Includes index.

Ch. 1. An Introduction to Kaizen -- Ch. 2. Gemba Kaizen -- Ch. 3. How to Manage Quality, Cost, and Delivery in Gemba -- Ch. 4. Standards -- Ch. 5. The 5 S's: The Five Steps of Housekeeping -- Ch. 6. Muda -- Ch. 7. The Foundation of The House of Gemba -- Ch. 8. Visual Management -- Ch. 9. Supervisors' Roles in Gemba -- Ch. 10. Gemba Managers' Roles and Accountability: Kaizen at Toyota Astra Motor Company -- Ch. 11. Just-in-Time: The Ultimate Production System -- Ch. 12. Just-in-Time at Wiremold -- Ch. 13. Going to Gemba: Two-Day Gemba Kaizen and Overall Corporate Kaizen -- Case Studies. MK Electronics Company. Exceeding Customer Expectations at Walt Disney World. "The Press Came Down Twice!": 5S and Safety at a Press Shop. Housekeeping, Self-Discipline, and Standards: Tokai Shin-Ei Electronics. The Answer was in the Files: Gemba Kaizen in R&D. How 5S at a Die Plant Eliminated the Need to Relocate. Cleanliness is Key at Daiwa Jitsugyo. Stamping Out Muda at Sunclipse. Transforming a Corporate Culture: Excel's Organization for Employee Empowerment. The Journey to Kaizen at Leyland Trucks. Always Learning at Lobro. Adapting to Market Changes: Siemens Oostkamp. Solving Quality Problems in Gemba: Safety at Tres Cruces. Quality in a Medical Context: Inoue Hospital. Tightening Logistics at Matarazzo. Kaizen Experience at Alpargatas. Keeping an Eye on the Data: Infotec. Support from Top Management: Fidelity Investments. A Focus on Training: Kaizen at Lucas Automotive. Kaizen at an Insurance Company: La Buenos Aires. Kaizen at "Company A" in Europe.

In Gemba Kaizen, world-class quality expert Masaaki Imai focuses the result-boosting techniques of kaizen on the place where they'll do the most good - gemba - the most critical areas of business performance. Defined as the "real place" where real action occurs, gemba is where products are developed (the lab and design table) and made (the shop floor), and where services are provided (the service center, retail outlet, or wherever customers come into contact with the service provider). Small kaizen enhancements to these key operations will multiply into greater success and profits many times over. Importantly, you don't need sophisticated technology, complex procedures, or expensive equipment to benefit from gemba kaizen. "The best solutions are the simple solutions," says Imai. The world's most successful corporations don't get that way by wasting millions of dollars reengineering. Instead, in Gemba Kaizen, Imai proves that these companies achieve phenomenal business success by doing many "little things" exceedingly well ... and shows you how to apply, with minimal cost, this philosophy to achieving greater results in your own business.