Kaizen Events at the University of St. Thomas: Experiential Learning for Students

Janine Sanders Jones (), John R. Olson () and Peter Southard ()
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Janine Sanders Jones: Operations and Supply Chain Management Department, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105
John R. Olson: Operations and Supply Chain Management Department, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105
Peter Southard: Operations and Supply Chain Management Department, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105

INFORMS Transactions on Education, 2021, vol. 21, issue 3, 115-129

Abstract: This paper describes how the Operations and Supply Chain Management Department at the University of St. Thomas uses kaizen events as a vehicle to integrate undergraduate and professional programs with local area organizations. A unique business collaboration was created where the faculty members led an actual lean kaizen event at a local organization. Project team members included lead and support faculty, undergraduate students, professional certification students, and company representatives. In a one-week intensive experience, teams addressed real issues at a local organization and implemented changes that had positive impacts on the student learning experience and the bottom lines of the participating organizations. This paper discusses how to conduct a kaizen event student project as well as challenges and benefits related to this approach.

Keywords: kaizen; lean production; experiential learning; student projects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:orited:v:21:y:2021:i:3:p:115-129

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