Kaizen

By Jade Mitchell

Kaizen is a business philosophy that originates in Japan. Kaizen is a Japanese word that means “change for the better.” It translates to change for good, kai meaning change, and zen meaning good. Japanese practices include removing shoes, tea ceremonies, bowing, eating with chopsticks, Japanese festivals, not shaking hands or hugging when meeting with loved ones, and not tipping. Holidays in Japan often involve family and community gatherings, and they can practice kaizen principles such as respect for tradition, attention to detail, and continuous improvement.

 Kaizen made the Japanese industry famous in the 1970s and 1980s by helping to make Japan the second-largest economy in the world at the time. People in Japan honor kaizen by having regular meetings and discussing ways to improve, reduce waste, and increase efficiency. Employees are encouraged to submit suggestions for improvement. Kaizen events, companies organize kaizen events where teams work together to identify and solve problems.

Kaizen culture is based on 3 principles. 

• Gemba: the place where work is done. 

• Gembutsu: the actual product. 

• Genjitsu: the facts

Along with the three principles, there are seven concepts of Kaizen. 

• Engage Employees (Employees are the ones closest to the processes and often have valuable insights into what can be improved) 

• Problem Identification

• Problem Analysis

• Develop Solutions

• Implement Solutions

• Result Analysis

• Standardize Solutions

There's a similar idea to kaizen, which is called lean management. Lean management is “a systematic approach to optimizing efficiency by minimizing waste and maximizing value for customers.” Lean management originates from the Toyota production system. Practicing kaizen and its concepts could benefit America by improving problem-solving,  increasing adaptability, enhancing creativity, economic growth, improving healthcare and education, and environmental sustainability.