KAIZEN Institute: Glossary Page 1 of 11

Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L
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N O P Q R S T U V W X Y
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Autonomation (Jidohka)
A combination of "autonomy" and "automation", describes a
system whereby a machine automatically shuts down, either
after completing a cycle or when a defective part is produced.
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Back to Zero
From the Joel Barker videotape, Business Paradigms. This rule
states that when a radical improvement is introduced into a
product or service, all the market advantages that once
belonged to leaders in that niche disappear. Barker cites the
Swiss watch market domination that disappeared with the
invention (by the Swiss) and subsequent production of quartz
movement watches by U.S. and Japanese companies.
Benchmarking
An improvement process in which a company measures its
performance against the best companies in its field, determines
how those companies achieved their performance levels, and
uses the information to improve its own performance.
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Cause-and-Effect Diagram
Also referred to as a "Fishbone" (after its shape), or "Ishikawa"
diagram (after its inventor, Kaoru Ishikawa). The diagram
illustrates the main causes and sub-causes leading to an effect

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(the symptom of unwanted condition). It is one of the Basic
Seven Tools of Quality.
Check Points and Control Points
Used to measure the progress of improvement-related activities
between managerial levels. Check points represent process-
oriented criteria. Control points represent results-oriented
criteria. Check points and control points are used in policy
deployment.
Check Sheet
A simple data-recording device, custom-made by the user,
which allows results to be readily interpreted. Not to be
confused with a Checklist (see above).
Checklist
A tool used to ensure that all important steps or actions in an
operation have been taken. One of the Basic Seven Tools of
Quality.
Common Causes
In statistical quality control, the causes of variation inherent in a
process over time.
Company Culture
The informal way life is lived and the work is done, based on the
values, beliefs, myths and stories played out in the organization.
Over time, leaders shape the culture. (See KAIZEN Culture).
Control Chart
A chart with upper and lower control limits within which a
machine or process is "in control". Frequently a centerline,
midway between the two limits, helps detect trends toward one
or the other. Plotting critical measurements on the chart shows
when a machine or process has gone "out of control" and must
be adjusted. One of the Basic Seven Tools of Quality.
Core Process
The process in a manufacturing or service organization that
produces the goods or services for external customers on which
the organization depends for its survival.
Cross-Functional Management
The inter-departmental coordination required to realize the
strategic and policy goals of KAIZEN and Total Quality
Management. Its critical importance lies in the follow -through to
achieve goals and measures.
Culture
See Company Culture.
Customer, External
An end-user whom pays for the project or service delivered by a
company, thus generating revenue for the company. The goal of
world-class companies is to "continually delight" this customer,
thus creating "an increasing affection" for its products and
services. There may be several external customers, all of whom
must be considered by the supplier.
Customer, Internal
The recipient (person, process, or department) of another
person's or department's output (product, service or information)
within an organization.
Customer-Supplier Partnership
A long-term relationship between a buyer and supplier
characterized by teamwork, mutual confidence, and common
goals regarding customer satisfaction. The supplier is

