How to implement Kaizen According to Industry Leaders

Continuous improvement methodologies are becoming commonplace among businesses looking to commit to bettering their offering and developing their processes. The Kaizen methodology is one which can be attributed to the success of many leaders across various industries, helping them maintain their position in the market by continuing to develop and exceed. In this article, we discuss some successful examples of how Kaizen has been used by well-known organizations.

Intel

Being a front-runner in the technology industry thanks to their manufacturing expertise and global leadership, Intel continues to release brand new innovation which takes the market by storm. Their ‘Copy Exactly!’ program is used every time they open a new manufacturing site, replicating the exact processes, working conditions, and control methods to guarantee consistency. With defined standards that utilize their tried and tested methods, they continue to hold their reputation as a reliable organization who deliver high-quality goods.

Nestlé

Although Nestlé is a highly saturated market with ever growing competition, they maintain their leading position through continuous development and adaptation to the market conditions. A more recent example is their introduction of reduced-sugar products, creating healthier options that attract a more health-conscious market while still appealing to their traditional target audience. By utilizing Kaizen principles to test out reduced sugar recipes which maintain their popular taste, the continuous improvement approach saw a positive consumer response.

Southwest Airlines

In an industry known for facing challenges, Southwest Airlines continue to maintain their position as a leader. A key continuous improvement approach they implement is regularly onboarding feedback from employees regarding any operational issue, maintaining open forms of communication to encourage the sharing of any ideas or issues. As well as improving operational efficiency, the approach makes employees feel heard and encourages innovative thinking at all hierarchy levels. As a result of this way of working, Southwest Airlines have a respected working culture which results in a more positive customer experience.

Toyota

With Toyota being arguably the most known example of Kaizen implementation, the Japanese automotive manufacturer continues to enhance their production processes and reduce defects to produce reliable goods that are known for quality. Toyota introduced a ’zero defects’ philosophy which means that the production line will be stopped if an employee notices a defect, correcting it before production can proceed to prevent any further defects. 

General Electric

‘FastWorks’ is an example of Kaizen that saw General Electric (GE) educate and train their ‘top’ leaders on lean startup before they embarked on a roadshow to spread their learnings to senior leaders across the company. The organization has a culture of experimenting and quickly creating new products to remain competitive in the market, growing across various industries by utilizing a trial and error methodology. With such a diverse business portfolio, Kaizen is a necessity in order to keep up with innovation and adapt to the ever-changing market.