With “Kai” meaning ‘change’ or ‘to correct’ and “zen” meaning ‘good’ in Japanese, Kaizen is a system that aims at continuous improvement. Applied mainly in business, Kaizen also encompasses personal development on a daily basis. Originated in Japan after World War II, the Kaizen philosophy is actually ‘a way of life’ philosophy. The main idea that works behind Kaizen is that every sphere of our life deserves to be improved continuously. In order to achieve this improvement within an organization, Kaizen involves every single employee in the process – from top management to the cleaning crew and even external stakeholders, if possible.

Building blocks of Kaizen

The Kaizen philosophy does not aim at major changes all of a sudden. The main idea is to increase productivity as well as improve safety and effectiveness while at the same time, the emphasis to reduce waste is also there. That is why Kaizen welcomes little changes in everyday life or process of a business that will improve the general quality at the end. All involved in the process are encouraged to suggest small changes for improving whatever aspect is in need of improvement.

As it is a continuous improvement process, Kaizen is not to be confused with once-in-a-month activities. That is why a total of 60-70 suggestions per employee every year is written down, shared with everyone involved and then implemented. The scope of the Kaizen philosophy is not limited to organizational spheres only. It can involve home and even social activities. It tries to improve the quality of overall life of a person.

As a philosophy, it is different from the western philosophy of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Rather in Kaizen, the philosophy is to do and make it better, ensure continuous improvement even if it isn’t broken, because if you don’t, you would be ill equipped to compete with those who do.

Five Elements of Kaizen

There are five main elements that hold the essence of the Kaizen Philosophy. These are :-

• Teamwork
• Personal discipline
• Improved morale
• Quality circles
• Suggestion for improvement

Major Benefits of Kaizen

With every employee or person involved in Kaizen giving suggestions, it is possible to identify several problems and get behind their root to nip the problem in the bud. Once the suggestions are implemented, it is made sure that those problems don’t arise again.

The Kaizen philosophy also aims at reducing waste in areas like transportation, employee skills, production and so on. Thus, this practice improves the use of capital, enhances better communication, skillful use of space and helps in employee retention. The major benefit of Kaizen is its immediate result. Since it doesn’t aim at any drastic changes which can take time, Kaizen aims at making small potential changes that can be implemented immediately. It concentrates on creative investments rather than on capital based changes.
If you haven’t yet tried the Kaizen philosophy, it’s time to use it and feel the difference that it can make.