What Exactly Is Kaizen?

Taken from the Japanese word for improvement, change for the better, or continuous improvement, the concept of Kaizen has evolved since the 1950s into a business strategy of making small, but continuous changes for the better in company operations. These changes can range from manufacturing steps to productivity, inventory or quality control matters.

Kaizen involves every employee and strongly encourages suggestions for improvements, even if they are minor as long as improvements continue. Suggestions coming from all levels of the workplace, from the assembly line to the CEO office, are examined and implemented if useful.