he Bigger Picture
Kaizen
We employ the Japanese principle of ‘Kaizen’ to continuously strive for improvement. Kaizen, the Japanese word for ‘Good Change’ refers to activities that continually improve all functions, and involves all employees from the CEO to the assembly line workers. It also applies to processes, such as purchasing and logistics, that cross organizational boundaries into the supply chain. By improving standardized activities and processes, kaizen aims to eliminate waste.
The cycle of kaizen activity is as follows:
Standardize operations and activities.
Measure the operation (find cycle time and amount of in-process inventory).
Gauge measurements against requirements.
Innovate to meet requirements and increase productivity.
Standardize the new, improved operations.
Continue cycle ad infinitum.