Kaizen and Lean practices have crossed the ocean from Japan to Singapore, with manufacturers located throughout the country leveraging these methodologies to save money and bolster efficiency.
Singapore Technologies Aerospace is one such company. Despite economic woes in Europe that affect trading policies, the aircraft maintenance firm has been able to thrive by implementing Kaizen to improve productivity.
To date, the company has held more than 400 Kaizens, saving the company S$20 million ($16 million USD). Additionally, more than 2,900 employees have been involved in the transformation. Major changes, such as altering layouts to fit two planes instead of one, have been conducted.
“The productivity initiatives are necessary for us to be competitive and to differentiate ourselves in the market… if the company is competitive, we can secure more contracts and that means more jobs for the workforce,” Chang Cheow Teck, president of Singapore Technologies Aerospace, told Channel News Asia.
Kaizen is being integrated in countries across the world. Major American companies such as Timberland have used it to go green, while several Canadian businesses recently held a conference to discuss Lean practices.