WB-Kaizen 2.0

MSMEs in Kenya employ 15 million people (38% of total employment) and contribute approximately 34% to GDP. However, the growth potential is restricted, courtesy, low productivity levels and not adapting new techniques. Recent World Bank reports show, there is a direct impact of improving managerial and organizational practices on innovation and productivity. The Kaizen methodology has a proven track-record in improving productivity and has been increasingly adopted by organizations around the world.



Although Kaizen requires on-site approach, in today’s world of automation, business transformation, and continued obsolescence of skills, companies are realizing that delivering on a compelling, digital learning experience would be the best way to address the skills gap. Rapid proliferation of mobile devices, shrinking training budgets, and time constraints have disrupted the way learning is designed, developed, and delivered. Traditional methods like classroom learning have given way to the development of new bite sized learning modules known as microlearning platforms.



With the objective of addressing the productivity challenge in Kenya through novel tech savvy approaches, The World Bank with support of the Government of Japan, is piloting the project, ‘Kaizen 2.0, Microlearning with a Digital Brain’. Kaizen 2.0 would allow for remodelling traditional Kaizen practices into an easy to digest, low-cost, and scalable digital microlearning platform to address the productivity challenge in an increasingly digital world. Integrating Kaizen with microlearning platforms not only addresses the existing drawbacks in traditional learning methodologies, but also allows for scale at very little added cost. Following this pilot, any patterns found by the AI within the data of a specific sector or geographic area will enable more accurate targeting of additional users which would boost the economy of Kenya.



The delivery of Kaizen lessons through a microlearning platform will enable (a) low cost access of learning platform to a wide network of SMEs that determine what will be relevant to them through self-diagnosis. While many Kaizen approaches can only be executed on a discrete basis due to budget or resource constraints, even leading to the term “Kaizen event” in literature, the digital microlearning approach can create an ecosystem of learning that is self-sustaining and scalable (b) encouraging ‘continuous improvement’ through additional content created by the user base itself as their skills improve. A mentorship network connects new users with more experienced ones who have become capable of teaching, creating a snowball effect of learning within the community. This effect is further enhanced by the use of artificial intelligence in assessing dynamics of needed learning, allowing for automated provision of content and fast responses to changes in the circumstances of the network’s users, both at the individual level, as well as changing economic circumstances.



This approach would be complementary to an existing World Bank operation, The Kenya Industry and Entrepreneurship Project (KIEP) supporting approximately 250 SMEs to increase innovation and productivity. Kaizen 2.0 would leverage KIEP’s activities in identification of relevant SMEs and M&E to track impact of the approach and jointly support SME growth in Kenya.



SMEs learning from this platform would be able to implement the learning on their work-area and get recurring benefits which would facilitate holistic growth in their organisations. Not only processes, but what they would achieve are development in Physical place, Process, People. An established Business system that can provide a long term value to their stake holders is the primary learning one would get from this.