Kaizen Applications in the Garment Industry: A Case Study

Abstract

Industry 4.0 helps companies be more flexible in the production process and the
supply chain. Thereby creating quality products and services at low prices, saving time and
costs in manufacturing. Kaizen is known as an advanced tool in the application of a series
of methods to eliminate waste and improve the quality and efficiency of production
activities in enterprises in Japan. However, in Vietnam, many businesses are still hesitant
and consider the effectiveness of this tool in Vietnamese enterprises. In the article, the
author mentions the implementation of Kaizen at Thuan Phuong Group. The method
selected in the article includes describing the current problem of the enterprise, proposing
solutions for the Kaizen application, designing and programming Kaizen software, and
deploying Kaizen at the factory according to the PDCA cycle. Kaizen tools have been
deployed to almost all departments at the enterprise such as the production department,
mechanics, engineering, quality management, and maintenance. After 2 years of
application implementation Kaizen, the total improvement time of the business increased
more than 10 times, saving companies a large amount of money. The article is an example
of the successful application of Kaizen in production and business activities in Vietnam.
Therefore, this article helps other businesses have a more objective view of the application
aspects of Kaizen in their businesses.