Kaizen is based on making little changes to improve quality, productivity, safety and effectiveness as well as reducing waste and some tools used in Kaizen are; five S (5S) and seven (7) Wastes Elimination.

Major challenges faced by MSMEs in Ghana bother on poor quality and packaging of products, so they are unable to compete favourably with imported products. It is in line with these challenges that NBSSI went into collaboration with JICA in 2012 to implement the NBSSI / JICA Kaizen Project to make MSMES in Ghana more competitive.

Mr Eric Affram, Northern Regional Manager of the NBSSI speaking at the closing ceremony of a seven week basic Kaizen training for students from the Faculty of Agribusiness and Communication Sciences of the University for Development studies (UDS) stressed the importance of the training to UDS and NBSSI.

He said the training, which was conducted under the NBSSI/JICA National Kaizen Programme also partnered the Faculty of Agribusiness and Communication Sciences (FABCS) of UDS to train 16 of their students on Basic Kaizen every year as their internship programme.

He said the UDS students would be equipped with the requisite knowledge and skills in KAIZEN methods to exploit the opportunities of employment or start-up business through practical application of knowledge/skills obtained after completion of school.

The students would also practically impart their Business Development Services skills acquired to MSEs they work with, which would improve business development in the country. He said the training content for the students include; computer Skills (Picture Management, Radar Chart, Shapes and Layout Designs and Other Charts), Enterprise Diagnosis, SWOT Analysis, 7 Wastes (Muda) Identification, (Five S) 5S,  Industrial Engineering (Minor), Visualization, Kaizen Methods, Quality Control among others.

Madam Risa Yokoyama, the coordinator for the Kaizen project expressed the hope that Kaizen collaboration with NBSSI would yield the needed results and advised the UDS students to take the training seriously to guarantee them self-employable skills.

Some of the students who spoke to the GNA expressed gratitude for their involvement and assured that they would utilise the experiences gained during the training.