste Reduction.

• Innovative strategies being evolved.

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• Monetary benefits.

1.2 INTRODUCTION TO “ 5‘S’ ”

5S represents the Five Japanese words- Seiri (Sort), Seiton (Straighten), Seiso (Shine),
Seiketsu (Standardize) and Shitsuke (Sustain). It is a system for organizing spaces, so
work can be performed efficiently, effectively, and safely. This system focuses on putting
everything where it belongs and keeping the workplace clean, which makes it easier for peo-
ple to do their jobs without wasting time or risking injury.
In other words, 5‘S’ is a philosophy and a way of organizing and managing the workspace
and work flow with the intent to improve efficiency by eliminating waste, improving flow
and reducing process unreasonableness.

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The “5 S” is a simple set of principles for reducing waste which are as follow:

• Seiri - Sort – Eliminate what is not needed and keep what is needed.

• Seiton- Straighten – Position things in such a way that they can be easily reached.
whenever they are needed.

• Seiso - Shine – Keep things clean and tidy; no refuse or dirt in work area.

• Seiketsu- Standardize – Maintain cleanliness and order.

• Shitsuke - Sustain – Develop a commitment and pride in keeping to standards.

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1.2.1 Concept of “ 5‘S’ ”:

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S-1: Seiri-Sort

• Remove items not used in area – outdated materials, broken equipment, redundant
equipment, files on the computer, measurements which you no longer use.

• Classify all equipment and materials by frequency of use.

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S-2: Seiton -Straighten

• The practice of orderly storage so the right item can be picked efficiently (without
waste) at the right time, easy to access for everyone. i.e. A place for everything and
everything in its place.

• Identify and allocate a place for all the materials needed for your work.

• Assign fixed places and fixed quantity

• Make it compact

• Place heavy objects at a height where they are easy to pick from.

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• Decide how things should be put away, and obey those rules.

S-3: Seiso-Shine

• Create a clean worksite without garbage, dirt and dust, so problems can be more easily
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identified (leaks, spills, excess, damage, etc)

• Identify root causes of dirtiness, and correct process.

• Only one work activity on a workspace at any given time.

• Keep tools and equipment clean and in top condition, ready for use at any time.

• Cleanliness should be a daily activity – at least 5 minutes per day.

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• Use chart with signatures/initials shows that the action or review has taken place.

• Ensure proper lighting – it can be hard to see dirt and dust.

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S-4: Seiketsu-Standardize

• Setting up standards to keep workplace neat and clean.

• Standardization of best practices through ‘visual management’

• Make abnormalities visible to management.

• Keep each area consistent with one another.

• Standards make it easy to move workers into different areas.

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• Create process of how to maintain the standard with defined roles and responsibilities.

• Make it easy for everyone to identify the state of normal or abnormal conditions –

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place photos on the walls, to provide visual reminder.
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S-5: Shitsuke - Sustain

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• Implementing behaviours and habits to maintain the established standards over the
long term, and making the workplace organization the key to managing the process
for success

• Toughest phase is to Sustain – many fall short of this goal.

• Establish and maintain responsibilities – requires leader commitment to follow through.

• Every one sticks to the rules and makes it a habit.

• Participation of everyone in developing good habits and buy-in.

• Regular audits and reviews.

• Get to root cause of issues.

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• Aim for higher 5S levels – continuous improvement.

Thus, the 5S’s can be thought of as a simple housekeeping methodology to organize work
areas that focuses on visual order, organization, cleanliness and standardization. It helps
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to eliminate all types of waste relating to uncertainty, waiting, searching for relevant in-
formation, creating variation and so on. By eliminating what is unnecessary and making
everything clear and predictable, clutter is reduced, needed items are always in the same
place and work is made easier and faster.

1.3 INTRODUCTION TO 6-SIGMA:

1.3.1 Introduction:
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Six sigma is a business concept that answers customers demand for high quality and defect-
free business processes. Customer satisfaction and its improvement should be the highest
priories of any business.
Six sigma was developed by Bill Smith of Motorola in 1986. The programme gained pub-
licity when Motorola won the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award.
Sigma is a character of the Greek alphabet which is used in mathematical statistics to define
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standard deviation. The standard deviation indicates how tightly all the various examples
are clustered around the mean in a set of data.
Six sigma is a business method of improving quality by removing defects and their causes
in a business processes. “Six sigma means that there are 3.4 defect out of every 1 million
units of output.” Six sigma is telling companies in clear, accurate mathematical terms how
good-or more likely bad their quality levels are, how much they can improve, and what
progress they are making on that journey. Six sigma strategists are leveraging this knowl-
edge to consummate exciting improvements in quality-not just on shop-floor, but all over
their organizations.
Six sigma is carried out as projects. Most common type is the DMAIC (Define, Measure,
Analyze, Improve, Control) method.

