Welcome to KAIZEN® Institute New Zealand
KAIZEN® Institute New Zealand is the leading provider of KAIZEN® and LEAN consultancy, training and coaching in New Zealand.
Our team of consultants have practical experience in the application of Lean Thinking and are experts in applying the Toyota Production System (TPS). Our team is trained in the use of our advanced Lean techniques, incorporating the latest research and case studies, providing a holistic approach to implementing Kaizen Lean in many different industries.
We at the KAIZEN® Institute support companies of all sizes and industrial segments as well as private and public service organisations seeking to embark on their Lean journey.
About Kaizen
Many organizations use a continuous improvement process that was created in-house. Usually, this method requires that everyone develop a list of projects and then managers assign resources to each project. In the past, this method was often effective enough to allow these companies to compete and to meet their customer demands and expectations. However in the last decade or so, customers have been rapidly changing their expectations. Changing technology and communications systems may be the cause, or it may be that customers just naturally want more, want it faster and want it to cost less.
If this method of continuous improvement has allowed you and your team to stay in the game in the past, but year after year it seems to become more difficult, then you likely realize that you are losing ground. Maintaining your competitiveness in this way is getting harder and harder. The same thinking and actions you have always done in the past will not work in the future. You need a more powerful and effective approach to driving change throughout your organization both culturally and technically.
If your company needs to do more with less, KAIZEN Lean is your answer.
Lean Art Posters by Rotorua District Council
As part of promoting the overall awareness of Lean thinking at Rotorua District Council, they have commissioned a series of promotional posters to place around their facilities.
Kaizen Institute Asia Pacific meeting
Last month’s Asia Pacific Regional meeting in Shanghai was a great opportunity to share learning and to calibrate strategies between our different teams from China, Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia and ourselves, New Zealand / Australia. Jon Miller, our Global CEO, based in the USA, Gabi, our Global Financial Controller from Switzerland and Luis, one of our IT team members from our Portugal office also joined us.
Kaizen Practitioners Reap Rewards at BNZ
This year we make an early start with our Kaizen Practitioner certification as no less than 8 members of the BNZ team completing their training and are awarded their globally recognised qualifications.
Rotorua Starts a Lean Year with the Class of 2013
Rotorua District Council have started the new year the way they left off the last by welcoming the Class of 2013 on to our Lean Leader academy programme running throughout 2013.
Read more
Kaizen Celebrations at Auckland Council
Over the past few months we have had the pleasure of working with Chris Carroll and some of his team from the Financial Planning, Policy & Budgeting department at Auckland Council.
This month we celebrate their completion of their Kaizen Essentials certification...
Innovative Lean Retail
Some believe retail is therapeutical while others simply find shopping frustrating and a waste of time. We’re starting to see more examples of smart lean retail concepts that specifically aim to continuously improve and reduce the “waste” in the shopping process.
I’ve attended our annual Kaizen Institute global meeting in Europe last week. During our Lean Innovation and Design discussions we looked at the Tesco’s strategy for the South Korean market that is summarised in this video clip
Introducing Guerin’s Gemba
One of the stories I use when I explain the Gemba Philosophy is the TV show, “Undercover Boss”. For those of you that aren’t familiar with this show, it usually involves the CEO getting dressed up in disguise to spend time working at the coal face to see how the everyday workers have to struggle through their daily work, often unsupported by senior management who implement policies that don’t help efficient work practices.
I frequently lay down the gauntlet to my clients, and some take heed in one way or another.
However, top marks go to their entire executive team at Rotorua Council, who led by their CEO Peter Guerin, are now spending half a day working at the coalface and helping the team look for opportunities for improvement, in a true hands-on manner.
Definition of KAIZEN
Gemba Kaizen: Second Edition
The long-awaited update of the landmark work on Gemba Kaizen!! Read more
Talking Lean At The RDC
The Rotorua District Council has begun their continuous improvement journey by adopting Lean thinking and are now moving steadily forward improving the service to their ratepayers and giving value for money.
Knowing that others may be interested in their progress the RDC have generously offered permission for us to reproduce a collection of their Team Talk articles; giving us an insight as to how Lean can be adapted to Local Government, to serve as motivation for others wondering if these manufacturing concepts could be applied?
Lean Benchmarking Tours: Japan
The Japan Kaikaku Experience benchmarking tours are an integral part of the services offered by the KAIZEN Institute. Join participants from around the world on a remarkable tour and learning experience by visiting the best practices in Japan. Learn more please click here.
Public tour dates -
- March 3-9, 2013
- July 9-16, 2013
- September 15-21, 2013
Customized Tours available - focused on sector and operational needs. Contact us at: kaizentours@spam.kaizen.com
Publications & Training
New Book!
Total Flow Management: Achieving Excellence with KAIZEN® and Lean Supply Chains This new book describes the application of the principles of Flow, Synchronization and Levelling to full Supply Chains. Author: Euclides A. Coimbra
