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Kaizen (Japanese: 改善, "improvement") is a concept referring to business activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees from the CEO to the assembly line workers. Kaizen also applies to processes, such as purchasing and logistics, that cross organizational boundaries into the supply chain.[1] Kaizen aims to eliminate waste and redundancies. Kaizen may also be referred to as zero investment improvement (ZII) due to its utilization of existing resources.[2]
After being introduced by an American, Kaizen was first practiced in Japanese businesses after World War II, and most notably as part of The Toyota Way. It has since spread throughout the world and has been applied to environments outside of business and productivity.[3]
- ^ Imai, Masaaki (1986). Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success. New York: Random House.
- ^ Furterer, Sandra L.; Wood, Douglas C. (25 January 2021). The ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence Handbook. Quality Press. p. 344. ISBN 978-1-951058-07-4. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ Europe Japan Centre, Kaizen Strategies for Improving Team Performance, Ed. Michael Colenso, London: Pearson Education Limited, 2000