Monozukuri: Characteristics Of This Production Method
Throughout history, a multitude of ways of producing have been developed, seeking the maximum possible efficiency.
In this sense, Japan has always been a pioneering country and has provided some of the most popular methods, adopted by many industries around the world. This is the case of the Monozukuri method Below we will discover what it consists of and what its main characteristics are.
The Monozukuri is a form of production whose objective is maximum optimization in each step of the manufacturing of the final product The terminology comes from Japanese and literally means the process of making something. It comes from an ancient Japanese philosophy, dating back more than 4,000 years, whereby artisans tried to place all the importance on the object they were creating and its details.
Later, this philosophy was adapted to the nascent industry, being adopted by a multitude of automobile and other companies, such as Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Toshiba and Sharp. Perhaps the key to its popularity is that Monozukuri seeks to dilute the separation of the different departments of the company so that all workers see themselves as members of a common team and each task is seen as fundamental to the ultimate objective.
Furthermore, another advantage of the Monozukuri is its versatility and flexibility, since Instead of opting for rigid guidelines, it is based on approaches that are adaptable to the type of organization that adopts this methodology , so it leaves a lot of room for interpretation. In fact, Monozukuri as such would be the very idea that remains engraved in the operators and makes them collaborate like bees in a hive, optimizing the work chain throughout its entire journey.
The Monozukuri method has several fundamental principles that make it different from other forms of production. To begin with, continuous improvement is sought in all work processes, and the ultimate goal is to achieve a product of the highest quality that has been created in the most efficient way. On the other hand, if a problem arises, it must be solved through given processes, which end up turning it into an opportunity to improve.
This problem solving is not the responsibility of any specific person, but of the entire team All operators know the production process and must be involved in finding the causes that cause problems, to eliminate them at the root and thus achieve a more efficient system in the future. It is an improvement that does not stop, since better methods can always emerge that must continue to be applied.
To do this, it is essential not to lose sight of the companies that make up our competition, since you can always learn from them and enter a feedback spiral that will continue to provide ways to optimize procedures and thus become increasingly more efficient. , being able to offer the end customer a product of the highest quality.
Cultural adaptation
We have already seen what the Monozukuri method consists of, and that it comes from some really ancient beliefs and philosophy, forming part of the traditional knowledge of Japan. We have also seen that it is not a rigid methodology, and that is why it has sought to adapt to the different places where it has been exported, since it is evident that the way of working and the personal characteristics of each region of the world are very particular, and therefore Therefore, a rigid work method would be difficult to extrapolate from one place to another.
One of the most popular derivations of the traditional Monozukuri is the Monozukuri Genba , which adapts the work methodology to companies located in tropical environments, since the idiosyncrasy of the inhabitants of these areas is very different from that of the Japanese or Western countries. In this way, Monozukuri Genba takes advantage of the passion of Latin people and achieves work discipline through these characteristics.
This is an example of why it is essential to take into account the sociocultural characteristics of a population before implementing a specific methodology, since it has been developed by people with totally different lifestyles and work styles and, therefore, is A prior adaptation is necessary if we want to be successful in implementing the new philosophy.
Monozukuri Genba would be the most popular adaptation, and in fact It has a very characteristic level system that seeks maximum effectiveness in implementation in this type of country It is such a detailed topic that it deserves an entire point dedicated to it below.
Monozukuri Genba levels
Monozukuri Genba is based on four different levels of maturity that seek to achieve different objectives. It is essential to apply each level correctly before moving on to the next, to achieve the most powerful effect possible. Let’s see what implications each of them has and how they are carried out.
1. Standardization
This is the initial level, with which we would start working. The fundamental objective at this point is to standardize the different positions that exist in the company , seeking the maximum skill and discipline of the operators in each of them. This is Monozukuri Genba’s entry into the organization, establishing the foundations for what will come next.
2. Methodology
In this second level A whole series of methodologies are provided to employees so that they learn to perform analysis of work processes , detecting and solving any problems that may exist, in an optimal way. The methods used are variable and are adapted according to the type of industry and the idiosyncrasies of the workers, and some may be used such as the Russian TRIZ, the QC story, or the five whys, both of Japanese origin.
Apart from those already mentioned, the most popular methodology is known as rapid response quality control, or QRQC (for its acronym in English, Quick Response Quality Control), which seeks to optimize response times in solving a problem so that, as soon as it is detected, a standardized process is launched to solve it within the period of time. as short as possible.
3. Improvement
Once we reach level 3, the next objective is to continue improving in the use of the Monozukuri Genba method. Here another methodology comes into play, known as Kaizen, also of Japanese origin As with the lessons we saw in the previous point, regarding the Kaizen method we can also choose between different modalities, depending on the characteristics of our company.
Therefore we can select Kaizen groups, based on Kaoru Ishikawa’s quality circles Each group is made up of four members, plus an advisor and a group leader. They must use the so-called quality route to improve, over a full year, the production processes that correspond to them, eliminating all problems that arise.
Another option would be Kaizen 2 days 2 hours, which uses that time (either two days or two hours) to identify possible procedures in a workplace that could be optimized, and implement these improvements immediately.
There would also be the three different types of Kaizen Kobetsu, to improve individual performance depending on the complexity of the task. Finally we would have Kaizen Teian, which is based on the principle of the usefulness of the idea if it is carried out.
4. Capitalization
We reach the last level of Monozukuri Genba. ANDAt the fourth level what is sought is benchmarking, or what is the same, comparing oneself with the different competitors in the sector to check where we are and whether the improvements made throughout the Monozukuri Genba process have been effective and have met the expectations made initially. If the process has been carried out correctly, our organization should be ready to compete with all others at an optimal level.
The Monozukuri Genba methodology makes clear the importance of the base of the pyramid, that is, the processes carried out by all operators, to achieve the competitiveness that is sought, based on total efficiency of all employees. That is why each and every one of them is essential to achieve the common objective sought by the company, which at the end of the day is a team of which everyone is a part.
