Do you often fix the same issue again and again — but never solve it forever?
That’s a sign your supplier isn’t doing Kaizen.
Toyota calls it:
“Change for the better, by everyone, every day.”
We call it:
Fix the drip before it becomes a flood.
What Is Kaizen?
Kaizen isn’t a training. It’s not a motivational poster.
It’s a mindset — where every team member is encouraged to make things better.
No consultants. No big money. Just daily common sense — shared and acted on.
Real Kaizen Looks Like This:
Shifting the fixture 3 inches closer so the operator doesn’t stretch every time
Writing a quick 3-step reminder on the machine with a whiteboard marker
Placing coolant drums on a trolley so one person can move it instead of waiting for two
Tying color-coded tape on sockets to avoid picking the wrong tool in a hurry
Drawing a bold “✖” mark on surfaces not to be touched during packing
No automation. No budget. Just smart thinking by the people who do the work.
🏭 Real Example #1 – CNC Operator’s $0.20 Fix Saved Over $100/month
A VMC shop in Rajkot had coolant dripping from a flex hose — nothing big, but the floor was always wet.
One operator:
Cut a plastic sleeve from packaging waste
Zip-tied it to control the bend radius
Aligned the nozzle back to tool centerline
Result:
Coolant stopped splashing on side walls
Rust stopped forming under collet
Part rejections reduced from 3 to 0 per week
Toyota calls it:
“Improving the machine without changing the machine.”
We call it:
Small fix, big win.
🏭 Real Example #2 – VMC Shop Reduces Setup Time Without Buying Anything
In a 3-machine VMC shop in Ahmedabad, one issue kept recurring:
Tool changeover for repeat parts was taking too long.
Why?
Tool holder IDs were marked with marker pens that faded in 2 weeks.
Kaizen steps:
Replaced marker with engraved tags
Color-coded tags by tool type
Created a shadow board to park tools in sequence
Before:
Setup time = 43 minutes
After:
Setup time = 18 minutes
Saved nearly 4 hours per week per machine
No automation. No cost. Just awareness.
Why Buyers Should Care
If your supplier isn’t doing Kaizen:
❌ Quality never improves — same problems, repeated
❌ Lead times stay unpredictable — nothing gets faster
❌ Hidden costs rise — and you end up paying for them
But when Kaizen is active:
✅ Parts get better every batch
✅ Small problems disappear before they grow
✅ You get more output without asking for it
What TheSupplier Checks
When we onboard factories, we ask:
What’s the last improvement you made in your layout or process?
Do your operators have space to suggest fixes?
Do you record recurring issues and eliminate root causes?
If the answer is “we’ve been doing the same way for years” — we don’t proceed.
Because Kaizen is how good suppliers stay great.
📣 Work With Teams That Improve Even When You’re Not Watching
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💬 Question for You
What’s one small process change your factory (or supplier) made that created a big impact?
👇 Share your Kaizen moment below — we’d love to feature the best one next month.
📚 References
Toyota Global: https://global.toyota/en/company/vision-and-philosophy/production-system/
“The Toyota Way” – Jeffrey K. Liker
Verified audits and case studies by TheSupplier (2023–2024)
