Over 35 years ago, Sunrise Kitchens Ltd. made a commitment to building world-class kitchens using only the finest materials, superior craftsmanship and technical precision. A desire for progression and advancement led Sunrise Kitchens to KAIZEN™ in 2017 to make a Change for the Better. In the two years since, Sunrise Kitchens witnessed increased productivity, improved practices and a boosted employee morale – approximately 85% of their employees now receive daily KAIZEN™ training.
Sunrise Kitchens initially implemented the KAIZEN™ Business System (KBS) to improve their company’s culture through engaging their employees. Since embarking on the KAIZEN™ journey, their workplace culture has not only been transformed but their employees have become empowered to improve daily processes.
During a number of engaging and hands-on training sessions, Kaizen Institute (KI) guided Sunrise Kitchens employees with recommendations on safe work practices to promote risk reduction and prevent workplace injuries. Using Flow Management methodology, proven to drive business performance in safety, quality, cost and delivery, the teams were empowered to take on more responsibility to transform their workspace and work routines. The employees now conduct daily team meetings in which each member contributes to the innovation of ideas and the development of targeted solutions.
Many improvements have been implemented by the various teams at Sunrise Kitchens since they began KAIZEN™ training. After completing the 5S exercise, a Lean tool used in workplace organization, the sanding team rearranged their workstations, improving efficiency and safety. The assembly team shifted their workbenches closer to the clamping station which increased productivity and reduced the likelihood of back strains. Daily Gemba Walks from leaders have also demonstrated interest and concern for the employees which according to Amrita Bhogal, HR Manager at Sunrise Kitchens, “has sparked a lot of positive conversations”.
Sunrise Kitchens employees are now united on one front – using common language and tools to identify and create countermeasures when challenges arise. Since embarking on the KAIZEN™ journey, the employees have begun analyzing problems and taking action to find solutions on their own initiative. The manufacturing supervisor now receives daily feedback from employees, significantly contributing to their Continuous Improvement.
The progress Sunrise Kitchens has achieved has not abated their momentum but rather it has propelled them forward to continue on their journey of growth. Sunrise Kitchens anticipates the creation of an internal support team to ensure the KAIZEN™ Business System is sustained in the future.
At Kaizen Institute, we support companies of all sizes by providing them with a sustainable competitive advantage. The KAIZEN™ methodology engages the creativity of people at all levels to improve their own work. Not only does this assist in sustaining operational effectiveness, it improves teamwork.
As a result of implementing KAIZEN™ methodology, Sunrise Kitchens Ltd. have experienced both the visible and quantifiable results of Continuous Improvement.
