Kaizen works for the obvious reason: the problem becomes obvious and visual. If a problem cannot be detected, nobody can manage the process. The process that creates the product stops the moment a reject is produced. The machine stoppage makes the problem visible. Visual management makes abnormalities visible to all employees, managers, supervisors, and workers – so corrective action can begin at once. Most information originating from gemba goes through many managerial layers before reaching top management. Where gemba is practiced a manager can see problems at a glance the moment he walks into the gemba. The best think that can happen in gemba of a manufacturing company is for the line to stop when an abnormality is detected.[Learn More ...]

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