All Kaizen is not one and the same. There are four distinctly different types, each with its own purpose and results. Companies that understand these differences harness Kaizen’s ultimate power and influence and achieve amazing success in a global manufacturing environment. Companies must, however, restructure the major objectives of certain key players in the process and institute various management initiatives that drive Kaizen down to an individual job level.

Written by recognized Lean Manufacturing professional John Davis, Progressive Kaizen: The Key to Gaining a Global Competitive Advantage explains the four distinct types of Kaizen and the particular purpose of each. Davis clearly elucidates how to exploit Kaizen events and points out why and how Kaizen should be used as a prominent strategy in implementing Lean. This includes developing a structured plan for Kaizen and giving strong consideration to the insertion of a Waste Reduction Activity Process (WRAP), which provides employee incentives for implemented improvements at an individual job level. It outlines how to conduct each type of Kaizen event, who to involve, and what the results should be.

Although the benefits of Lean Manufacturing and the tools of the Toyota Production System have been documented many times, a need exists to understand how to put it all together and fully implement the process in the most effective and least disruptive manner. Progressive Kaizen spells out how to get the utmost from the process of Kaizen and make it a formidable competitive weapon.

Contents

Examining the basics of an effective kaizen process

Determining the general effectiveness of a Kaizen Initiative

Developing a formal schedule for Kaizen

Assigning a qualified full-time Coordinator

Establishing a formal budget for Kaizen

Number and type of Kaizen events conducted

The scope of Kaizen training

Communicating and tracking progress

Overview of the various types of KaizeHigh Impact Kaizen

Training and Implementation Kaizen

Problem Resolution Kaizen

Sustaining Kaizen

Key summation points

Adressing key roles and supporting tactics

The plant manager's role in Kaizen

Characteristics of a highly Lean oriented plant manager

Characteristics of Lean oriented company president

The floor supervisor's role in Kaizen

Insuring Kaizen as a tool for individual job improvement

Value of a formal "WRAP" [Waste reduction activity process)

Key summation points

Avoiding the typical pitfalls

Making the case against so-called "Expedited Kaizen"

The misstep of not including salaried employees in the equation

Allowing Kaizen accomplishments to deteriorate

Failure to clearly communicate the intended scope of Kaizen

Failure to effectively use a company's Production Engineers

Failure to restructure the stated objectives of key players in the process

The produ...