Kaizen is a process for continuous improvement.
Literally “good change”. Kaizen was developed between the United States and Japan throughout the 20th century. It is a form of continuous improvement following 6 steps:rD4
- Identify a problem or opportunity.
- Analyze the process.
- Develop an optimal solution.
- Implement the solution.
- Study the results and adjust.
- Standardize the solution.
The spirit of Kaizen can be summarized as “waste is a crime”—in the face of major constraints, misusing resources can be immoral.
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Doanh Do, “What Is Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)?,” The Lean Way, August 5, 2017, https://theleanway.net/what-is-continuous-improvement. (See notes.)