Metal One Isuzu – Isuzu Factory Tour
Isuzu Corporation is an expert trading company which specializes in the steel industry. The Steel Service Division of the company processes and supplies cold rolled steel to various industries. Isuzu has nine regional service centers in the Kanto, Chuo and Tokai regions and one affiliated steel service company based in Kyushu. Isuzu Group also has Logistics, Life Service and Solution Divisions which provide other services related to its core-business.
Corporate Information
- Company: Isuzu Corporation
- Foundation: 1947
- Location: headquartered in Tokyo
- Main Business: cold rolled steel processing and distribution
Isuzu Corporation – Lean Characteristics
Standardization, 5S, Corporate Culture
Isuzu specializes in the processing and sales of cold rolled steel. It is a completely unrelated entity to that of Isuzu Motors. Isuzu has several regional service centers for distribution of steel coil to various industries, including the automotive and electronic industries, that demand reliable and timely service.
The company believes that coil distribution is an old economy and that in order to remain profitable in this maturing industry the company must focus on creating new value for the market and cutting costs by boosting shop floor and office efficiency.
Isuzu strives to make efficient use of space within its service centers, through minimizing stock on hand and utilizing racking with automated picking. Efficient operations are supported by a high level of standardized work and their enterprise resource planning system developed in-house, which not only allows them to achieve a high processing volume, but in conjunction with their internal logistics division, enables them to respond to urgent orders with a lead time of between 2 to 3 hours from receipt of order to dispatch to their customer, without compromising their day’s production schedule.
The company is extremely dedicated to the thorough implementation of 5S and workplace safety. Their shop floor operators carry out a 5S and safety patrol daily, with the responsibility for these audits shared across every member of their factory, office and logistics staff. The confidence that the company has in the management and presentation of its facilities, together with the capability of its staff, enables Isuzu to use its factory as a showroom, in order to build confidence in potential customers and drive sales.
The company also boasts an excellent corporate culture and an engaged, dedicated and vibrant workforce through their “full participation” and “all-in-management” approach.
Toulouse, France
Amazing Tour. Great experience to see and share with Japanese managers. I learned a lot about their culture, their way to think, to work and to improve by themselves. Great moments during training and after work. Thanks a lot. We will return back home with a new eye and mindset.
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Quezon City, Manila, Philippines
Thank you, Shinka Management, for providing me with the opportunity to learn more about Kaizen. As a Quality practitioner, witnessing the evolution of Toyota and its implementation of Kaizen has been amazing. Learning how to adapt Kaizen principles from manufacturing for implementation within a hospital setting has been truly inspiring. Again, thank you Shinka Management!…
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Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
I enjoyed every aspect of this extremely well organised kaizen tour including: factory visits, translations by Paul and Ben, TPS training, sightseeing, accommodation, transportation, and meals. This tour is a must for anyone trying to understand / implement LEAN into their business or organisation. I hope the tour continues for many years to come as…
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Christchurch, New Zealand
I highly recommend the Lean Japan Tour – it provided a very good insight, was well organised and is led by guys who are clearly very passionate for lean and Japan.
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Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Participating in the Shinka Management Lean Japan Tour was a transformative experience. The tour offered a rare opportunity to witness world-class lean practices in action at leading Japanese organisations. From visiting Toyota’s manufacturing facilities to learning directly from lean practitioners, every moment was an invaluable learning experience. The insights gained into kaizen, waste reduction, and…
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Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Paul and Eri from Shinka Management clearly understood the brief and greatly assisted in transforming our industry tour into an enjoyable and exceptional experience immersed in Japanese culture. Without their support we would not have gained the same level of factory access, learnings and knowledge. Well done!
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The Shinka Management Lean Japan Tour is a professional development program run several times annually. The program includes a mix of lean and kaizen seminars, hands-on lean training and visits to several benchmark lean companies. For further information and program dates, see the lean tour overview page.
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