C O N T E N T S

The President's Speech List of PAAM new members PAAM Branch in Malaysia - Sarawak, Sabah, Johor Visit to PAAM Johor Branch Kaizen Write-Up HIPPO Family Exchange Program HIPPO Participants Photo Gallery Learn Japanese in 3 months UPVC Roofing Malaysian Pools and Chlorine  Upcoming Events Information Wan Noor Hayati’s Farewell Dinner Ms. Suhaila’s Farewell Dinner

Visit to PAAM Johor Branch

The meeting in Johor Baru with Mr Huang (Chairman JB Branch) and Ms. Sandy Lee (Hon.Secretary) was attended by Ichikawa-san (AOTS Malaysia General Manager) and A. Aziz Y Kamaruddin (PAAM President). It started at about 11.30 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m. The meeting was the first one held to enhance ties and communication with our Branches. Several issues were discussed, with the main point being how to get more members. The issue of how to get active members involved in our activities remains an on-going problem, as in other similar voluntary organizations. Any JB Branch members who have suggestions should contact our JB Branch committee members. The main obstacle appears to be members' job and personal/family commitments. It was good to hear that some of our J.B. members are interested in sharing their knowledge on Japanese Management techniques such as 5 'S" and Kaizen. We look forward to seeing activities at the Branch level.

Funny Signs

Kaizen Write-up

KAIZEN AND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT

In the current marketplace, customers set the ultimate criteria for quality. If customers are satisfied, they will continue to patronize and the company will continue to survive. Kaizen is a feedback action to continuously improve the quality, cost and delivery of products or services. Kaizen is defined as a small change of the method. In today's competitive business environment, companies must adapt to quality concept as the basis to offer the highest level of customer service in order to be successful amidst the stiff competition. Kaizen strategy is the single most important concept in Japanese Management, and is the key to Japanese competitive success. In Japanese term, it means forever gradual continuous improvement. It is a collection of techniques for continuously improving performance / productivity In terms of cost effectiveness, quality and delivery, without large capital investments i.e. small change within restriction. It contains two elements, namely improvement and ongoing. It involves both managers and workers. With kaizen, the organization strives to empower the worker to increase worker satisfaction; facilitate a s ense of accomplishment; create a sense of pride in one's work. Kaizen techniques create a relationship between the worker and the job, and job process becomes a partner to achieve job objectives. An organization could apply kaizen by implementing 5S and QCC. 5S means Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke. It is five steps of kaizen. It is an industrial application of kaizen. Productivity improvement succeeds if 5S is good. Productivity improvement fails if 5S is bad. Hence it is the key to total success. 5S means a place for everything and everything in its places. 5S maintains necessary standard of cleanliness and orderliness to make sites safe, healthy, pleasant places to work. Cleanliness and orderliness manifest discipline, in turn is the basic requirement for quality, eliminate waste and improve productivity. Quality Control Circle (QCC) is the Kaizen Group with small groups consisting of first line employees who continually control and improve the quality of their work, products and services. It operates autonomously, utilizes QC concepts and techniques and other improvement tools, taps members' creativity and promotes self and mutual development   Ultimately, Kaizen gives impacts by Improvement in work Saving in energy, material and other resources Improvement in working environment Improvement in machines and processes Improvement in jigs & tools Improvement in office environment Improvement in product quality Ideas for new products Customer satisfaction & customer relation

Prepared by: Ms. Au Yong Hui Nee

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