Ethiopian Sugar Corporation invests in Kaizen practices

The Ethiopian Sugar Corporation, a sugar industry company started in the 1950s by foreign investors and the Ethiopian government, recently decided to deploy Kaizen methodologies and practices. The organization hopes to take the philosophy of continuous improvement and apply this to its processes and technology to bolster product quality and productivity. Additionally, the Ethiopian Sugar Corporation wants to improve company culture and leadership through Kaizen.

During the month of October, the sugar producer will hold a conference with nearly 500 of its senior and mid-level executives to discuss how Lean manufacturing practices can be integrated within the company. Alongside the Ethiopian Sugar Corporation's executives, local representatives from the Kaizen Institute will also be in attendance.

“The corporation is providing Kaizen and other capacity building programs for management staff and other employees of the sugar factories on its own initiative,” reports news blog 2Merkato, citing a statement issued by the Ethiopian Sugar Corporation. “The Sugar Development program is a significant element of the national development agenda which aims to enable Ethiopia to attain the status of a middle-income country in the coming years.” 

With Kaizen in mind, 10 new factories will be constructed in a way that minimizes waste and useless actions. Existing sugar factories will also receive various renovations and upgrades in line with Lean philosophies and practices, and new locations will be launched in parts of the country that make the most in terms of the flow of production.

Ethiopia tries to emulate Japan

One particular goal mentioned by the Ethiopian Sugar Company is to utilize Kaizen as a means of bolstering the country's economic growth. This makes sense in a number of ways, as this is why Kaizen was first developed by Toyota.

After World War II, Japan was in rough financial shape and it was difficult for many businesses in the country to compete internationally. Still, Toyota wanted to take on Ford and the other major American car companies. To do this, the automaker had to maximize use of its resources while minimizing waste. This is what led to the creation of several core tenets of the Toyota Production System (TPS), such as just-in-time production.

While competing with larger, more-established companies may be a challenge, businesses can always integrate Kaizen as a means of achieving this goal.