By HELEN ZULU –

THE Government has called on the private and public enterprises to consider implementing Kaizen to enhance efficiency.
Kaizen is a Japanese concept which means continuous improvement.
Deputy Secretary to Cabinet Peter Kasanda said there was need for private and public enterprises to consider implementing the Kaizen concept  because of the numerous benefits it brings to organizations.
Mr Kasanda said Kaizen enables attitude change, promotes punctuality, encourages ownership and staff discipline in general which was a prerequisite for productivity improvement.
He said promoting the Kaizen philosophy in the country would result in expansion f business across economic sectors through improvement of
quality, cost reduction, delivery of services and greater customer satisfaction.
Mr Kasanda was speaking at the 2015 National Kaizen conference organised by Kaizen Institute of Zambia and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Lusaka yesterday.
“The process of growing at both individual and organisational level generates profits, creates more job opportunities and more taxes which Government uses to provide social services.
“I therefore wish to call upon both private and public enterprises t consider implementing the Kaizen because of the numerous benefits it brings to organizations which includes enhancing efficiency,” he said.
Mr Kasanda said a culture of continuous improvement provided solutions the issues such as how t utilise time, space, human capital, energy and technology t create and retain wealth in the nation through reduced production inputs and increased output.
He said Kaizen had a positive impact on individuals, organizations and society adding that enterprises become more competitive and achieve growth.
Mr Kasanda challenged the Kaizen institute of Zambia to help reduce the many and persistent constraints that impede the national ability to innovate, be creative and internally competitive.
“Government is sending a team of senior officials to go and learn how Ethiopia has mainstreamed and domesticated kaizen principles in both public and private sector organisations.
“It is envisaged that at the end of the study visit, the team would have acquired an insight necessary to mainstream and institutionalise kaizen across the public sector in Zambia,” he said.