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.
Innovation
・One major change
・Dramatic, attention-getting changes
・Short-term results
・Requires new technology
↓↓↓
・One-shot
・Results are problematic
・Risky
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)
Zero Waste Kaizen (ZWK)
Result Oriented vs. Process Oriented
While the West is focused on achieving results, Kaizen fosters process-oriented thinking; when the process is improved, improvement of results follows naturally.
Management must identify and correct proces-based errors.