Kaizen

Kaizen means continuous improvement through small, incremental changes made by the people who do the work. Rather than rare big projects, it builds a culture where everyone constantly removes waste and improves processes — the engine behind lean manufacturing.

Kaizen treats improvement as everyone's daily job, not a one-off initiative. It runs through structured events (kaizen blitzes) and through countless small suggestions from operators. The power is cumulative: many small, low-cost improvements compound into large gains in safety, quality, cost and delivery, while building engagement because the people closest to the work own the changes.

Related terms

Lean Manufacturing · 5S · Value Stream Mapping (VSM) · A3 Problem Solving

Where this applies

Implementing 5S workplace organisation · Rolling out autonomous maintenance · Establishing a gemba walk programme