Gemba Kaizen: A Commonsense Approach to a Continuous Improvement Strategy, Second Edition

Written by Masaaki Imai, pioneer of modern business operational excellence and founder of the Kaizen Institute, Gemba Kaizen, Second Edition is an in-depth revision of this renowned, best-selling work. The book reveals how to implement cost-effective, incremental improvements in your most critical business processes. Global case studies from a wide range of industries demonstrate how gemba kaizen has been successfully used to:

• Maximize capacity and reduce inventory at Unga Limited, one of Kenya's largest flour-milling operations
• Change the IT culture at Achmea, a large European insurance firm
• Exceed customer expectations at Walt Disney World in the United States
• Improve quality at Inoue Hospital in Japan
• Transform retail processes at Sonae MC, Portugal's largest employer
• Practice daily kaizen at Tork Ledervin, a weaving plant in Brazil
• Stamp out muda at Sunclipse, an industrial packaging distributor in the United States
• Manage quality improvement by total workforce involvement at Xuji Group Corporation, an electrical manufacturer in China
• Implement gemba kaizen at many other companies worldwide

To thrive in today's competitive global economy, organizations need to operate more effectively and profitably than ever before. Developing problem solvers, increasing productivity, improving quality, and reducing waste are essential success factors. Proven strategies for achieving these goals are included in this pioneering guide.

Gemba Kaizen, Second Edition is the long-awaited, thorough update of the definitive work that applies the Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement and process innovation, kaizen, to the critical area of business performance where key transactions take place, the gemba. The result is a streamlined approach to realizing cost-effective, incremental improvements in your most crucial business processes.

Written by the renowned quality management expert who introduced the concept of kaizen to the English-speaking world, this innovative guide is filled with hundreds of international gemba kaizen success stories and examples from a wide range of industries. These examples illustrate how to reduce costs, improve quality, and increase customer satisfaction.

This comprehensive resource offers detailed coverage of important gemba kaizen topics, including:

• Quality, cost, and delivery in the gemba
• The five steps of workplace organization
• Identifying and eliminating muda--any non-value-adding activity
• Visual management
• Supervisors' roles in the lean workplace
• Gemba managers' roles and accountability in sustaining high performance
• Just-in-time and total flow management
• The CEO’s role in leading a kaizen culture

About the Author

More than any other business authority in the world, Masaaki Imai has championed the concept of kaizen over the past three decades in thought, word, and action. He is considered one of the leaders of the quality movement and a pioneer of modern business operational excellence. Mr. Imai is an international lecturer, consultant, and founder of the Kaizen Institute, a leading continuous improvement consultancy with offices worldwide. Mr. Imai's first book, Kaizen--translated into 14 languages--is the authoritative reference on the subject. In 2010 he was honored for his lifetime of achievement with the first ever Fellowship of Quality Council of India.