Training For Continuous Improvement

Training For Continuous Improvement

Most organizations lose sight of logic when they cut training budgets, which results in organizational resources attacking the muscles rather than the fat!

Kaizen Institute India deals in IQ (implementation and qualification services for Kaizen), Lean Training and other world-class practices. It also qualifies people as Certified KAIZEN™ practitioners. Since the company focuses on provision of knowledge, consulting and qualification services, it strongly believes in training the workforce accordingly. Training at the institute is conducted in three ways. Firstly, we follow a well defined induction programme for new consultants. Secondly, we conduct quarterly meetings with all internal consultants on various topics. Through these, the eligible consultants are sent overseas for international programmes, wherein they are expected to come back and share knowledge with the rest of the employees. Thirdly, we believe in the concept of learning-by-doing, as it is expected to result in wisdom, even as knowledge comes through books, classrooms and reading.

Wisdom is when one has been able to apply knowledge and benefitted from this application.

We provide various kinds of skills and techniques to our clients that help eliminate waste so that they can become more productive, cost-efficient and improve their delivery skills through implementation, therefore learning better. We also provide CKP (Certified KAIZEN™ Practitioner) training to some of the people in our clients’ organizations, so that they become internal change agents or champions. This process often referred to as ‘train-the-trainer’.” Starting by distinguishing the industry they are working for (that is, manufacturing, service etc.), the three-step training module that they use for the

manufacturing sector is given below:

  1. Lean/KAIZEN™ foundation (4 days) 
  2. Total flow manufacturing
  3. Total productive maintenance (TPM®), for excellence in maintenance and asset management.

A three week period is given between modules for digestion and reflection. For the service sector, they follow a two-step training module:

  1. KAIZEN™ foundation
  2. Total Service Management (TSM), also called ‘The Six Principles of Service Excellence’ which follow a well-defined six-level methodology comprising of: self organization and awareness of waste; improving via standardization; process improvement; visual management and policy management; flexible working; and, getting into the continuous improvement loop to become best in-class.

The key objective behind such training is to help clients change their viewpoints. We believe that if viewpoints do not change, clients would continue to do and act as they were already doing,

and therefore continue to get the same results. This explains our strong belief in ‘changing the thinking’.

We also have a detailed methodology for such assessment, wherein we assess the company on eight pillars. Data is collected by interviewing people from various levels, and then analyzed against the eight pillars, which help in assessing whether the company is in a “good, bad or ugly state of affairs”. This helps them understand training needs and the focus areas. The eight pillars for assessment include the following:

  1. Organizational structure
  2. Qualifications and skills of people
  3. Internal communication methods
  4. Deploying and managing change
  5. Total flow manufacturing
  6. TPM® skills:
  7. TQM skills
  8. Supporting systems and services

These pillars are tweaked for the service industry. Most organizations lose sight of logic when they cut training budgets. This results in organizational resources attacking the muscles rather than fat. Organizations need to understand that cost consumption takes place through waste, excess inventory, breakdown of machines, etc., which if reduced can lead to a amount of savings. Reducing training budgets results in loss of skill days within the organization.

During challenging times, it is important to learn new skills to survive and improve.

In case you missed it, my last post was Top 14reasons for resistance to change

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