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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.