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considered an extension of the buyer's organization, based on
several commitments. The buyer provides long-term contracts
and uses fewer suppliers. The supplier implements quality
assurance processes to limit or eliminate incoming inspection by
the buyer. The supplier also helps the buyer reduce costs and
improve product and process designs.
Cycle (Lead-Time)
The total time elapsed from when raw material enters the
production process until the finished product is ready for
shipment to the customer. In service industries, the total time
elapsed from when a customer expresses a need to when that
need is satisfied.
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Data
Bits of information which, when aggregated and analyzed, result
in information leading to change and improvement. Data may be
quantitative or qualitative. Data are distinguished from individual
opinions, past experiences, biases, and "gut feel".
Deming Cycle
Credited by Edward Deming to Walter Steward of Western
Electric (who may have gotten it from John Dewey), the cycle is
a concept of how thinking must proceed to create continuous
improvement. The most common form of the cycle consists of
four elements — Plan, Do, Check, and Act. Dr. Deming has
recently re-termed them — Plan, Do, Investigate, and Adjust
(See PDCA).
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Eighty-Twenty Rule
Refers to the Pareto principle, which suggests that most effects
stem from relatively few causes; that is, eighty percent of the
effects come from twenty percent of the causes. (See Pareto
Chart.)
Employee Involvement
A practice within an organization whereby employees regularly
participate in making decisions on how their work areas operate,
including making suggestions for improvements, planning, goal
setting and monitoring performance.
Empowerment
A condition in which employees have the authority to make
decisions and take action in their work areas without prior
approval. For example, an operator can stop a production
process if he or she detects a problem, or a customer service
representative can send out a replacement if a customer calls
with a complaint.
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Five S (5S)
Five Japanese words (recently translated into five American
words) which refer to systemically cleaning up and maintaining
a clean, efficient working environment. A 5S campaign is
frequently used to introduce Total Productive Maintenance into
a factory. SEPARATE/SCRAP - get rid of all unused equipment,

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machinery and parts. STRAIGHTEN - arrange all needed
equipment, tools, so that there is a place for everything and
everything is in its place, easy to locate and close to where it is
used. SCRUB - clean up, paint and repair all machinery, aisles,
etc. SPREAD - make cleaning and putting things away routine.
SYSTEMATIZE - standardize the process.
Flexible Manning (Shojinka)
A way of managing person-power on the line such that when
demand decreases, workers can be re-deployed to areas where
needed, or when demand increases, they can be deployed to
areas requiring additional support. Preferred to the system of
maximizing machine efficiency, which pays no attention to
customer demand and TAKT time.
Foundation of KAIZEN
The Three Principles and Seven Concepts of KAIZEN, which
serve as a foundation for the systems and tools required for
implementation of continual improvement and Total Quality
Management, and which shape the culture and thinking of an
organization's leadership.
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GANNT Chart
A type of bar chart used in process planning and control to
display planned work and finished work in relation to time and
sequence.
GEMBA (or GENBA)
A Japanese word that literally means "the Real Place". Used in
the context of KAIZEN, Gemba usually refers to the shop floor
or to the place where the Core Process is going on. In a broader
sense, Gemba refers to any place in a company where work is
being performed; thus one may have an engineering gemba, a
sales gemba, an accounting gemba, etc.
Goals, Super ordinate
The three goals of Quality, Cost and Delivery that are key to
customer satisfaction. Customers require all three - high quality,
low cost, and on-time delivery. All three go to make up the
customer's appraisal of value.
Group-Wide Quality Control (GWQC)
A system of continuing interaction among all elements, including
suppliers, responsible for achieving the continuously improving
quality of products and services that satisfies customer demand.
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Hanedashi
Automatic parts ejection. Parts may be manually inserted into a
machine, but when the cycle is complete the processed part is
automatically ejected so the operator can simply insert the new
work and move the ejected part on to the next process, thus
reducing his/her cycle time.
Histogram
A graphic summary of variation in a set of data. The pictoral
nature of the histogram reveals patterns that are difficult to see
in a table of numbers. The histogram is one of the Basic Seven
Tools of Quality.

