Guide for the application of a continuous improvement strategy

Abstract

Continuous improvement objective is increase productivity, add value to processes and add points to company competitiveness. Lean Manufacturing and 5's (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain, for its Japanese origin) technique promote interest on the workers, as a principal actor at the search for reducing delays, optimizing operations, and gradually reduce or eliminate any failure arising from the activities. Promoting the use of lean production tools, this research, in a descriptive way, design a guide for application of the Japanese technique, seeking that companies obtain benefits by prevent and control errors that generate cost overruns. The design was tested in a company located in Bogota city, in which are identified deficiencies in factors like order, cleanliness, discipline, among others. The results that stand out with implementation are the productivity increase and expenses decrease due to bad practices and / or reprocessing.