Kaizen, Kaikaku and Kakushin are three approaches within Lean which have their roots from Toyota. They work well together and have different areas of focus and magnitude of impact/risk. The table below provides differentiation and tips for their implementation.
Kaizen - Kai – Change, Zen – Good
Kaikaku – Radical Change
Kakushin – Innovation
Definition
Evolutionary change for better focused on incremental improvements
Revolutionary change focused on radical improvements
Innovation, transformation, reform and renewal
Focus Area
Continual improvement of their processes
Transformation of their organizational culture
Bringing something new into existence
People
All levels including workers
Executives and top management
Top Management
Risk / Impact
Low
Medium
High
Steps / Tips / Techniques
· 5 S
o Seiri – Sort out
o Seition – organize
o Seiso – shine the workplace
o Seiketsu – standardization
o Shitsuke – self-discipline
· 7+1 Wastes
o Transportation
o Inventory
o Motion
o Waiting
o Over-processing
o Over-production
o Defects
o Skills under-utilization
· Look for ways to make maximum contribution to ideal state – “What would be ideal customer experience”
· Search for opportunities for radical improvements
· Apply 80-20 rule to do more with less
· Creative problem solving
· Challenge assumptions
· Ask What and why questions – think differently
· Brainstorm creative solutions
· Know how to sell radical ideas – overcome resistance
· Think positively and act promptly
· Follow radical improvements with continual improvements (Kaizen)
· Attribute listing
· Biomimicry
· Brainwriting 6-3-5
· Challenge assumptions
· Osborn checklist
· Harvey cards
· Lotus Blossom Technique
· Redefinition
· Reverse Brainstorming
· Systematic Inventive Thinking
· COCD Box
· Force Field Analysis
· Six Thinking Hats
· Follow it with radical and incremental improvements
Eg.
· Reduce production time by implementing 5 S
· Usability improvement in software that’s allows people to enter data with reduced no. of values to enter
· Introduce new lighter material for vehicle body - reform production processes
· Upgrade software with new technology which allows faster development, better performance and more features
· Make simplified cars by cutting the number of parts in half
· Extending software on multiple media allowing ease of access and seamless collaboration and eliminates duplication throughout the supply chain
Conclusion: All the three techniques have different role in the lean journey and allows organization to identify and implement changes at different levels and magnitude of impact. Each of them are necessary and must be run in tandem for an organization to be truly lean and successful cause by just being innovative, a company may not be successful in long run as it may lose out on efficiency nor by just being a company which is strong on efficiency sustain itself in long run as lack of innovation will allow competitors who are innovative to beat it down in market.