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 reading
Related terms
Lean Manufacturing · 5S · Value Stream Mapping (VSM) · A3 Problem Solving · Gemba · Thermocouple
Where this applies
Implementing 5S workplace organisation · Rolling out autonomous maintenance · Establishing a gemba walk programme