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Improvement
As part of KAIZEN strategic thinking, improvement is a mind-set
inextricably linked to maintaining and improving standards. In a
broader sense, improvement can be defined as KAIZEN and
innovation" where a KAIZEN strategy maintains and improves
standards through small, gradual improvements, and innovation
makes radical improvements through large investments in
technology and/or plant equipment.
ISO 9000 Series Standards
A set of five individual, but related, international standards on
quality management and quality assurance developed to help
companies effectively document required quality system
elements. The standards are not specific to any particular
industry, product, or service. They were developed by the
International Standardization Organization (ISO), an agency
composed of the national standards bodies of ninety-one
countries.
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Jidohka
(See Autonomation).
Just-in-Time (JIT)
A system of managing production processes that results in line-
balancing, one-piece flow, little or no excess material inventory
on hand at the plant site and little or no incoming inspection.
This system was developed at Toyota under the leadership of
Taiichi Ohno and is sometimes called "The Toyota Production
System".
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KAIZEN
A Japanese term meaning "change for the better". Applied to
business organizations, it implies continuing improvement
involving everyone that does not cost much, if any money.
KAIZEN Culture
An organizational culture based on the three super ordinate
principles - Process and Results, Systemic Thinking, and Non-
judgmental, Non-Blaming.
KAIZEN Strategy
A business strategy that begins with the customers' needs
concerning Quality, Cost, and Delivery, is founded on a people-
oriented culture, is supported by an involved leadership, and
consists of three integrated core elements — Principles and
Concepts; Systems; and Tools.
KANBAN
A communication tool in the Just-in-Time production and
inventory control system developed at Toyota. A KANBAN, or
signboard -- they may also be parts bins -- accompanies
specific parts in the production line signifying delivery of a given
quantity. When the parts have all been used, the sign - or bin --
is returned to its origin, where it becomes an order for more.

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KANBANS are essential parts of the "Pull System" of
production.
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Leadership
An essential part of the quality improvement effort.
Organizational leaders must shape the culture and establish a
vision, communicate that vision to the people and provide the
systems, tools, and skills necessary to accomplish it.
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Maintenance
Refers to activities directed to maintaining current technological,
managerial, and operational standards. Maintenance in this
sense constitutes a "floor" upon which improvement efforts are
based. Maintenance, thus, is distinguished from KAIZEN and
Innovation, which move the "floor" upward by means of the
PDCA cycle.
Market-In
Contrasted to Product-Out, this concept concerns a factual
understanding of customer needs and wants, and figures in how
to satisfy them, rather than assuming that the company knows
what those needs and wants are. It also implies that those
companies do best who can anticipate the latent customer
needs and wants before customers are even aware that such
products and services might be possible.
Muda
Japanese word for "Waste". One of the "3 Ms" (Muda, Mura
[Irregularity or Unevenness] and Muri [Strain].) There are seven
types of Muda – Overproduction, Inventory, Transportation,
Waiting, Motion, Overprocessing, and Correction.
Muda Walk
A half-hour walk through the Gemba to observe evidence of
what may be various types of Muda. The object of this walk is to
show that the Gemba is full of data and opportunities for
improvement for those whose eyes are trained to see them.
Muda walks are not intended to provide opportunities for
blaming and finding fault.
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Non-judgmental, Non-Blaming
One of three KAIZEN Principles. Contrasted to the traditional
tendency to find who is to blame for problems and mistakes, this
approach looks at the problem with others to seek a solution.
Also implicit in this principle is an approach of childlike curiosity
about how things work and how they can be improved, instead
of judging whether things already done are good or bad, right or
wrong. The principle does not imply that managers must never
exercise judgment, since good judgment is always required in
decision-making.
Non-Statistical Quality Control
Much of quality control is non-statistical, particularly that portion
which has to do with human resources. Elements are Self-
discipline, Morale, Communications, 1-fuman Relations, and

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Standardization. Statistics are only one tool in Quality Control
and are of limited use with regard to human beings and
methods.
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One Piece Flow

