The Japanese have been very interested in improving business practices for many years. The goal is continuous improvement in all aspects of manufacturing, purchasing, logistics and all other aspects of the business cycle. The Japanese word for this process is " kaizen", which translates as " improvement", or " change for the better".There are five main elements to the kaizen process, all
. beginning with the letter " s" in both English and Japanese: sorting (Seiri), straightening (Seiton), systematic cleaning (Seiso), standardizing (Seiketsu) and sustaining (Shitsuke). There are three other elements sometimes added, safety, security and satisfaction. Each element is equally important and acts as a continuous process or cycle in business. The overall name for this cycle is Kaizen 5S.Conceptually Kaizen 5S is very simple. Sort through all tools and procedures, eliminating what is not needed. Straighten the work area "" a place for everything, and everything in its place. Systematically clean the work area and keep it clean. Standardize work procedures to allow all employees to work at all tasks. Sustain the positive changes in workflow by constantly maintaining and reviewing standards.Training the workforce in Kaizen 5S can be an arduous process at the beginning, as it is necessary to overcome years of inertia and previous work habits. The modular nature of the process can be of assistance "" the workforce is taught each step in the process, and they build on each other until the goal is reached.There are many tools available to help teach Kaizen 5S. One of the more powerful is to use PowerPoint. This presentation software is ideally suited to show each of the five elements and their relationship in a graphical way. Examples of such PowerPoint presentations can be readily found online, and can be easily customized to the needs of a particular company and its training process. More reference links: http://www.scribd.com/doc/14954186/5s-Basic-Training-Ppt http://www.slideshare.net/meetachal20/kaizen-ppt-presentation
