Lean tool: KAIZEN

KAIZEN (Continuous improvement) is Japanese words change for improvement and improving process through small incremental step. Many people refer to this gradual change as continual improvement. Breakthrough improvement is described by another Japanese term KAIKAKU.

Kaikaku is refer to in north America as a kaizen event. Hance many practitioners often get confused with the interchangeable usage of kaizen and kaizen event. In lean implementation, kaizen event is used to provide quicker implementation results. Kaizen events are conducted by assembling a cross- functional team for three or five days and reviewing all possible options for improvement in a breakthrough effort. Management support is required for such initiatives. If the employees cannot afford taking three or five days to improve a process constraint then either the problem is unimportant, or the organization required more fundamental culture adjustment before implementing lean.