Foundations of Kaizen

The Philosophy of Continuous Improvement

Kaizen is a Japanese compound word: "Kai" (change) and "Zen" (good). It refers to the mindset and practice of continuous, incremental improvement.

Kaizen vs. Radical Innovation While radical breakthroughs (Kaikaku) have their place, they are infrequent and often disruptive. Kaizen focuses on steady, daily improvements executed by the people closest to the work. Over time, compounding small improvements surpasses the results of infrequent overhauls.

Core Tenets - Question current practices: "Because we have always done it this way" is never an acceptable answer. - Focus on process, not blame: When an error happens, ask which system failure allowed it to happen. - Gemba walk: Go to the actual place where value is created to observe reality rather than relying on second-hand reports.