As I have continued my personal use of kaizen, I am convinced it can be used for anything (I wonder if any of the NCAA Final Four basketball teams considered it). In addition, kaizen can be scaled to small projects and to individuals all the way up to large multi-national companies and projects. Today, I find that Kaizen is being implemented in nation states by making it a national priority. Why? Japan realized the value of kaizen and has been exporting it to other nations whom have seen the benefits as well. I wonder when the United States Government will get on board?
Zambia - In their 3rd year of adopting kaizen as a nation.
http://www.zm.emb-japan.go.jp/en/topic/02.18.KAI.html
Remarks by the Japanese Ambassador:
http://www.zm.emb-japan.go.jp/en/press/02.18.KAI.doc
Singapore - working on improving quality since the 1980s. The 2011 Legatum prosperity index rated Singapore #1 economy with a per capita GDP of $59K, 95% literacy, and life expectancy of 73 years.
Could there be a connection with kaizen?
http://www.spa.org.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=67
2011 Legatum ranking
http://www.prosperity.com/country.aspx?id=SG
More countries, such as Malaysia are considering a National Kaizen Movement for their country. Why? Because it works anywhere in any size, family, organization, or team. It's not just for Japan anymore.
What country have you improved today?
Dan Lafever, Kaizeneer
http://littlebylittlechange.blogspot.com/
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1 comment:
Do you have any more details on: "Malaysia are considering a National Kaizen Movement"?
I think Singapore started even earlier - My father worked on it some. He was a visiting professor in Singapore in the 1970s. He wrote an article on "Building a [National] Quality Movement," with E. Chacko, August, 1972, Quality Progress. http://asq.org/qic/display-item/index.html?item=6151
He also wrote an article for Dr. Deming's Out of the Crisis on the results of applying the management ideas at the City of Madison.
I recently posted some of my experience with quality/kaizen... in government http://evop.blogspot.com/2013/01/long-history-of-lean-thinking-in.html
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