Subaru's use of Kaizen in Motorsports and Auto Production

Kaizen is a Japanese term that refers to a continuous improvement approach that is incremental and iterative that was developed as part of the Toyota Production System in the 1940's. Since it's introduction, the Kaizen method has been adopted by various industries and even by competitors. A recent article from The Wall Street Journal highlights the need and success of Kaizen by Subaru to keep up with increased demands on production. With each round of Kaizens, Subaru is able to improve on efficiency and output. The idea is that the sum of every small improvement will yield a significant impact. 

The article highlights improvement ideas such as an improved material delivery system for the assembly line workers. A rig was designed that would deliver tubs of parts to the workers while also able to dispatch tubs easily when they were empty. This is a relatively straight forward solution that would save a few steps in the operation.

In addition to production, Subaru also employs the Kaizen method in their Motorsports division. A recent article from TorqueNews details some of the small refinements that contribute to the overall performance improvements. These changes include weight reduction, tire grip, brake strengthening, improved aerodynamics, etc. 

No matter how developed a process is, Kaizen can be used to provide incremental changes. Therefore it is important to not lose sight that eventually through multiple rounds of Kaizen the effects may be quite substantial.