Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success

by Masaaki Imai

Book Overview

For the professional manager or student of management, a comprehensive handbook of 16 Kaizen management practices that can be put to work. KAIZEN uses more than 100 examples in action and contains 15... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 007554332X
• ISBN13: 9780075543329
• Release Date: November 1986
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

The economic value of dominant design is its ability to impose itself as a standard in the creation

1. Japan has gained world economic power through five phases: a) large-scale absorption of technology imported from the US. b) A productivity-drive that strongly supported mechanization, automation, and robotic usage. C) A countrywide quality improvement devotion, set forth by Dr. Demming. D) A great degree of manufacturing flexibility. E) Adoption of a multinational corporation partnerships and structures (global standard component specifications). 2. Worker suggestions are an important feedback component in Japanese management. Management works hard to consider worker suggestions. It is not uncommon for management to spend a whole day listening to presentations of activities by Quality circles. The central idea involves listening to improve process and rewards for results. 3. Japanese management focuses on standards. Worker suggestions lead to implementation of the suggestion and revising of standards. Toyoda said, "One of the features of the Japanese worker is they use their brains as well as their hands." Improving standards means raising quality levels. 4. Intense domestic competition is thought to be the driving force for Japanese companies in overseas market. Japanese compete for larger market share through the introduction of new and more competitive products and by using and improving the latest technologies. 5. Why is it important that management establish process-criteria for Quality circles? Quality circles use process criteria to approach their subjects. Process-criteria affect the number of meetings, the amount of participation, and the number of problems solved. Do the Quality circles take into consideration safety, quality, and costs in working out the subject problem? Do the efforts of the Quality circle lead to improvements in work standards? Process criteria are used in evaluating efforts, participation, and commitments. 6. Result criteria usually relates to sales, cost, and profit. 7. A system once it is installed due to innovation is subject to steady deterioration unless continuing efforts are made to maintain it and then to improve it. Kaizen is the small and continuous effort and commitment to improve. 8. Kaizen believes that standards are stepping-stones, one standard leading to another higher standard as continue efforts are made. This is the reason Quality circles solve one problem they move on to another. 9. Kaizen calls for substantial management commitment of time and effort. Infusions of capital are no substitutes for time and effort. Investing in Kaizen means investing in people. 10. Kaizen philosophy is better suite to a slow-growth economy. In a slow-growth economy characterized by high costs of energy and materials, overcapacity, and stagnant markets, Kaizen often has a better payoff than innovation does. "It is extremely difficult to increase sales by 10 percent. But it is not so difficult to cut manufacturing costs by 10 percent to event better effect." 11. Kaizen's impact is normally more

Excellent overview of Kaizen and TQC (Total Quality Control)

This book is a must-read for process improvement and Quality Assurance professionals. Senior corporate management would also benefit from selections, especially the first chapter and the chapter on problem solving. The book outlines the key fundamentals, principles, requirements, and expectations related to Kaizen (continuous improvement), with a focus on the highest-level cross-functional goals of Quality, Cost, and Schedule (in that order) that ultimately drive profitability. Appendices, including summaries of 5S, old and new seven statistical tools, Deming Prize criteria, and Cannon company case study are as informative as the body of the book. On the down side, there is some significant repitition. Although the book is nearly 20 years old, it is timeless and as relevant as ever.

Historical

Most American businesses no longer worry so much about the Japanese miracle. International focus has moved from Japan to China and back to Europe. Many Japanese companies are now looking to the US for recapitalization and management assistance.So why is a book on Japanese management techniques still so relevant?First of all, continuous improvement and lean manufacturing have become universal management tools, not strictly limited to one country. This book presents as good an introduction to the subject as any. With today's focus on execution, this topic are becoming even more current. (Dare I say topical?)Additionally, understanding continuous improvement is still important in the context of broader corporate change. What are the strength and limitations of incremental changes versus more radical corporate moves? Read the book and learn more.This book certainly won't turn a mediocre manager into a great leader, but Kaizen is a useful addition to the toolbox of any manager.

A sound basis for working out an implementation strategy

This book covers the relevant aspects of Kaizen and its implementation. Don't expect this book to give you a step-by-step implementation plan for your company. It does something better than that: it gives you the understanding to design your own implementation plan. It is a good basis for discussion. I often reference it while lecturing about Kaizen and TPM and take a few sentences from the book to challenge the audience. Everyone who pioneers in Kaizen in his/her company needs this understanding (and a set of brains to translate the concept to the everday reality, but that's why they pay you the big bucks, I hope). Although it's a very good book, you will find yourself stimulated to read other material on this topic because it creates an "eager want" to know more and to see the puzzle come together. In the end, no author will do that; finalizing the puzzle is your job...To be concrete, this book is definately recommended. You'll never understand it all by just reading one book (or by just reading, period). It will give you a quantum leap in your understanding and all concepts will be there. Only action and involvement can do more.

Very famous book, but academic content is not excellent

The book Kaizen is very famous and it is often cited. Only because of it's fame, it is worth reading already. Imai shows how production is organized in Japan, and he shows the enormous attention given in Japan to continuous improvement. However, he is rather simplistic about the differences between Japan and the West. However, the book gives a good introduction is some major themes in the field of continuous improvement and it is the origin of many ideas later cited by other. Thus: worth reading if you want to get to know a basic book about continuous improvements in production processes.