One-piece flow production is when parts are made one at a time
and passed on to the next process. Among the benefits of one-
piece flow are 1) the quick detection of defects to prevent a
large batch of defects, 2) short lead-times of production, 3)
reduced material and inventory costs, and 4) design of
equipment and workstations of minimal size.
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Paradigm
A term made much use of in Joel Barker's Paradigms
videotapes. It is a mental structure or framework for making
sense out of, and solving problems, using data relevant to that
structure. Major paradigm shifts occur about twice a century.
Pareto Chart
A graphic tool for ranking causes of problems from the most
significant to the least. It is based on the Pareto Principle that
most effects come from twenty percent of the possible causes.
The Pareto Chart is one of the seven basic tools of quality.
PDCA
Credited by Edward Deming to Walter Steward of Western
Electric (who may have gotten it from John Dewey), the cycle is
a concept of how thinking must proceed to create continuous
improvement. The most common form of the cycle consists of
four elements — Plan, Do, Check, and Act. Dr. Deming has
recently re-termed them — Plan, Do, Investigate, and Adjust.
Policy
In Japan, this term is used to describe long - and medium-range
- management priorities, as well as annual goals or targets.
Policy is composed of both goals and measures (ends and
means). Goals (Control Points) are usually quantitative figures
established by top management, such as sales, profit, and
market share. Measures (Check Points) are the specific action
programs designed to achieve these goals.
Policy Deployment
The process of implementing the policies of an organization's
leadership directly through line managers and indirectly through
cross-functional integration and cooperation. Along with Cross-
Functional Management, one of the Seven KAIZEN Systems.
Principles of KAIZEN
The three bedrock principles upon which KAIZEN thinking and
organizational culture are based. Process and Results,
Systemic Thinking, and Non- Judgmental, Non-Blaming.
Process and Results
One of the three foundation principles of KAIZEN thinking. It is
contrasted with Results Only, the common old paradigm
approach which ignores the way in which things are done, and
so misses any opportunity for systematic improvement. Process
and Results can also be stated as Process Creates Results.

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Product-Out
Understood in contrast to the KAIZEN concept, Market-In.
Assumes that whatever a company knows how to make and
when, is good enough to satisfy customer requirements.
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QCD
The three super-ordinate goals of Quality, Cost, and Delivery at
the heart of KAIZEN Strategy.
Quality
Although there are many definitions offered for this term, two
are of key importance. The first has to do with customer
satisfaction and can be stated, "Any product or service that
continually delights the customer." The second definition refers
to the internal processes of an organization that serve
customers. Quality is "the continual elimination of waste in, and
improvement of, every process." It is only when Quality is
understood in this latter sense that companies can deliver
higher quality, lower cost, and on-time delivery simultaneously.
Quality Control
A system of continuing interaction among all elements, including
suppliers, responsible for achieving the continuously improving
quality of products and services that satisfies customer demand.
Quality Control Circles
A small group that voluntarily performs process improvement
activities within the workplace.
Quality First
One of the seven KAIZEN Concepts. The concept states that if
either delivery or cost leads quality in efforts to improve, no
improvement will take place in the long run.
Quality Function Deployment
A system whereby customer requirements, known as "true
quality characteristics" are translated into designing
characteristics, known as "counterpart characteristics", and then
deployed into such sub-systems as components, parts and
production processes to develop new products precisely
designed to meet customer needs. QFD is one of the Seven
KAIZEN Systems.
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Radar Chart
A circular chart with ten rays and spokes, one for each of the
three principles and seven concepts of KAIZEN. It is used as a
diagnostic tool to measure on a scale of zero (at the hub) to ten
(at the rim) the degree of consistency with KAIZEN principles
and concepts exhibited by an organization.
Results-Oriented Management
A style of management usually associated with controls,
performance, product or "bottom line" considerations, rewards
and/or punishments.
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SDCA Cycle (Standardize, Do, Check, Act)

