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NBSSI sensitizes 60 on KAIZEN

The National Board for Small Scale Industries NBSSI has organized a day’s sensitization programme on KAIZEN for 60 people drawn mainly from small scale enterprises in the Atebubu-Amantin, Pru and Sene West districts of the Brong Ahafo region in Atebubu.

Date Created : 2/13/2018 3:17:32 AM : Story Author : Daniel Oduro-Stewart/Ghanadistricts.com

KAIZEN is a Japanese word for ‘continuous improvement’ and involves a number of activities that continuously enhance the functions of a business. It involves all staff and has the goal of improving quality, productivity and profitability.

The Brong Ahafo regional manager of the NBSSI, Mr. Anthony Akolbire said the KAIZEN project which was piloted in the Ashanti region in 2015, was extended to the Northern region the following year with Brong Ahafo taking its turn last year adding that the project which is a collaboration between his outfit and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency JICA has the Central region as the beneficiary region for this year.

He mentioned Mckenzie sportswear in Sunyani and E-GABS soyabean processing company in the Tano North district as outfits within the Brong Ahafo region that have won awards as a result of undergoing KAIZEN.

Mr. Baffour Akuffo of the head office of the NBSSI, who deputized for the Executive Director, said KAIZEN is at the heart of the board’s activities since it is in line with its objective of growing small scale enterprises.

The Head of the Atebubu-Amantin office of the Business Advisory Centre BAC, Mr. Isaac Oppong took participants through the: meaning, benefits, areas that can be improved and the KAIZEN implementation process.

He said KAIZEN is a long term approach to work which seeks to systematically achieve small incremental changes in processes in order to achieve efficiency and quality adding that this could be applied in any kind of work.

The BAC head also spoke about the principles that underpin KAIZEN which include providing the best quality at lowest cost, elimination of all kinds of waste, shortening lead times, developing best work standards and empowering everyone to take part in finding solutions to problems.

He said KAIZEN eliminates over production, wastage in: time, transportation, processing, inventory and motion as well as defects which he described as inimical to business growth.

Mr. Oppong enumerated some of the benefits of KAIZEN to include: increased productivity, improved quality, safety, lower costs and customer satisfaction.

He spoke about the 5s which engages people through the use of ‘Standards and Discipline.’ He said items that are not needed at the workplace should be removed while necessary items should be arranged in clearly identifiable locations for easy access saying that workplace as well as equipment should be cleaned regularly to maintain standards and identify defects.

Officials of Nyame Tease bakery based in Atebubu who have benefitted from KAIZEN shared their successes with the gathering.

The function was chaired by a renowned local industrialist Alhaji Kofi Owusu popularly known as Alhaji Didi.