3
APPLICABILITY OF KAIZEN IN BUSINESS HR PROCESSES:
Kaizen has a wide applicability in HR Processes. Kaizen literally means "Continous Improvement". As such it involves continously assesing the output of processes and the efficiency of processes in keeping with the Service Level Agreements.
Some ways to track process outputs and create improvements could be:
1. Assess and analyse the extent and types of escalations / complains over a peroid of time. Do not jump to conclusions and try and create changes.
2. Assess the time taken to complete a single instance under normal conditions and observe if it is meeting your time constraint.
3.Examine the output and see if it is meeting the quality levels assured to the customer. E.g. does a HR report presented to a manager contain all data requested for ?
4.Deliberately, use controlled conditions and test in possible worse case scenarios. (Eg. Operator / Person not available, system down/error etc.)
5. Test using faster communication methods e.g. E-Mail instead of Post or Phone instead of a communicator chat. This helps improve time taken.
6. Eliminate reduntant activities (E.g. Cross Checking at two levels, unecessary signatures, approvals deemed granted etc.). This can help shorten the process time.
7. Avoid employee movement. Instead of having an employee come to another location to submit a requisition or collect a form, have it e-mailed or faxed instead at his/her location. A process that minimizes employee's movement, leads to better and productive time utilization for the employee and avoids crowds at the HR Desk. Use a ticketing system where possible (Though a costly resource..)
8. Have an entire team trained in multiple processes. This ensures that the absence of one or two does not bring an entire system down
9. Every process should have an efficient complaint redressal system. Having a non performing process and further an ineffective complaint redressal is simply like pouring fuel over fire.
10. Have a good authentication system in every process. E.g. an employee asking for a bonafide certificate, which in turn may be used to secure a faulty loan reflects badly on the company. Instead a simple declaration in the form of an E-Mail of the intent / purpose of every certificate desired would help
Ultimately, in the spirit of Kaizen and in the words of quality Guru Deming, "continously improve the system and process..."
Regards,
Joshua
From India, Delhi
Kaizen has a wide applicability in HR Processes. Kaizen literally means "Continous Improvement". As such it involves continously assesing the output of processes and the efficiency of processes in keeping with the Service Level Agreements.
Some ways to track process outputs and create improvements could be:
1. Assess and analyse the extent and types of escalations / complains over a peroid of time. Do not jump to conclusions and try and create changes.
2. Assess the time taken to complete a single instance under normal conditions and observe if it is meeting your time constraint.
3.Examine the output and see if it is meeting the quality levels assured to the customer. E.g. does a HR report presented to a manager contain all data requested for ?
4.Deliberately, use controlled conditions and test in possible worse case scenarios. (Eg. Operator / Person not available, system down/error etc.)
5. Test using faster communication methods e.g. E-Mail instead of Post or Phone instead of a communicator chat. This helps improve time taken.
6. Eliminate reduntant activities (E.g. Cross Checking at two levels, unecessary signatures, approvals deemed granted etc.). This can help shorten the process time.
7. Avoid employee movement. Instead of having an employee come to another location to submit a requisition or collect a form, have it e-mailed or faxed instead at his/her location. A process that minimizes employee's movement, leads to better and productive time utilization for the employee and avoids crowds at the HR Desk. Use a ticketing system where possible (Though a costly resource..)
8. Have an entire team trained in multiple processes. This ensures that the absence of one or two does not bring an entire system down
9. Every process should have an efficient complaint redressal system. Having a non performing process and further an ineffective complaint redressal is simply like pouring fuel over fire.
10. Have a good authentication system in every process. E.g. an employee asking for a bonafide certificate, which in turn may be used to secure a faulty loan reflects badly on the company. Instead a simple declaration in the form of an E-Mail of the intent / purpose of every certificate desired would help
Ultimately, in the spirit of Kaizen and in the words of quality Guru Deming, "continously improve the system and process..."
Regards,
Joshua
From India, Delhi
Dear Sulekha
I am from Kaizen Institute – India which is part of the Global Kaizen Institute operations. It was established by Sensei Masaaki Imai, the GURU of Kaizen. He wrote the 1st book 28 yrs ago and that is when it all started . We operate in 30+ countries today and have over 600 coaches helping organizations Learn, Apply, Sustain – Kaizen/ Operational Excellence.
It is important to understand the word KAIZEN. Although Kaizen is defined in English as "Continual (& not continuous) Improvement", it is much more than the word signify. Kaizen is a way of life, an attitude, a spirit, that prevails at all times in an organization. It is said by Mr.Masaaki Imai that Kaizen is for "Everyone (all employees, managers included), Everyday (not like a month end sales promotion.....but a way of life) and Everywhere (all departments - not restricted to the shop floor).
The third principle of Kaizen itself says ENGAGE PEOPLE (People involvement/People development at all levels). Traditional manufacturing was based on separating planning from production. However Kaizen thinking strives to utilize its human potential to the maximum by involving all from Executive to the Chairman.
Gap exists in all areas/departments or industries and Kaizen helps in driving the change for good. Training is one of the service offered by Kaizen Institute Consulting Group through its Kaizen College programs. The KAIZEN® College teaches in a practice related way how improvement processes in different areas can be triggered and sustained. KAIZEN® College provides:
• Training through Courses
• Seminars by KI Consultants and Guest Speakers
• Case Visits
In a nutshell, the entire body of work of KAIZEN focuses on:
1. Identifying
2. Reducing and
3. Eliminating the three enemies of competitiveness which are Muda (Waste - there are 8 kinds of wastes found in any organization/department), Mura
(Variability), Muri (burden/strain)
These three enemies causes obstruction to FLOW of both materials and information – within a shop floor, within an enterprise, across an industrial sector, within an ecomony and between economies. Thus, this concept applies at all levels and needs to be addressed at all levels.
