Strategic KAIZEN™: Using Flow, Synchronization, and Leveling [FSL™] Assessment to Measure and Strengthen Operational Performance
by Masaaki Imai
5
THE CASE OF KOA INDUSTRY
During 1980s, the KOA company was facing a crisis.
KOA was established in 1940 in Japan as a typical traditional maker of resisters and condensers for printed circuits and other electric and electronic devices. Today, it is one of the leading companies in its field not only in Japan but also in the world. However, its history has reflected the tragic fate that befalls every traditional company at some point in time.
KOA’s business grew with the electrical and electronic industries in Japan after the Second World War.
In 1977, president Kazuto Mukaiyama decided to pass on the management of the company to his 29-year-old son, Koichi Mukaiyama. It is said that the father gave this admonition to his son: “Be a good president ...
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