IEE Breakfast Colloquium on `Genba Kanri´ (Digest No.1997/143)

Genba Kanri is a set of tools and techniques which has become synonymous with lean activities, the removal of waste or non-value-adding elements of our business activities. As such, the principles are now being taken up in the public and service industry sectors alike. Within Genba Kanri and other best practice initiatives, a key diagnostic indicator is the adoption of a value stream management tool which provides the route for improvement actions it is not constrained to the manufacturing process and can be used for the total business. Identification and removal of the seven wastes is the core of Genba Kanri. These wastes include: over production; waiting; defects/scrap/rework; unnecessary inventory; inappropriate inventory; inappropriate processing; and transporting and material movement. These are all areas that can provide significant cost down opportunities. To be applied successfully in the West, allowances have been made for cultural differences and the embodiment of features developed from our own industrial engineering skills. Genba Kanri is the Japanese for shop floor management and will appeal to all organisations who are committed to: improving productivity and reducing costs; improving quality and reducing inventory; developing shop floor personnel through continuous improvement teamworking; developing a working knowledge of techniques such as Kaizen, SMED, TPM and Poka Yoke; encouraging employee participation; and sharing experiences with other like minded companies