05/05/2026
DMA Holds Kaizen Refresher for Sustainable Change
The Plateau State Drugs and Medical Commodities Management Agency (PS-DMCMA) had taken the bold step toward organizational excellence by adopting the Japanese Kaizen philosophy in the recent past, and has gone further to do a refresher during its recent in-house workshop.
The training emphasized that sustainable change requires more than mandates; it demands culture building, daily discipline, and leadership commitment.
At the heart of the discussions was the Gemba, the workplace where value is created. Participants, who are all staff of PS-DMCMA, were reminded that true improvement begins at the Gemba, where processes are observed, waste (muda) is eliminated, and new behaviors are reinforced. Change Gemba, change behavior, change culture, was a recurring theme throughout the workshop.
There were key lessons from the workshop, which include, having a Kaizen Mindset: Coined by Masaaki Imai in 1985, Kaizen means change for the better. It is not a one-time project but a continuous journey involving everyone, everywhere, every day.
The other is Culture Building: Sustainable change cannot be forced; it must be nurtured through coaching, training, and daily practice.
And then the Leadership Role: Heads of departments were urged to focus on standardization, improvement, and innovation, while embracing value stream design and problem-solving.
Another is the Metrics for Success: The agency identified daily Kaizen metrics such as order accuracy, inventory accuracy, lead time in receiving, picking cycle time, warehouse space utilization, and stock-out rates.
The workshop highlighted six lasting benefits of Kaizen, among them are, having a strong organizational culture, waste reduction, improve commitment, human resources and improve problem solving.
With Kaizen there is, commitment to improvement, harnessing human talent, employee satisfaction, and enhanced problem-solving.
The agency defined four pillars for its journey to excellence: universal standards, process-driven philosophy, continuous improvement, and a commitment to excellence. The Director, Planning, Research, and Statistics, Pharm Nenman Musa Lenka, who lead the discourse emphasized that small changes, when sustained, can yield big impacts. Ownership and accountability were identified as critical drivers of success.
By embracing Kaizen, PS-DMCMA aims to satisfy three key stakeholders; customers, employees, and shareholders, while building a resilient system that thrives on continuous improvement.
The workshop concluded with a call to action: Never ignore small change. Employee participation is paramount. Focus on process, not just outcome.