A refinement of the PDCA cycle aimed at stabilization of
production processes prior to making attempts to improve.
Shojinka
A way of managing person-power on the line such that when
demand decreases, workers can be re-deployed to areas where
needed, or when demand increases, they can be deployed to
areas requiring additional support. Preferred to the system of
maximizing machine efficiency, which pays no attention to
customer demand and TAKT time.
Speak With Data
One of the Seven KAIZEN Concepts. Refers to the importance
of collecting solid evidence wherever possible before making
decisions. Stresses the importance of going to Gemba and
collecting data from the source.
SQA (Supplier Quality Assistance)
As part of GWQC, it is essential that this system is in place to
make sure that incoming materials and components meet
quality specifications.
Standardization
One of the Seven KAIZEN Systems. Pertains to enhancing and
enforcing standards throughout an organization.
Standardized Work
As defined at Toyota, this is the optimum combination of
workers, machines and materials. It includes - (1) Production to
TAKT time, (2) Defined work sequence, and (3) Standard work
in process.
Standards
A set of policies, rules, directives and procedures established by
management and workers for all major operations which serve
as guidelines enabling all employees to perform their work in the
best, easiest, healthiest and safest way currently known.
Statistical Quality Control (SQC)
The use of statistical tools (Pareto Charts, Histograms, Check
Cause-and-Effect Diagrams, etc.) to ensure that machines are
within acceptable tolerances, or to solve quality problems
through the use of tools.
Suggestion System
One of the Seven KAIZEN Systems, Suggestion System is an
essential part of individual-oriented KAIZEN. Its design is
carefully plotted, implemented and communicated. Scrupulous
attention is paid to top management responsiveness, and to
developing a system of feedback, recognition, and rewards.
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TAKT Time
A vital element in balancing single piece production flows, TAKT
Time is calculated by dividing the total daily customer demand
in completed units (television sets, automobiles, can openers,
and the like), by the total number of production minutes or
seconds worked in a twenty-four hour period.
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
Aims at maximizing equipment effectiveness throughout the
entire life of the equipment. It involves such basic elements as a
routine maintenance system, education in basic housekeeping,

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problem-solving skills, and activities to achieve zero
breakdowns. TPM is one of the Seven KAIZEN Systems.
Total Quality Control or Total Quality Management (TQM)
A holistic, company or even group-wide approach to quality.
TQC is the "what", KAIZEN is the "how" or process of the new
business paradigm. It begins and ends with people. TQC is one
of the seven KAIZEN Systems.
Toyota Production System (TPS)
A methodology that resulted from over 50 years of Kaizen at
Toyota, one of the most successful companies in the world. TPS
is built on a foundation of Leveling, with the supporting pillars of
Just-in-Time and Jidoka.
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Upstream Management
One of the seven KAIZEN Concepts. Upstream Management is
a process whereby, through continuous improvement, first in
inspection, then in the line, then in development, defects are
eliminated farther and farther "upstream" in the production
process.
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Value Stream Mapping

Creating a visual picture of the 'Current State' or how material
and information flows from suppliers through manufacturing and
to the customer. Total lead-time, process cycle times and value-
added times are measured. The Future State is created based
on goals desired based on market conditions and strategic
planning for the business.
Variability Control and Recurrence Prevention
One of the seven KAIZEN Concepts. This is often called "Ask
why five times" because it seeks through curious questioning to
arrive at the root cause of a problem so that problem can be
eliminated once and for all.
Visible Management
The presentation of a wide variety of information in the
workplace. Such information may pertain to jobs themselves, to
the business as a whole, to how work teams are progressing on
a project. Kanban cards are examples of Visible Management,
as are storage bins with sample pans displayed, tool shadow
boards, storyboards, etc.
Visual Management
When the normal state and abnormal state can be clearly and
visually defined, visual management is possible. In visual
management, simple visual tools are used to identify the target
state, and any deviance is met with corrective action.
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Warusa-Kagen
A term in TQC that refers to things that are not yet problems,
but are still not quite right. They are often the starting point of
improvement activities because if left untended they may
develop into serious problems. In Gemba, it is usually the

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operators who first notice Warusa-Kagen, and who therefore are
on the front line of improvement.
Water -Spider (Mizusumashi)
A person who manages all the logistical work of bringing
components, raw materials, etc. in small quantities to work
stations to minimize work-in- process inventories. This allows
machines to be placed closer together, and spares the operator
from having to interrupt his/her cycle time, thus minimizing
transportation muda. Water spiders usually are experienced
workers. They know where needed parts or raw materials are
stored, and serve several workstations.
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