Kaizen (Continuous Improvement)
-
Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning “change for the better” or “continuous improvement.” In business, it refers to a philosophy and practice of making small, incremental improvements regularly to processes, products, or services to enhance efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction.
Core Principles of Kaizen:
-
Continuous Improvement
Small, ongoing changes add up to significant long-term gains. -
Employee Involvement
Everyone, from leadership to front-line workers, contributes ideas. -
Eliminate Waste
Identify and reduce unnecessary steps, costs, or inefficiencies. -
Standardize Best Practices
Once improvements are made, make them the new standard. -
Measure and Reflect
Use data to guide improvements and monitor outcomes.
Real-World Example:
A small business might apply Kaizen by:
-
Asking employees for weekly suggestions to improve service.
-
Rearranging workspace to save time on repetitive tasks.
-
Streamlining customer follow-up procedures.
Benefits of Kaizen:
-
Boosts productivity without major overhauls
-
Improves morale by empowering staff
-
Reduces costs by cutting inefficiencies
-
Enhances customer experience through better processes
Kaizen is not a one-time fix but a mindset of always asking:
“How can we do this better?”
Kaizen checklist or template to start applying it in a business process
-
