A Japanese word for ‘improvement’, or ‘change for the better’, kaizen refers to a business practice that focuses on continuous improvement of processes with the involvement of all staff in the process. The aim of kaizen is to eliminate waste, or to create a lean manufacturing environment, by improving standardised activities and processes. In contrast to Six Sigma or other initiatives that may rely upon ‘top down’ initiatives and external experts, kaizen is a ‘bottom up’ initiative involving the generation of simple ideas by staff involved in the process, which are ‘bite-sized’, quicker and easier to implement and which may lead to incremental improvement. See also Lean Thinking and Six Sigma.
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