To quote few examples for Sulekha:
Lack of Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Coordinating, Reporting & Budgeting.
No standards for following targets which leads to directionless journey.
No team spirit and that creates divide which leads to unaccomplished tasks.
Blaming each other
Communication gap (No proper channel or structure for information flow)
Delegation of work is not done leading to delay in decision making and resulting in delayed delivery. (Employee empowerment missing)
Too complicated structure to work (No transparency)
No process follow ups
Procastination of activities (Time bound targets are unavailable)
The Human Resource Department deals with management of people within the organisation. There are a number of responsibilities that come with this title. First of all, the Department is responsible for hiring people; this will involve attracting employees, keeping them in their positions and ensuring that they perform to expectation of the management. Besides, the HR Department also clarifies and sets day to day goals for the organisation. It is responsible for organisation of people in the entire Company and plans for future ventures and objectives involving people in the Company.
Research has shown that the human aspect of resources within an organisation contributes approximately eighty percent of the organisation’s value. This implies that if people are not managed properly, the organisation faces a serious chance of falling apart. The Human Resource Department’s main objective is to bring out the best in their employees and thus contribute to the success of the Company. Therefore there are various ways in which (depending upon the pain areas & current state of HR department of the organization) we can connect KAIZEN to the HR Department.
From the corporate vision, employees are viewed as assets to the enterprise, whose value is enhanced by development. [1] Hence, companies will engage in a barrage of human resource management practices to capitalize on those assets.
Hope this will help you!
Thanks
Divyakumar Soneji
From India, Ahmadabad
I am from Kaizen Institute – India which is part of the Global Kaizen Institute operations. It was established by Sensei Masaaki Imai, the GURU of Kaizen. He wrote the 1st book 28 yrs ago and that is when it all started . We operate in 30+ countries today and have over 600 coaches helping organizations Learn, Apply, Sustain – Kaizen/ Operational Excellence.
It is important to understand the word KAIZEN. Although Kaizen is defined in English as "Continual (& not continuous) Improvement", it is much more than the word signify. Kaizen is a way of life, an attitude, a spirit, that prevails at all times in an organization. It is said by Mr.Masaaki Imai that Kaizen is for "Everyone (all employees, managers included), Everyday (not like a month end sales promotion.....but a way of life) and Everywhere (all departments - not restricted to the shop floor).
The third principle of Kaizen itself says ENGAGE PEOPLE (People involvement/People development at all levels). Traditional manufacturing was based on separating planning from production. However Kaizen thinking strives to utilize its human potential to the maximum by involving all from Executive to the Chairman.
Gap exists in all areas/departments or industries and Kaizen helps in driving the change for good. Training is one of the service offered by Kaizen Institute Consulting Group through its Kaizen College programs. The KAIZEN® College teaches in a practice related way how improvement processes in different areas can be triggered and sustained. KAIZEN® College provides:
• Training through Courses
• Seminars by KI Consultants and Guest Speakers
• Case Visits
In a nutshell, the entire body of work of KAIZEN focuses on:
1. Identifying
2. Reducing and
3. Eliminating the three enemies of competitiveness which are Muda (Waste - there are 8 kinds of wastes found in any organization/department), Mura
(Variability), Muri (burden/strain)
These three enemies causes obstruction to FLOW of both materials and information – within a shop floor, within an enterprise, across an industrial sector, within an ecomony and between economies. Thus, this concept applies at all levels and needs to be addressed at all levels.
To quote few examples for Sulekha:
Lack of Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Coordinating, Reporting & Budgeting.
No standards for following targets which leads to directionless journey.
No team spirit and that creates divide which leads to unaccomplished tasks.
Blaming each other
Communication gap (No proper channel or structure for information flow)
Delegation of work is not done leading to delay in decision making and resulting in delayed delivery. (Employee empowerment missing)
Too complicated structure to work (No transparency)
No process follow ups
Procastination of activities (Time bound targets are unavailable)
The Human Resource Department deals with management of people within the organisation. There are a number of responsibilities that come with this title. First of all, the Department is responsible for hiring people; this will involve attracting employees, keeping them in their positions and ensuring that they perform to expectation of the management. Besides, the HR Department also clarifies and sets day to day goals for the organisation. It is responsible for organisation of people in the entire Company and plans for future ventures and objectives involving people in the Company.
Research has shown that the human aspect of resources within an organisation contributes approximately eighty percent of the organisation’s value. This implies that if people are not managed properly, the organisation faces a serious chance of falling apart. The Human Resource Department’s main objective is to bring out the best in their employees and thus contribute to the success of the Company. Therefore there are various ways in which (depending upon the pain areas & current state of HR department of the organization) we can connect KAIZEN to the HR Department.
From the corporate vision, employees are viewed as assets to the enterprise, whose value is enhanced by development. [1] Hence, companies will engage in a barrage of human resource management practices to capitalize on those assets.
Hope this will help you!
Thanks
Divyakumar Soneji
From India, Ahmadabad
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