LEAN is the improvement program set up by Toyota in the 1980s and subsequently applied worldwide by many companies in all kinds of sectors. – Kaizen is part of this program; “Change to better”.
We are facing major changes in agriculture. Meino Smit stated in his paper; “The sustainability of Dutch agriculture” shows that for every Kj of output there are now 6 Kj on input required. While in 1950 for every Kj of input there was 1.2 Kj of output. In other words; we think we are working very efficiently, but farmers pay 6 Kj of input to supply 1 Kj.
Now that the prices of inputs from high input agriculture such as fuel, fertilizer and concentrates rise – we see the vulnerability of the system.
The objectives of kaizen are:
– Elimination of waste (mudas i.e. activities that add costs but no value)
– Cycle of continuous improvements
The mechanism behind Personal Kaizen consists of two elements:
- Positive motivations: achieving goals is motivating. Even if they are ridiculously small goals. Your brain loves the feeling of achieving goals. And it wants more of that!
- New comfort zones: it is important that you know 'that you are working on it'. The longer you work consistently on your goal, the more actions you have taken, the more firmly the goal settles in your brain.
Personal Kaizen is a wonderful application of the principle of 'commitment' in which you develop a logical series of small steps to ultimately achieve a big goal.
Management guru Peter Drucker described an effective production as; from raw material to product in as few steps as possible. The rest is; “A waste of resources, time and money”.
This is precisely where the opportunities lie for land-based livestock farming.
Because the dependence on (purchased) means of production is very large, it is precisely these that increase in price. But by adapting the production system to a system that leads to the end product in fewer steps, it is possible to lower the cost price per unit and thus increase the margin.
What gets attention grows!
A very important fact; In striving for a lower cost price, it is therefore important to focus on costs.
Pure Graze offers you the practical knowledge and expert guidance to successfully make your company financially sustainable.
The grazing course is a course that offers you the knowledge and background in a combination of online lessons, webinars and practical meetings, a forum and contact with your Pure Graze Coach.
