Study of Karakuri Kaizen

Japanese "karakuri Kaizen activities" with the power of skilled workers at actual work sites are considered to be "Japanese style grass-roots innovation (Js-GRI)". Js-GRI comes into existence from collaboration with R&D division. In the context of accelerating globalization and a complex business environment, the development of hybrid technologies using existing methodologies for synergistic outcomes has been recognized as a novel management problem. Therefore, this paper addresses the integration of methodologies originating in the lean management scheme and analyzes the impacts on business performance. The results suggest that based on several measures such as elimination of useless operations, worker training, energy conservation, and so on, the degree of leanness is significantly elevated by the utilization of combined elementary technologies. The desire to increase productivity can effectively accomplished through the adoption of low cost automation by their characteristic small and medium size companies. The concept and principles of low cost automation are basically the same as those of full automation except that the former builds improvement around existing equipment and machine system rather than replacing whole system with automated processes. The primary activity of every manufacturing organization is material handling.