KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) agreed on a work plan for improvement of lean management on 11
th October, 2017. This is going to be the basis of activities at MPC by Mr. Koichi Tanaka, Japanese expert, who is dispatched to MPC for the purpose to strengthen the capacity of MPC to extend lean programme in the Malaysian SMEs since January 2017.
MPC has promoted Productivity & Quality Initiatives since 1980s with tools such as 5S, Quality Control Circle and Total Quality Management. Now, for example, 5S initiative is widely accepted through out industries in Malaysia. Another initiative which is quickly adapted by SMEs is Innovative and Creative Circles (ICC). To develop further and enhance companies’ productivity, MPC has taken a move to combine lean management and 5S as a continuous improvement effort in promoting companies’ transformation. Such effort to improve productivity through lean approach by transforming way of thinking and behaviour goes toward reducing waste in companies’ process.
The collaborative efforts between MPC and JICA will provide Malaysian SMEs with international benchmarks on lean management system implementation and learn best practices to sustain competitiveness. In the two-year project, five companies will be selected to introduce lean implementation. They are expected to prepare action plans with the advice by MPC consultants. According to respective action plans, they will be requested to have lean management system development projects and submit progress reports after completion of the project. Any success stories and best practices will later on be shared with other SMEs through various platforms such as workshops, short-talks (breakfast talk, CEO talk, CEO forum etc), seminar in several states, lean summits, training programs, publication and other suitable medium, creating the multi-plier effect.
Source : Japan International Cooperation Agency Malaysia Office (JICA)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name : Tomoko Miyagawa/Yuka SonoyamaTel : +60-3-2166-8900
Email : ms_oso_rep@jica.go.jp--BERNAMA 
