By: Gerson Damiani
Technical Review: Sergio Niyama
As an introduction, I would like to emphasize that:
The TPS (Toyota Production System), or Lean Manufacturing, is globally known for its pillars Just in Time (JIT) and Jidoka, and is sustained by the Toyota Way, a philosophy also built upon two pillars: Continuous Improvement and Respect for People.
In this sense, Toyota is a company that invests significantly in the development of its employees.
My journey at Toyota, which began in 1990, started with a deep immersion in this culture. I received several orientations and training sessions during a full week before effectively starting to work in my area.
Kaizen, which in TPS is the key word, can be understood as continuous improvement, and it was one of the first trainings I received during my first week of onboarding.
The training was conducted by a production leader, who explained and emphasized the importance of following established standard processes, while also highlighting that everyone had both the responsibility and the freedom to propose ideas on how to improve the process.
What impressed me the most were the many real Kaizen ideas that production employees had implemented. The hand-drawn illustrations clearly showed the Before and After: a very simple visualization that made it easy for anyone to understand the problem and the countermeasure that had been implemented.
When I arrived in the department, the first thing that happened was that I was integrated into a group called a Kaizen Circle, also known as a Quality Control Circle (QCC). This group consisted of 7 to 10 people, with the goal of presenting one improvement project every six months.
We had 30 minutes per week to meet and define the activities of each team member.
All employees participated in this activity, and the system ensured that even employees with lower levels of formal education could contribute, whether by drawing, coloring the A0 sheets, or implementing solutions to solve problems.
In this way, everyone had the opportunity to participate, experiencing the pillar of Respect for People.
Every six months, each group leader presented the project on an A0 sheet to supervisors and managers, who selected the 10 best works.
These 10 were then presented to the Directors, Vice President, and President, who selected 3 winners: Gold, Silver, and Bronze, with a monetary prize distributed among the members of each group.
At the end of each year, the six best projects previously selected were presented again, and only one was chosen to represent Brazil at the Toyota QCC annual convention in Japan.
I had the privilege of first joining as a regular member of the group, then becoming a leader, and later supporting other teams. When you are promoted to Supervisor at Toyota, you automatically stop being a member of these groups.
In addition to QCC, Toyota also has the suggestion system, known as Kaizen Teian, where any employee can fill out a form and submit it to their area supervisor.
These suggestions are evaluated by supervisors and managers and receive grades from “A” to “E”, where an A earns the employee R$100.00, and an E earns R$5.00.
Each department at Toyota Brazil has a clear target: one Kaizen per employee per week.
At Toyota Japan, the target is one Kaizen per employee per day.
This makes it clear that Kaizen is not an event, but a routine. Kaizen is part of our lives, a daily activity that must be practiced.
A reduction of R$0.01 already has great value, because small improvements multiply over time. The focus is not only on large results, but on the continuous change of mindset.
Another remarkable experience occurred when I became a supervisor in the Press Shop area in 2000. I realized that the team, due to fear or difficulty filling out the suggestion form, did not participate much in proposing improvement ideas.
That was when I decided to implement an idea board, where each employee could write down what bothered them in their daily work.
This initiative illustrates one of the principles of TPS, which is to go and be present at the Genba (the place where work happens). The board allowed problems to be visualized and helped identify where they occurred.
The area leader had to find a quick solution together with the employee within 24 hours. After being solved, the issue became a Kaizen and was transformed into a new standard process.
Many companies implement what is called a “Kaizen Week” as an isolated event. This can be valid to some extent, but it often fails due to lack of continuity and culture.
At Toyota, Kaizen is in each person’s DNA; it is part of the company’s culture.
TPS also requires improvements to be sustainable and aligned with strategic objectives, meaning that through Hoshin Kanri and the deployment of goals related to safety, quality, efficiency, and waste reduction, it becomes possible to build a competitive and sustainable company.
The culture and discipline of documenting, standardizing, and training the new process ensure that improvements become permanent.
To practice Kaizen, adopt a continuous improvement mindset. Start by identifying what bothers you in your daily routine.
When you actively transform these discomforts into actions that optimize your workplace, you create an environment where you feel happier and more productive.
Once you apply this way of thinking, it becomes very easy to do Kaizen.
You can even apply it at home and in your personal life.
In summary, for this and many other concepts, Toyota is the most studied company in the world, and everyone wants to replicate its model.
Gerson Damiani
Gerson Damiani is a mechanical engineer with a postgraduate degree in Business Administration for Engineers and more than 16 years of experience at Toyota Brazil, where he worked in several production areas including die casting, heat treatment, machining, assembly, and press operations.
A specialist in Lean systems and value stream flow improvement, he has extensive experience in standardized work, pull systems, lead time reduction, Kaizen Teian implementation, and TPM.
He currently leads and manages operational transformations across the United States, Mexico, and South America, connecting fundamental Lean practices with daily operations and the development of leaders and teams.
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