Insight Into Action

A simple recipe for identifying Kaizen and innovation opportunities in operational processes.

How can brown paper, post-it notes and a few coloured pens improve your supply chain management, identify a Kaizen opportunity and highlight areas for potential innovation?  With just a few simple materials, you can create a Makigami.  

In business, everyone has their own preferred management style and way of working.  This is particularly relevant within logistics and supply chain management.  No two logistics operations will be the same and, even within the same warehouse, different operations will have specific and differing ways of working.  So, when it comes to change, how do you recognise what’s a good suggestion for improvement and what’s going to waste resources or distract you from achieving your primary goal?

From higher job satisfaction to improved operational efficiency, the benefits of Kaizen to businesses of all shapes and sizes are vast.  The underlying principle of Kaizen is to focus on small continuous improvements that can be actioned quickly to create manageable actions that contribute to overall long-term improvements, rather than setting unrealistic goals that could potentially lead to failures.

Trusting a 3PL partner with your global supply chain network is vital for the efficient delivery of your product. Indeed, for any far-reaching logistics with international warehousing and distribution capability, you need the right planning and policies, systems and strategies in place. That way, large scale operations are in the best place to maintain the same standard of quality throughout – no matter what borders or oceans they cross. To be assured of your 3PL partner’s supply chain solutions, look for industry standard accreditations as a sure sign they’ll always meet – if not exceed – your expectations with consistent quality management.