Japan?s success secret ? 5s

[Ravimehra]

Today I have read a superb article titled ?Techniques that Japan gifted to the world? at merinews. An author unveiled the secrets of Japan?s success very nicely. According to this article ?Japan?s innovative manufacturing and business techniques, if followed, can revolutionise work culture across the globe.?

Japan follows some techniques to rise, first of them is Kaizen, which in Japanese means ?change for the better? or ?to take it apart and put back together in a better way?. Kaizen helps in improving productivity by focusing on the incremental improvements achieved through small changes in day-to-day activities, instead of big-bang improvements usually characterised by significant investments in new technologies and systems.

Another proven management philosophy practised in Japan and followed by some Western organisations is the Five S?s. It is a technique used to establish and maintain quality environment in an organisation.

?Five S? has five elements:
Seiri (sorting out useful and frequently used materials and tools from unwanted and rarely used things);
Seiton (keeping things in the right place systematically so that searching or movement time is minimised);
Seiso (keeping everything around you clean and in a neat manner);
Seiketsu (standardising the above principles in everyday life); and
Shitsuke (inculcating good habits and practising them continuously).

It is an extremely informative article. Indians should also follow these techniques to grow.
>> Article's Link

 

[Moonbeam]

Sometime we need to ask ourselves what we need. The most perfect useless object isn't worth much in the great scheme of things. What are we alive for, to make perfect product to sell?

 

[LumbergTech]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Sometime we need to ask ourselves what we need. The most perfect useless object isn't worth much in the great scheme of things. What are we alive for, to make perfect product to sell?

yea, it seems to go a little far to me but i can see how it would maximize efficiency, it sort of depends on how strict the policy would be

 

[1EZduzit]

Just think how efficient we all could be if we quit smoking, drinking, staying up too late, etc.

We wouldn't want to waste any energy that could be used to maximize our productivity!!

NOT.

 

[Horus]

but don't the japanese put their old electronics on the curb every year or so? (By old, I mean year or two old). I know it's for schools, but it's kinda wasteful.

 

[glimmerman]

To be more accurate, Kaizen, implies continuous improvement.

 

[brandonbull]

Wow. You mean if materials are used efficently and in an orderly manner that equals success?

 

[JRich]

We follow that at Freescale.

 

[Stunt]

Welcome to 10 years ago.

5S is another catchy continuous improvement idea. It's just common sense and most successful companies do this already. 5S is typically for manual labour tasks in manufacturing; most manufacturing is highly automated and benefit from 6sigma and lean more than 5S.

 

[alchemize]

<----off topic is that way.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

You forgot the sixth s as in sabotage. Thou shalt sabotage, ignore, delay, stall any business agreement that does not provide a 'win' for said Japanese company. Whereas 'win' is defined as giving a clear advantage over the company/organization offering the deal. There is no concept of "enlightened self intrest." In other words, any agreement that is even equally profitable for the associated company/organization is viewed as a 'loss' for the japenese company.

 

[senseamp]

I thought it was Six Sigma

 

[Colt45]

i hate 5S :|

 

[Tom]

Sounds like the Amish.

 

[Starbuck1975]

The Japanese certainly have numerous production and continuous improvement processes that are quite effective...and American industries have been well aware of these processes for some time...Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma and Kaizen are all taught at the graduate school level in America, and some American companies have attempted to replicate these processes...sometimes with the help of their Japanese competitors...the Toyota Production System being the most noteable example.

The missing component for many American companies is that the success of these processes have a lot to do with Japanese culture...there is no great divide between labor and management, as exists in America.

 

[rudder]

And they do produce some outrageous porn as well.

 

[KB]

You forgot the 6th S: Shitake... mmmm mushrooms.

I think most successful businesses try to follow these principles. They just don't name them.

 

[SudhakarBabu]

hi KB, can you tell me more about this 6th "S" Shitake!

 

[ayabe]

They forgot one "S" -

Seppuku.


Seriously they have very high suicide rates from work related stress.

 

[senseamp]

You can say Shitsuke on this board? Sweet

 

[Markbnj]

The secret of Japan's post-war success:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Edwards_Deming

 

[Renniegade]

I'm very much into the far eastern culture, whether it is Chinese, Burmese, Japanese, Tibetan, they are all so interesting. They understand the world and see it so differently from us. Here, the pompous North American thinks he?s better than others due to his cultural influence, and North American accomplishment. We have a lot to learn from other cultures. However, the Far East is not perfect. You should understand that Japan is ultra competitive. Japan has one of the highest rates of teen/young adult?s suicides in the world. If they don't get into the best school they kill themselves. That is not a lie. But don?t take my words to absurdity.

 

[piasabird]

We had a similar rule in the US ARMY. It is a little bit on the Vulgar side.

What can I say; I am a very crude and blunt individual.

I tell the truth, According to me, even if it is not what you want to hear.

We had an unofficial Motto in the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th of the 7th Air Cavalry. It was "Shoot Em in the Face!" Korea was a very vulgar place at times.

Oh Yeah, the Land of the Morning Calm.

The Six P's of Professionalism.

Prior
Planning
Prevents
Piss
Poor
Performance

 

[Markbnj]

We have a lot to learn from other cultures.

You do, anyway, if you think Americans have some sort of copyright on pomposity .

 

[irwincur]

Someone just started college business.