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Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy that helps achieve incredible changes by using small continuous improvements until the desired results are achieved. Kaizen is an honorary addition to Six Sigma, but not actually Six Sigma. However, Kaizen’s basic principles are very much that of Six Sigma, so they actually belong with the Six Sigma methodologies. 

Kaizen Done at Home to Achieve Great Results

The 5S tool is the one tool you will need for doing Kaizen at home. Let us take the example of a closet that has become unruly. This closet is in your home office, so part of the closet has to do with work. The other part is mostly for storage of family treasures.

First and foremost, you need to decide: is the closet for storage of treasures, or is it a work-related closet? Let’s make it a closet for only work-related items and start.

1. Sort: Get rid of all unnecessary items that don’t have anything to do with your home business that you conduct in the room the closet is located. If they are family treasures, they don’t belong in your workspace closet. Once you have a pile of necessary work-related items, go through them and filter out anything outdated, files that you don’t need or are redundant.
2. Straighten: Put to practice organized storage; items that you will need are to be where you can easily get to it. Make sure all items are easy to see so when the time comes and you need them, there they are! You might even want to have an extra computer desk that stretches from the closet when working on large projects.
3. Shine: Vacuum the closet, get rid of smudges, and install a light for better visual access.
4. Standardize: This usually involves other workers, but since we are using this 5S tool for home office closet purposes, decide now who is allowed to have access to this workspace closet — your spouse, your kids, etc. If so, what are the rules? Make sure they are enforced as to how that space will be kept.
5. Sustain: This is maintenance, and is the most difficult to enforce, but it is one of the most important. 

Interested in learning more about Kaizen? For more information on our Six Sigma courses and services, please visit 6sigma.us.