With assistance from an environmental consultancy firm, Subaru adopted the three Rs of sustainability: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Underpinning this effort was the kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement with employees rewarded for ideas that promoted environmental stewardship. In 2016, Subaru recyc...
This is where workflow mapping diagrams can help you. These diagrams are like a visual roadmap and, in a step-by-step guide, show you the order of tasks that are to be completed. This diagram helps you see the bigger picture and understand how different tasks are related. Since these di...
Kaizen is both a concept and a methodology. Japanese for “improvement,” the terms “kaizen” and “continuous improvement” are often used interchangeably. Both concepts share a goal of ongoing and incremental improvement and rely on the idea that small, gradual changes can lead to significant ...
3. Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) Kaizen—a combination of the Japanese words kai (change) and zen (for the better)—achieves continuous improvement through small, incremental changes. The aim of companies that adopt Kaizen is to improve productivity and achieve sustained process improvement. Th...
Kaizen. Kanban. Poka-Yoke. Many of these concepts came out from theToyota Production System. The Toyota Production System (TPS) is an early form of lean manufacturing created by auto-manufacturer Toyota. Created by the Toyota Motor Corporation in the 1940s and 50s, the Toyota Production System...
Through dedicated practice and incremental progress, manufacturing organizations undertaking a 5S initiative can create more efficient, organized work areas that lead to sustained, continuous improvement — the Japanese concept ofkaizen. TIP As with any new approach, sometimes a degree of change management...
Popular process methodologies, such as Six Sigma and the Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement, can also be applied during this stage. Finalize the flowchart. This should include adjustments based on feedback. Workflow engines partially automate how teams operate, progressing individuals to the ...
If this sounds like the ideal method for your process improvement plan, check out ourfree PDCA templateto get started. Kaizen Kaizen is a Japanese business philosophy that centers on continuously improving operations or processes. At its core, Kaizen is about having a mindset of continuous improvem...
Theory of Constraints.This methodology enables managers to identify the most significant constraint currently blocking improvements or organizational objectives and then focus on improving processes until that constraint is no longer an obstacle. In addition to these and other process improvement techniques,...
It is often translated as 'go and see for yourself' or 'go and see the problem.' The word genchi refers to the actual place and the word genbutsu refers to the actual materials or products. Gemba Walk Basics In theory, a gemba walk may sound pretty simple; it involves someone going ...