Kaizen
In business, Kaizen is a continuous improvement philosophy that drives small, incremental changes in processes in order to achieve large overall improvements. In other words, it’s the practice of making small improvements in your day-to-day work in order to achieve larger, long-term goals.
The word Kaizen comes from the Japanese words 改 (kai) and 善 (zen), which together mean “change for the better.”
TheKaizen philosophy originated in post-World War II Japan as a way to rebuild the country’s economy and manufacturing base. Today, it’s used by businesses around the world as a way to improve quality, efficiency, and productivity.
There are two key components to Kaizen:
1. The involvement of everyone in the organization, from the CEO to entry-level employees
2. A focus on small, incremental changes rather than large-scale overhauls
Kaizen is often associated with Lean principles and the Toyota Production System (TPS). In fact, TPS was built on the foundation of Kaizen principles. However, Kaizen can be used in any type of organization, regardless of size or industry