Sharjah for Capability Development (SCD) has recently graduated the emirate’s first 17 Kaizen certified professionals, having successfully trained them in the globally acclaimed programme, which focuses on lean management skills and continuous professional improvement. The programme was brought to Sharjah for the first time in cooperation with Kaizen Institute, Japan. It was part of a strategic partnership between SCD and the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD), and sponsored by Fast Building Contracting Company.

SCD graduated the students during a special ceremony held at the SEDD headquarters, in the presence of HE Sultan Abdullah bin Hadda Al Suwaidi, SEDD Chairman, HE Jassem Al Blooshi, Member of the Board of Trustees of Rubu‘ Qarn Foundation for Creating leaders and Innovators, and Engineer Fathi Afana, CEO of Fast Building Contracting Company. The graduates were presented certificates of completion by the Kaizen Institute, which is the exclusive entity in the world authorised to deliver this certification.

SCD offered this training programme to improve the administrative and professional skills of participants in a variety of business functions and enhance their leadership and innovation at the workplace, in line with SCD’s vision to create an innovative generation of inspiring leaders who, by building their capabilities and applying them through self-learning and self-motivation, will contribute to driving progress and sustainable development in Sharjah and the UAE.

‘Kaizen’ is a workplace philosophy that establishes a lean management system based on monitoring daily work activities and suggesting simple but continuous improvements to develop all aspects of work at industrial and financial institutions.

It aims to bring about changes in a smooth and tranquil manner that avoids confusion and minimises disruption in the production and pace of business activities.

The main goals of the Kaizen programme are to increase effectiveness and efficiency, thereby conserving resources and reducing expenditure. This approach has contributed greatly to saving many large corporations in Japan and beyond from bankruptcy and helped them recover their momentum in terms of profitability and competitiveness.