25 Need-To-Know Management Models

Chapter 13

Kaizen/Gemba

• Why use it? Kaizen is a tactical tool to help organisations strive for continuous improvement.
• What does it do? Kaizen eliminates waste and inefficiencies; it puts forward good housekeeping and use of standards.
• When to use it? Kaizen can be used to solve several types of problems: process inefficiencies, quality problems, large inventories, and delivery and lead-time problems.
• What question will it help you answer? How can I get my organisation to improve its performance and processes continuously?

The big picture

Kaizen literally means change (kai) to become good (zen). Key elements of kaizen are quality, effort, willingness to change and communication. The Gemba house, as the basis of kaizen, has five fundamental ...