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1.3.2 What is Six Sigma (6 σ) :

• 6 σ is statistical quality control term, which controls quality through statistical analysis
of data.
• No more than3.4 defects per million. But most companies are at 3-4 sigma level.
• Sigma (σ) represents deviation/variation/spreading of data around mean value.
• Eliminate defects by reducing variability in the process(zero defect technique). i.e.
Philosophy of reducing defects to improve customer satisfaction and reduce cost.
• Required the use of certain tools and techniques.

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• Continuous effort done to make processes more predictable & stable.
• Business strategy that increases process performance resulting in enhanced customer

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satisfaction.

1.3.3 Evolution of 6 σ:
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1.3.4 Six Sigma Process:

A six sigma process is one that has at least six standard deviations between the process mean
and the nearest specification limit when centered.

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1.3.5

aySix Sigma as a Metric:

The Matrix Diagram in 6 σ is used to show the relationship between the various items in
two or more groups. You can also show the strength or intensity of each relationship. This
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Six Sigma diagram helps you to recognize connections between disparate groups.
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1.3.6 Six Sigma Management Approach:

“A disciplined method of using extremely rigorous data gathering and statistical analysis to
pinpoint sources of errors and ways of eliminating them.”
• Six sigma is both a Philosophy and a goal.
* Focus on continuous improvement through customer satisfaction.
* Critical processes at 3.4 defects per million opportunities (DPMO)

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• The focus is not on DPMO but on a systematic method to reduce variability within the
manufacturing process.

• Six sigma projects are led by individuals selected and trained in the application of this
systematic method.

• Requires clear definition of roles and responsibilities.

1.3.7 The Essential Six Sigma Tools and Methods:

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1.3.8 Six Sigma Organizational Structure:

A Typical Six sigma structure in manufacturing Organization is:
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• Quality Leader/Manager (QL/QM): The quality leader’s responsibility is to rep-

resent the need of the customer and to improve the operational effectiveness of the
organization.

• Master Black Belt (MBB): Master Black Belts are typically assigned to specific area
or function of a business or organization.

• Black Belt (BB): Black Belts lead quality projects and work full time until they are
complete.

• Green Belt(GB): Green Belts are employees trained in six sigma who spend a por-
tion of their time in completing projects, but maintain their regular work role and
responsibilities.

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1.3.9 Implementation of Six Sigma: The ‘DMAIC’ Framework

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• Reduced cycle time.
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• Increased productivity and added value.

• Improved capacity and output.

• Reduced total defects.

• Increased product reliability.

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• Decreased work in progress.

• Improved Process flow.

• Faster return on Investment.

• Improved overall customers’ satisfaction.

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1.3.11 Six Sigma Quality: Parts/Million:

• Six Sigma allows managers to readily describe process performance using a common
metric: Defect of Per Million Opportunities (DPMO).

Number of defects
DPMO = × 1000,000
[Number of opportunities for error per unit]× Number of Units

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1.4 Conclusion
During this session, we have discussed about the Kaizen, 5‘S’ and 6 σ. And learned that
objectives of all these qualities management techniques are to improve product’s quality
by customer’s feedback and continuous improvement through proper selection and training
of individual. Moreover, it also try to get a global recognition in the particular product or
service.

1.5 Questions for Self-Assessment

1. Explain the term “Kaizen”.

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2. Differentiate between Kaizen and Innovation.

3. Explain the concept of 5‘S’.

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4. Describe the concept of 6-Sigma.

5. Differentiate between 6-Sigma & Kaizen.

6. List the essential tools of six sigma.

7. Describe the Term “DMAIC”.

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8. What are the benefits of six sigma?

1.6 Glossary
ISO 9000/9001: International standards for quality management and assurance that specify
the elements needed to enforce quality standards in any industry.
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Quality Management System (QMS): A set of policies and procedures required for design,
development, and production that ensure operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

Six Sigma: A method for improving processes to boost productivity and encourage consis-
tency that was devised by engineer Bill Smith at Motorola and championed by Jack Welch
at GE.
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Total Quality Management (TQM): A company-wide approach to operational excellence

that promotes quality at every stage of product design and manufacturing.

Defect: A product’s or service’s non-fulfillment of an intended requirement or reasonable

expectation for use, including safety considerations.

Kaizen: A Japanese word meaning continuous improvement through constant striving to

reach higher standards.

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References
[1] G. Pratibha (2015) Production & Operation Management, Kataria & Sons, New Delhi.
(Chapter-15)

[2] Jakubiec, M., & Brodnicka, E. (2016). Kaizen Concept in the Process of a Quality
Improvement in the Company.

[3] (https://www.michailolidis.gr/pdf/KAIZEN08.pdf)

[4] (http://www.site.uottawa.ca/˜nelkadri/Engineering)

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[5] (http://www.leansixsigmadefinition.com/glossary/5s/)

[6] (https://www.cebos.com/operational-excellence-glossary/)

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[7] (https://youtu.be/_StHOHiy8IM)

[8] (https://youtu.be/2ePeXePNLrs)

[9] (https://youtu.be/aRjVFTown1A)

[10] (https://youtu.be/sd2xKiG8nnw)
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