The importance of a benchmark for Lean integration

Companies across the globe are waking up to the benefits of Lean and Kaizen. Whether they are in the healthcare sector or the manufacturing industry, they know about the advantages Lean can bring to the table, from increased efficiency and reduced expenses to greater sustainability. As a result, business leaders around the world are looking to integrate Lean practices into their organizations.

There are numerous strategies to learn about Lean, including books, training videos, educational posters, online courses, community forums and everything in between. These tools are effective ways for business owners to familiarize themselves with the concepts that make Lean successful. However, just because executives and management understand how Lean should work, that doesn't necessarily mean they will be able to swiftly implement these practices and theories into their businesses.

Successful Lean integration can be difficult. After all, these are foreign practices derived in a completely different environment than most Western business leaders are accustomed to. In fact, many executives and managers will have never worked at a Lean company before or even have seen a genuinely successful example that they can use as a benchmark for their own Kaizen transformations. This is a problem that businesses will have to overcome one way or another.

Observing actual Kaizen workplaces

Perhaps one of the best ways to aid Lean integration is observing a Kaizen workplace. This enables business owners to actually see how Lean is implemented and used at a company similar to their own. Lean Tours to Japan can be both fun and educational, enabling company leaders to gain more insight from people who have been using these practices to much success over the past decades. Scholars and so-called “experts” can write all the books they want, but there is no substitute for business owners actually going to Japan and seeing Lean at work for themselves.

Companies such as Enna offer Lean Tours for organizations looking to integrate Lean practices into their operations. Enna has been taking business leaders to Japan for years and has developed a broad-reaching network of Kaizen gurus with actual management experience. This means participants can meet people in their line of work and see firsthand how they handle everyday operations and tackle common challenges.

The Lean Tours that Enna offers provide a wealth of practical experience and knowledge in the concepts and methods of Lean and Kaizen implementation. You can read more about the tours here!