2. Top Management 

 

 

Major Functions

 

1) Maintainance

2) Improvement

 

1) Maintainance

 

Activities directed toward maintaining current standards and upholding through training and discipline. There are 3 types of standards to maintain:

> technological standards

> managerial standards

> operating standards

Managers applies and makes sure everyone can follow the standard procecures.

 

Maintainance can be either Innovation or Kaizen.

 

We know what Innovation can drastically improve the situation (or not - there's always a risk) and it's expensive.

While Kaizen emphasizes human efforts, morale, communication, training, team-work, involvement and self-discipline - a common-sense low cost approach to improvement.

 

B) Improvement

 

Activities directed toward elevating ccurrent standards.

 

 

 

Western Innovation vs Japanese Kaizen

 

Kaizen also implies small low-cost common sense improvements, which will have a beneficial long-term effect, as opposed to the Western mentality, in which innovation and new technology are the best problem-solvers.

Kaizen

 

・Improvements are small and incremental

・Undramatic, subtle changes

・Major results over time

・Low-cost changes

↓↓↓

・Common sense

・Continuous progress

・Low-risk (Can always go back to old ways)