Arba Minch University’s Strategic Plan Evaluation and Implementation Directorate has held a daylong orientation program in Kaizen, a Japanese concept that implies ‘improvement’, or ‘change for the better’ for all AMU directors and department heads on Sept 24, 2014, at Lecture Theatre, Main Campus.Click here to see the Pictures.

Addis Ababa-based Ethiopian Kaizen Institute Director, Mr Bekalu Worku, the resource person, who enlightened the gathering about Kaizen’s basics, its system, Mudas (waste) for universities and its seven types and Quality Control Circle etc.
In his inimitable style, Mr Bekalu initially made the participants aware about Kaizen and going into its specifics, said, ‘‘It teaches one to give up negative attitude, have positive mindset in accepting change without fearing failure. It also instills sound thinking that accommodates or give due attention to others opinion.’’
Kaizen focuses on continuous improvement of processes in manufacturing, engineering, and business management. It involves all employees from CEO to the assembly-line workers, he adds.
Continuity, participatory approach, accumulation of small improvements and improvements with minimum investment are its basic characteristics. It’s for time, less space, human effort, equipment and less material that encompasses productivity, quality, cost, delivery, system, environment and motivation. He also simplified the three pillars of Kaizen i.e. philosophy, system and tool.
Exemplifying further, he said, assimilating Kaizen into education institutions would improve the quality of learning; mitigate time taken for learners to attain desired goals, increase the efficiency and effectiveness of teachers in terms of numbers of learners taught, without affecting the quality of learning.
Muda (waste), he said, is human activity which absorbs resources but create no value. It affects service quality, service cost and delivery time. He also informed about the causes of waste, which are 3M - Muda (waste), Mura (unevenness) and Muri means overburdened.
Through a video clip he explained to the gathering as to how seven deadly types of Mudas – motion, over production, over processing, rework, inventory, conveyance and waiting can actually mar the objective of any organization. The training was attended by AMU top officials and administrative staff.
By Philips Joseph