Business – 9.3 Operations strategy – Lean production | e-Consult
9.3 Operations strategy – Lean production (1 questions)
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Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement involving all employees from top management to shop‑floor workers. Its contribution to lean production lies in:
- Eliminating waste by constantly seeking more efficient ways of working.
- Improving quality and productivity through small, manageable changes rather than large, disruptive projects.
- Fostering a culture of employee involvement and ownership of processes.
Two common tools that support Kaizen are:
- 5S – a workplace organization method (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardise, Sustain) that creates a clean, efficient environment, making problems easier to spot.
- PDCA (Plan‑Do‑Check‑Act) cycle – a systematic approach for testing improvements, evaluating results, and standardising successful changes.
By embedding these tools, organisations create a self‑reinforcing loop of improvement that aligns directly with lean objectives of waste reduction and value maximisation.