On May 4, 2024, the Seminar on Introduction of 5S/Kaizen Methodology was held at the General Secretariat of the Central American Integration Organization (SICA) in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Commemorative photo at SICA General Secretariat Headquarters
(Center front row, from left: Hiromi Nai, Director, JICA El Salvador Office; Ingrid Figueroa, Executive Officer, SICA General Secretariat; Takashi Seo, JICA Expert; Raquel Cubias, Quality and Productivity Specialist, CONAMYPE; Mami Sakurai, Regional Cooperation Advisor)
(All of the photos in this article are shared by SG-SICA.)
SICA is a regional organization established for the purpose of integration and development of the Central American region, and JICA has been sending experts to the SICA General Secretariat since 2000 to support regional cooperation among the eight member countries of SICA (Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic). SICA supports regional cooperation.
SICA is aiming to strengthen its system to improve operational efficiency within the organization, and JICA received a high demand for kaizen, especially in the office environment, which led to this seminar and the participation of a total of over 80 SICA employees.
Kaizen” can be implemented in any organization.
At the seminar, Mr. Takashi Seo, who is currently working in El Salvador as a JICA expert on “Capacity Building Advisory Services for Small and Medium Enterprises in North America and Latin America,” gave a keynote speech, explaining that the spread of the “kaizen” concept has helped Japanese companies improve their productivity and operational efficiency and foster a culture of teamwork, He also explained that 5S (Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, Shitsuke), a concrete method of “Kaizen”, can be introduced not only in private companies but also in any organization. He also introduced an actual example of a local government in Japan that introduced kaizen, which led to improved operational efficiency.
Takashi Seo, JICA Expert
Next, Raquel Cubias, Quality and Productivity Specialist at the National Commission for Micro and Small Enterprises in El Salvador (CONAMYPE), Seo’s counterpart organization, presented the changes that have occurred as a result of CONAMYPE’s implementation of “5S” and “kaizen” in El Salvador’s microenterprises (increased production, stronger data-based management, etc.), along with photos and videos. The presentation included photos and videos of the changes that have occurred as a result of CONAMYPE’s implementation of “5S” and “Kaizen” in small businesses in El Salvador.
Raquel Kubias, Quality and Productivity Specialist, National Commission for Micro and Small Enterprises
Ingrid Figueroa, Executive Director of the SICA General Secretariat, and Carmen Marroquin, Director of the International Cooperation Bureau, also participated in the seminar. After the seminar, they expressed SICA’s determination to make 5S and kaizen practices a part of their organization.
Ingrid Figueroa, Executive Director, SICA General Secretariat
Hiromi Nai, Director of JICA’s El Salvador Office, also participated as a JICA representative, giving an overview of JICA’s current assistance to small and micro enterprises in El Salvador, and expressing hope that this seminar would help strengthen SICA’s organizational structure.
Hiromi Nai, Director, JICA El Salvador Office
Mami Sakurai, Regional Cooperation Advisor (currently on assignment as an expert to the SICA General Secretariat), who organized this seminar, commented, “SICA and JICA have formulated a five-year plan for cooperation (2021-2025) and are developing regional cooperation in various fields. It would be of great benefit to Japan if we could implement more efficient activities by introducing the 5S/Kaizen method, which originated in Japan, to SICA’s operations.
A word from Mr. Seo, an expert in supporting small and micro businesses
I am currently working in El Salvador, as well as in the Dominican Republic and Pakistan. Kaizen, 5S, and other Japanese productivity improvement initiatives and knowledge are applicable not only to the manufacturing industry, but also to all fields and organizations, including the public institutions where the seminar was conducted this time. Kaizen methods are not based on large investments, but rather aim to improve the quality and productivity of operations by drawing out the autonomy of the organization’s members and emphasizing teamwork, and are being focused on and implemented in many developing countries. In El Salvador, we are currently providing kaizen guidance mainly to the footwear and agro-processing industries, but we have also received inquiries from other pharmaceutical industry-related organizations, and we see the potential for kaizen culture to spread to a wide variety of sectors.
The “Capacity Enhancement Advisory Service for Small and Medium Enterprises in North America and Latin America” in which Specialist Seo is engaged is scheduled to continue until FY2025, but kaizen initiatives are spreading not only in Latin America, including El Salvador, but in various countries and regions. JICA will continue to support small, medium, and micro enterprises in developing countries.
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