Lean is the Japanese time-tested proven method to success

Efficiency isn't just something that companies are striving for – it's the standard at which every business must operate, or else risk falling its behind competitors. Achieving efficiency has grown particularly important over the last few years because of the economic recession, with many companies looking to accomplish more with fewer resources.

Unbeknownst to many Western business owners, efficiency has long been a standard at many Japanese companies. As the country strove to recover from a post-war economy back in the 1960s, many Japanese organizations realized they didn't have the money or resources to compete flat out with their Western competitors.

Take, for example, Toyota. The auto manufacturer wanted to be on par with major companies such as Ford, but Japan has limited operational space due to the country's small geographic size. Toyota was also financially hard pressed compared to other automobile powerhouses. The company simply couldn't compete on the same level.

To address that issue, Toyota decided to take a new approach and began working on what would become the Toyota Production System. This set of practices and mindset essentially defines Lean manufacturing, focusing on achieving the maximum amount of efficiency.

Learning from the best

After initially developing Kaizen and Lean production, the Toyota Production System spread throughout Japan. As The Collaborative Working Centre notes, some of the leading Japanese companies tend to have productivity levels that are 50 percent higher than similar businesses in other countries.

So what's the best way of truly learning and internalizing the secrets of the masters of Kaizen? While there are a variety of answers to this question, Lean Benchmarking Tours are perhaps one of the most beneficial approaches. These tours allow you see firsthand how companies apply Lean principles and philosophies to their everyday work, across multiple departments.

A tour will generally consist of a visit to the manufacturing floors of some of the world's most successful companies, followed by an interview with the people in charge of Kaizen operations at these companies. Tour participants will also have the chance to discuss and debrief after each visit to help each other understand what they saw and develop additional networking opportunities.

Tours are highly customizable, and ultimately it's up to you what you see and do. It's important to realize that your business is unique, and what works at one company won't work at all of them. That said, tour participants can study the businesses that are the most relevant to them, helping them glean the best insight into how they can apply Lean practices and principles.

Takeaways for participants

Lean Tours are very personal experiences, and what one person may learn could be very different than another, even if they were to take the same tour. However, there are a few common takeaways for tour participants.

Many have noted a greater awareness of how to improve productivity at their businesses while reducing costs to create a more efficient work environment and culture. A number of participants also improved the way they think in relation to working together and collaborating with different co-workers, departments and business partners. After taking a Lean Tour, business leaders may also gain the ability to recognize improvement opportunities, while also realizing ways to implement best practices at their own companies.

Lean Benchmarking Tours have a number of benefits, and companies looking to truly improve the way they do business should consider embarking on one as soon as possible.