Lean Manufacturing

The History and Origins of Kaizen: A Japanese Business Philosophy

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Kaizen, the renowned Japanese business philosophy that has revolutionized industries worldwide, traces its roots back to Japan’s post-World War II era. Originating in the manufacturing sector, Kaizen’s principles have since transcended industry boundaries, shaping how businesses approach continuous improvement and efficiency. Emergence in Post-War Japan: The seeds of Kaizen were sown during Japan’s post-war reconstruction, where the nation faced significant challenges in rebuilding its industries and economy.…

Applying The Key Principles of Kaizen

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Kaizen, a Japanese term for “continuous improvement,” is powerful philosophy organizations embrace. As the next question arises – “What are the key principles of Kaizen and how to apply them?” – this article will delve into the core principles of Kaizen and provide insights on their practical application to drive continuous improvement in your organization. Key Principles of Kaizen Continuous Improvement At the heart of Kaizen is…

Going to the Gemba

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The term Gemba comes from Japan. It is translated to mean the actual place, or the place where something happened. When it comes to the workplace, the concept of Gemba is used specifically for encouraging supervisors, managers, and others in leadership to spend time not only in their offices but also out on the shop floor where work is actually done. This is a similar concept to…

Effective Lean Problem Solving

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Business Meeting

Solving problems in a business setting is an important part of the Lean methodology. Using Lean strategies, a company can better identify what problems exist, pinpoint the root causes, and come up with the right solutions to get the best results. Learning about how to effectively use Lean problem-solving techniques can help any business to improve and become more efficient. Lean Problem-Solving Process When working to make…

Continuous Improvement Tools

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To achieve success with Kaizen – the Japanese philosophy of change for the better – it’s beneficial to adopt some of the tools in the continuous improvement toolbox. Kaizen Newspaper A kaizen newspaper is a document that lists current ideas, problems, solutions, and responsible parties. The newspaper is usually in spreadsheet or chart format and it is posted so everyone can see it. The document also indicates…

Going Lean: Push vs Pull Production

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Pull system in a facility

Lean manufacturing aims to eliminate wastes and improve productivity, primarily by operating on a pull system known as just-in-time (JIT) production. The JIT method is opposite to push systems on the spectrum of supply chain management and can often be the barrier for a company going Lean. In a push system, production is scheduled to meet the forecasted rate of demand. Also known as mass production, the…

Muda, Mura, and Muri: The Three Wastes

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Identifying waste using the 3 Ms can help you more easily set goals and create conditions that avoid unnecessary repetition of efforts (muda), unevenness of those efforts (mura), or efforts that cause strain (muri). By focusing improvement activities on eliminating the non-value-adding parts of the production process, balance between capacity and load can be achieved. Muda refers to waste in the most basic sense: any activity that…

The Final 5S Phase: Sustain

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5S Sustain

Once you implement the 5S model in your place of business, you will see the improvements very quickly. By the time you reach the fifth and final phase, your space should be cleaned and organized and standardized procedures should be developed. But the key to key to long term success is simple – diligence. You need to sustain these results and your progress in order to have…

Kaizen Case Study: Siemens Oostkamp

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kaizen case study

Siemens Oostkamp produces electronic components such as relays, connectors, and coils. The combination of fewer orders from their parent company and increasingly intense global competition forced them to look for new markets. On his first tour of the plant, the kaizen consultant asked the supervisors if specific information was available, such as failure rate or setup times, and the answer was always, “It’s in the computer.” But…

A Lean Transformation: Tool Organization

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Organized Wrenches

Going Lean means implementing a culture of continuous improvement, and constantly try to identify and eliminate the 8 types of waste: defects, waiting time, extra motion, excess inventory, overproduction, extra processing, unnecessary transportation, and unutilized talents. It’s critical in Lean to evaluate all areas in a facility for waste, even less obvious ones. One area you could save time and resources by using the right tools is…