Summary of Gemba Kaizen

Masaaki Imai

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Rating

7 Overall

7 Applicability

7 Innovation

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Recommendation

Author Masaaki Imai argues that companies can become more profitable by constantly looking for efficiencies, instead of seeking huge leaps, as is the Western custom. The Japanese philosophy of kaizen says businesses must mercilessly cut waste by eliminating anything that’s even remotely inefficient. These strategies will lead to more profitable companies and better employee morale. Imai makes compelling arguments, and supports them with a number of case studies and real-world examples that show kaizen in action. getAbstract recommends this book to managers, particularly executives of manufacturing companies.

In this summary, you will learn

How to eliminate workplace waste – the Japanese way
Why front-line workers, not managers, are the keys to success for any business
What the three main parts of gemba kaizen are.

About the Author

Masaaki Imai is a lecturer and consultant. He chairs the Kaizen Institute of Japan. His first book, Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success, sold more than 179,000 copies and was translated into fourteen languages.

Summary

Deliberate Consideration
Managers can choose from two approaches when they tackle problems. The typical Western approach hinges on innovation, which requires costly technology, fancy computers, and lots of money. The Japanese approach known as kaizen, on the other hand, uses common sense...