The Art of Kanban - Creative Safety Supply April 2014 | Page 5

The Art of Kanban When these companies ask for suggestions they expect, and get them on every aspect of their business. Someone working on the production line may have a marketing idea or someone in marketing a production idea. The ideas are not limited to big changes; they can be little improvements that help how the business runs overall. In America we tend to run our lives in a mentality of “do not fix what isn’t broken” whereas the Kaizen system is based on the idea of “doing things better, improving even if it is not broken so that we can compete with those who do.” The Japanese apply this concept to all aspects of their lives, even in social situations. This is in part why they have been so successful in manufacturing and other business ventures. If you set high standards and allow every employee to help improve those standards the odds of success are in your favor. Another concept borrowed from the Japanese and integrated in Kaizen is the Five S program. The Five S’s are simple and common sense principles to running a business. By using them you can provide your employees with an effective system that maintains cleanliness, visual order, organization, and standardization to the business production lines. This will improve your business while also empower your employees to be more efficient and to pay close attention to service and safety. Those things combined will lead to an overall better work environment and increase in profits. !2010 www.CreativeSafetySupply.com | (866) 777-1360