Kaizen_Strategy

Kaizen is a Japanese word that means ‘continuous process improvement' in English ("The Art," n,.d.). The Kaizen strategy is based on the assumption that employees are the right people to determine improvement opportunities because they are constantly involved in implementing processes. The Kaizen strategy necessitates that everyone in the organization puts in never-ending efforts towards the improvement of current processes. It involves small continuous improvements and is aimed at a change for the better. It is about stimulating productivity improvement and seeing it as an ongoing process in the organization. It is a practice-based approach which prepares the grounds to create a culture of improvement. The Kaizen process can be seen as a way of life, or at the very least, a cultural approach towards quality improvement. Kaizen philosophy can be implemented by involving employees and having them effect improvements. Below is how the Kaizen strategy of continuous improvement can be implemented in a quick and easy way: • Employees identify problems, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities and pen them down • Employees develop their improvement ideas and discuss them with their supervisors • Supervisors review the ideas sent in by the employees within a span of 24 hours and encourage them to put them into immediate action • Employees implement their ideas • Supervisors recognize the accomplishment and share the ideas with others to simulate them Quality Circles (QCs) can be defined as voluntary informal employee groups that meet regularly to find, define, evaluate, and resolve work-associated problems. Typically, members of a QC should belong to the same work area or do similar type of work so that they are familiar with the problems they work on. QCs with interdepartmental or cross-functional roots can also be formed as needed. QCs have team leaders and a steering committee. QC members receive training from expert consultants. Problems for QC work are identified and standardized techniques are used to resolve them. QC solutions are presented to the management for evaluation, implementation, and recognition. QCs are important in improving the security process because of their potential to develop greater safety awareness, identify problem areas in security, create problem solving capabilities, enhance quality procedures, build problem prevention measures, and reduce errors. Automation on the other hand can help improve the security process by enhancing reliability, repeatability, reusability, programmability, speed, and comprehensiveness of processes, as well as reducing costs, lowering the requirement for human resources, and minimizing the scope of human errors. Quality Improvement Checklist  All security processes are clearly defined for each applicable scenario  All manual and automated screening processes are in place at each access point  All security processes are being carried out in compliance with planning and technical documents  Conditions adverse to quality being identified, corrected, and documented promptly  Security issues are being worked upon and tracked to closure  All security personnel are adequately qualified and trained  The roles and responsibilities of all security personnel are clearly defined  All employees have access privileges only according to their authorized roles and responsibilities  Appropriate contingency and crisis management plans are in place  All hardware and software components are being monitored and maintained promptly  The overall security system is being assessed for adequacy at least annually References The Art of Kaizen. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://www.successmethods.org/kaizen.html