Customer Reviews

Gemba Kaizen: A Commonsense, Low-Cost Approach to Management

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
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Of the many Lean books on my shelf, this one is the least impressive. Although Masaaki Imai seems to have a great deal of knowledge on this subject, the writing style seemed a too dry for my liking and focused more on process rather than people (the latter being a critical element in implementing Lean principles and practices). Look for other titles about Lean before you go with this one....

Not as good as others out there, especially the Kaizen Event Implementation Manual. No details or real life information.

As a practitioner and instructor of lean and six sigma, I recommend this book a lot. Gemba is a vitally important concept that often gets overlooked or gets overshadowed by our data, especially in an increasingly e-driven world. Gemba Kaizen is especially useful for engineers and supervisors, who may not have extensive TPS experience, who need a practical guide for applying lean principals in their workplace. It has a nice glossary at the beginning. It has good sections on visual management (5S) and standard work. In addition to the 10 Rules for Gemba Kaizen, the following Imai quote is one of my favorites: "A lack of the five S's in gemba indicates inefficiency, muda, insufficient self-discipline, low moral, poor quality, high costs, and an inability to meet delivery terms."

Author Masaaki Imai argues that companies can become more profitable by constantly looking for efficiencies, instead of seeking huge leaps, as is the Western custom. The Japanese philosophy of kaizen says businesses must mercilessly cut waste by eliminating anything that's even remotely inefficient. These strategies will lead to more profitable companies and better employee morale. Imai makes compelling arguments, and supports them with a number of case studies and real world examples that show kaizen in action. We at getAbstract recommend this book to managers, particularly executives of manufacturing companies.

I read Gemba first and then followed up with Kaizen. I think it is necessary to read both, even though some people might disagree and say that if you read Kaizen first there was no need for Gemba.

My opinions is: Gemba adds meaning to the Kaizen book. It's full of thoughtful ideas. It's a must to read.

The book Gemba-Kaizen is somewhat disappointing if you have read the book 'Kaizen' already. It gives not much new information. The only new idea in the book is the attention given to the 'Gemba', the place where the processes are performed. Imai is right to stress the importance of the Gemba for operational excellence and he gives some nice tools and examples to illustrate the Gemba's importance. However, only one nice idea is somewhat poor to fill a whole book. The major message of the book can be told just as well in an articel of no more then 4 pages.

After reading Lean Thinking, The Goal and a few other books on manufacturing, I picked up this book based on the Amazon recommendation. I am sorry to say that the book was disappointing since it spoke of concepts that are well known. JIT, Kanban, Lean Manufacturing. Just like the hundreds of books on these concepts, this is a mere extension of the same concept and nothing in this book is different. I am used to reading both management and extremely technical books, but this one just could not hold my interest.

This book will change the way you think. If you apply the methods in the book, you will be well on your way to that continuous improvement journey. I am constantly finding myself trying to apply Kaizen principles everywhere I go.

Great book for any Manager involved in the implementation of Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing principles. Very good explanation of the fundamental elemenets involved in the continuous improvement of Quality, Cost and Delivery.

Masaaki Imai's Gemba Kaizen is the most refreshing read I have had in years. Buy it. Read it. Live it. Too many managers have lost touch with reality. Too many decisions are made from ivory towers. Too many CEOs,General Managers, Department Managers and Engineers rarely spend enough time on their shop floors, and subsequently lose touch with where value is added. This book offers a refreshing, low-cost, common sense approach that can have a life-long impact on any reader. The scope of this book is boundless, in that it can apply to either the public or private sectors. This book would make a great gift!

-- Tony R. Mannon