KAIZEN® Institute New Zealand is the leading provider of KAIZEN® and LEAN consultancy and training in New Zealand.
Our consultants have practical experience in the application of the Toyota Production System (TPS). Our consultants use our up-to-date integrated system methodology, the KAIZEN® Management System (KMS) in many different industries.
The KAIZEN® Institute supports companies of all sizes and industrial segments as well as private and public service organisations.
There are many isolated initiatives that can deliver short term improvements for a company. However, to achieve sustained long term success it is essential that all facets of a company are approached in a systematic manner, based on world class methodologies.
5S for Shoes:
I recently read an article in an airline magazine, giving some tips for the frequent traveller, and I was drawn to one particular idea that caught my eye.The suggestion was that you buy a “shoe bag” to pack you business shoes into, before packing into your suitcase. The benefit of using a shoe bag is that you don’t get dirt and polish on your clean clothes, and the bag itself acts as a visual cue to remind you to pack them. I have added a little Poka-Yoke by storing the shoe bag inside my suitcase to remind me to use it eachtime I pack.
Value Stream Mapping is a lean tool used by the KAIZEN Institute to help organisations understand and improve the flow of information and material within their organisation.
In a Value Stream Map the emphasis is placed on the end-to-end Value Stream which is “customer value”. This allows everyone present to visualise the same entire flow and ‘current condition’.
I first visited New Zealand in February 2005 to study and travel. Since then I have been hooked on this wonderful, unique, green (I could continue if you like ;-) country at the “edge of the world”. Once I returned home I decided to try to live – and work in “Aotearoa” one day.
In mid September 2009, KAIZEN Institute made my dream come true, and I transferred from Switzerland to Auckland, for a one year sabbatical. It’s going to be an enriching year full of new situations, challenges, beliefs and experience.
Once again the KAIZEN Institute NZ successfully ran it’s most popular Lean Office training seminar – Total Service Management, in Auckland from the 22nd to 24th September.
The seminar was attended by participants from many aspects of service industries including representatives from education, healthcare, banking and professional services.
Kimball Fink-Jensen from the New Zealand office joined KAIZEN Institute in 2008 and established the first agency specialising in “lean measurement”, which is about finding and reporting the right numbers to accompany the KAIZEN/lean journey. He visited the USA in late September and attended the 5th Lean Accounting Summit in Orlando, Florida.
The new Kiwi Toyota “Believe” ad campaign does not only succeed to capture that special KAIZEN attitude of Continuous Improvement. It’s also adding a good dose of that “never give up – make it work” Kiwi culture. A clever and perfect mix!
Our Kaizen Institute team hosted David Meier in our Auckland office in November. It was a great opportunity to show David how we apply Kaizen Lean principles in our own “Office Live” and to have a general discussion and share ideas with him over lunch.
"We never stop learning and neither should you."
KAIZEN® College is the training and development arm of the KAIZEN® Institute. The College’s primary function is to provide continuing professional development to KAIZEN® professionals at every level of an organization.
It provides students with lean knowledge and information about new and innovative improvement tools for the workplace.
KAIZEN® College courses are attended by people who are new to the key concepts of lean and need an introductory course; by people who have a grasp of lean but who feel they need a refresher course; by experienced practitioners who want to take their knowledge of KAIZEN® to the next level; and by lean experts who want to take our ‘master classes’.
KAIZEN Institute New Zealand is the leading provider of KAIZEN and LEAN consultancy and training in New Zealand.
KAIZEN College is the training and development arm of the Kaizen Institute. The College’s primary function is to provide continuing professional development to continuous improvement professionals at every level of an organisation. The seminars are part of a three level global certification program allowing the participant to become a certified KAIZEN Practitioner, Coach and ultimately a Manager.
There are many books and blogs discussing the merits and application of the Value Stream Mapping technique in Lean Manufacturing.
However, good examples of the application of this technique in the office or business process are less common. Why should this be the case? Our observation is that it is ‘too hard’ for Lean thinkers to tackle the complex, lengthy, disparate processes found within the office or administrative processes. Often the real bottom line benefits of eliminating waste in the office are not that obvious or quantifiable
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