W3_IBRAHEEM_STAFF TRAINING VERSUS PRINCIPLE OF KAIZEN

1.0 Problem definition:

Staff productivity is directly proportional to company output in terms of revenue generation and quality of produced goods and services. Companies have identified staff skills accusation as an important ingredient in achieving set objectives. Competency of workers is directly proportional to overall productivity of an organization.

2.0 Development of feasible alternative:

The feasible alternatives to achieving desired objective of qualitative products can be obtained considering the following alternatives:

1.       Staff training

2.       Kaizen (continuous improvement)

3.0 Develop the outcome for each alternative:

Staff training is the process of instructing employees about how to carry out tasks that are directly related to the job they currently do. This includes induction, external and internal training and on and off the job training. Training offers many benefits to both the business and its employees. These can range from increased efficiency and productivity to increased morale, motivation, reduction of long term cost on wastage and increased job satisfaction. Content of training remains the same, no matter the type of training involved.

Kaizen-continuous improvement is a policy or strategy of implementing small, incremental changes in an attempt to achieve better quality and greater efficiency.

Employees are encouraged to use their talents to identify improvements.  Kaizen is based on two main principles which are gradual change and staff suggestions. Kaizen relies on many small changes rather than single, large ones. The many small improvements that are implemented eventually accumulate to major advances and improvements. Implementing smaller changes is also less risky than making major changes and often works out to be less expensive if something goes wrong. Problems arising from smaller changes are usually easier to fix than problems arising from larger changes.

However, Kaizen has more focus on methods rather than outcomes because it assumes that improved methods will guarantee a more effective outcome.

The Quality Model below is a strategy for commercial success that rests on the idea that businesses succeed to the degree that they satisfy their customers’ real requirements and continuously improve in achieving this result.

 

In a nutshell, staff training is restricts workers to aligning with company’s way of performing task while kaizen principle of continuous improvement brings about technological evolution originating from the staff strength.

4.0 Selection of acceptable Criteria:

Acceptable criteria will be based on justification on which of the two alternatives brings appreciable returns on investment in terms of efficiency and major innovation (since major innovation brings about overall growth of the company)

5.0 Analysis and Comparison of alternatives:

Item 3 above clearly indicate kaizen brings about incremental changes leading to an overall improvement while staff training is characterized with major innovation improvement according to management preference.

6.0 Selection of preferred alternative:

The most preferred alternative approach to increasing quality of staff, product and overall development is the Kaizen principle for continuous improvement.

7.0 Performance Monitoring & Post Evaluation of result:

Continual monitoring measures will be put in place to monitor staff performance in terms of quality and overall development of company capacity

References:

Raphael, L. V. (2012) Six Sigma and Kaizen Compared

Retrieved from http://www.vitalentusa.com/learn/6-sigma_vs_kaizen_1.php

Purdue OWL APA style. (2011). APA formatting and style guide. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/19/

Olaniyan, D. A & Lucas, B. O.  (2008) Staff training and development: A vital tool for organization effectiveness. European Journal of Scientific Research, volume 24 no.3, pp. 326-331

Retrieved from http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr_24_3_01.pdf