45
Kaizen/Gemba
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 elements:
- teamwork
- personal discipline
- improved morale
- quality circles
- suggestions for improvement.
Based on this foundation, kaizen focuses on the elimination of muda (waste and inefficiencies (Figure 45.1).
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. Employees are encouraged to come ...
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