The Japanese may have lost the war, but even after suffering two Atom Bomb attacks, Japan resurfaced with such vigour that would put the proverbial Phoenix to shame. In the 60s and 70s, most accepted the fact that if you wanted a good quality, value-for-money watch, camera, TV, VCR, it had to be made in Japan. Then Suzuki entered the scene in partnership Maruti, and India has never been the same. The first impact was the never-seen-before mobility that the Indian driver had. You could just get into your Maruti and head out. A unique thrill.Soon enough the Japanese way of doing things began to sink in. It influenced the motorists’ way of thinking. It changed the way of working of mechanics, even the roadside ones. Some of the systems of the Japanese way of working found their way into offices. Even housewives improved their internal and personal workings. Mechanics, who had been trained by Japanese manufacturers — most notably Maruti — and branched out into opening their own workshops, worked more efficiently and provided better service to their customers.
The Japanese way of working is displayed on boards in Maruti workshops. Anyone in any walk of life can benefit from these suggestions.
The emphasis is on cleanliness, discipline and punctuality. All three items are unknown in the Indian way of life, and find no place in our dictionary. Absorbing them and adhering to them could be of benefit to all of us. It is this philosophy and attitude that has made Japan a world economic force.
The five major Japanese points of working are:
Seiri:
Sort out unnecessary items in the workplace and discard these.
Seiton:
Arrange necessary items in good order so that they can be easily picked for use. A place for
everything, and everything in its place.
Seiso: Clean your workplace thoroughly so that there is no dust on floors, machines or equipment.
Shieketsu:
Maintain high standards of housekeeping at workplace at all times.
Shitsuke:
Train people to follow good housekeeping disciplines.
The concept of work that has pulled Japan out of the ashes of WW II is kaizen. Kaizen in Japanese means improvement or change for the better. It encompasses a philosophy or multiple practices that focus on continuous improvement of processes in engineering, manufacturing, supporting business process and, of course, management. It has proved to be the magic wand in healthcare banking and just about any other business venture. One of the most important aims was to eliminate waste.
Toyota embraced this concept and this led to the lean manufacturing concept. It fitted well with the Toyota production system (TPS), and the Just In Time strategy. This led to the zero inventory system.
This is how the TPS, JIT and zero inventory works. An auto manufacturer does not make tyres, rims, battery, seats, horns, lights, electrical harness and dozens of other items that are an integral part of the car. Their associated vendors supply these fitments. Punctuality is the name of the game. They must arrive “Just In Time.”
As production starts, for one car five tyres, five rims, one battery, etc are required. They are delivered by the vendor, fitted on to the car, and by the end of an eight-hour shift, a completed car rolls off the assembly line, and nothing is left behind in the factory. Zero inventory.
Closer to home, Maruti set a very fine example of the philosophy of kaizen. It dates back to the year 2000. Vendors were moving their trucks into the central store. From there they were moved to their respective bays, or places of work by electrical energy.
Maruti built a ramp where the vendors unloaded their goods in plastic containers directly into conveyor belts. The items were then moved to the assembly area with the force of gravity, and not electrical energy. Time saved, money saved.
The same year, Maruti installed its third one lakh-capacity plant without hiring a simple hand. That’s efficiency. That is kaizen. The cycle of kaizen activity can be defined as follows:
Measure the standardised operation; gauge measurements against requirements; innovate to meet requirements and increase productivities; and standardise the new, improved operations.
The five main elements of kaizen are teamwork, discipline, improved morale, quality circles and suggestions for improvement.
The latest news from Maruti is that they passed the one million mark of cars produced in the year 2009-2010.
Happy motoring.
