Business & Money | Monday 17 December, 2018 2:41 pm |

Improvements in business efficiency, increased agility and stronger profitability were all celebrated at the inaugural Four Principles Kaizen Awards ceremony at Riyadh’s Four Seasons Hotel last week, Sunday 9 December.

Launched by Four Principles, the first dedicated Lean management consultancy in Saudi Arabia, the Kaizen Awards are designed to raise awareness of the Kaizen philosophy and the potential of Lean management strategies to transform business performance. 

Entrants were asked to share their Lean success stories in one of two categories, ‘Continuous Improvement Process’ and ‘Lean Transformation’. Entries had to include details such as the challenges faced by the company, the objective, cost and duration of the project, and number of employees involved, as well as the resulting improvements in terms of quality, lead times, costs and sustainability.

Prizes on offer included a sector-tailored five-day trip to Japan for three company executives, to see at first-hand how Lean practices are implemented in pioneering local firms.

Five organizations were presented with their awards, and the audience were treated to a presentation on Lean and the focus of building value for customers by global Lean management expert Takao Sakai, a great-nephew of Dr Kotaro Honda, one of the originators of the Kaizen philosophy and the best-selling author of ‘The Secrets Behind Toyota’s Success’. 

The five organizations were:

• Lean Ambassadors Award:alRomansiah
• Lean Transformation Award:Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group
• Lean Transformation Runner-up:Bupa Arabia
• Continuous Improvement Award:Nesma Embroidery (subsidiary of Nesma Holding)
• Continuous Improvement Runner-up:Cold Stores Group of Saudi Arabia (CGS)

Noura Alturki, Vice Chairman of Nesma Holding said: “We’re deeply honored to have been recognized at the inaugural Four Principles Kaizen Awards and we hope it encourages other Saudi Arabian businesses to adopt Kaizen philosophies in their own operations. Our efficiency, culture and results have been transformed by Lean management – and we are confident that others would see exactly the same benefits.”

Originally developed by Toyota to transform the efficiency of its production system, Kaizen principles, which lie at the heart of Lean management, aim to reduce waste, improve quality, and accelerate lead times. Ultimately, the methodology can improve business-wide efficiency and deliver a corporate culture capable of delivering a smooth and adaptable workflow.

Four Principles, which is part of Abdul Latif Jameel, works with businesses across Saudi Arabia and the wider MENAT region to drive better performance through the adoption of Kaizen principles, in line with the aims of Vision 2030 to improve the nation’s competitiveness and productivity.

Hassan Jameel, Deputy President and Vice Chairman of Abdul Latif Jameel, said: 

““We are delighted by the reaction to the inaugural Four Principles Awards – including the superb quality of the entries we received. Kaizen or Lean management is a philosophy we learnt and embraced from our long-term partner Toyota, mirroring the long-lasting Saudi Arabia-Japan relationship, and it has underpinned our approach and success for many years. At a time when the private sector has a vital role in the delivery of Vision 2030, we are delighted to be encouraging lean management in Saudi Arabia.”.

Established in 2010, Four Principles is the leading Lean management implementation consultancy in the MENAT region. It seeks to encourage, recognize and reward companies who use Lean principles to secure continuous improvement in all aspects of their business.