Kaizen comes from Japanese culture, the word Kaizen consists of two words is "Kai" means change and "Zen" is better, Kaizen means change for the better.
1950, Kaizen is implemented in many good improvement in a company or of everyday life in Japan.
1986, Kaizen has been recorded by Mr. Masaaki Imai in his book with title "Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success”.
1993, Kaizen is recognized by the "New Shorter Oxford Dictionary Home" as the English language which means continuous improvement.
1986, Kaizen has been recorded by Mr. Masaaki Imai in his book with title "Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success”.
1993, Kaizen is recognized by the "New Shorter Oxford Dictionary Home" as the English language which means continuous improvement.
1997, Kaizen has been recorded by Mr. Masaaki Imai in his book with title "Gemba Kaizen: A Commonsense, Low-Cost Approach to Management”.
Kaizen is not just continuous improvement, but more than that, Kaizen is "everyday improvement," "everybody improvement", and "everywhere improvement".
"Kaizen is everyday improvement" means Kaizen not only for once suces improvement, but after get success with yesterday improvement so today must began with new improvement, its mean everyday always find challange improvement ideas, it goes every day.
"Kaizen is everybody improvement" means Kaizen not for shop floor workers only but Kaizen for all employees from top manager until shop floor worker. Kaizen is not for employees only but also for all people who live.
"Kaizen is everywhere improvement" means Kaizen not for shop floor manufacturing environment only, but Kaizen also for administration, office, design development, human resources, sales, and every where.
Kaizen philosophy is all the action we must always focus on continuous improvement in all areas of our lives, such as work environment, social environment, and household environment.
Kaizen concept is already felt so natural, reasonable, and properly understood by many Japanese people, even they do not realize that they have a Kaizen because Kaizen is a habit for the Japanese.
Kaizen has a lot to contribute to the success of Japan in the competition, different from the Innovation Kaizen, Kaizen improvements do not change greatly but Kaizen make changes gradually improved gradually but the results are very much with the foundations of a very strong improvement and safe, because Kaizen done by involving all levels of people with a sense of continuous improvement consistently.
Kaizen is able to run in a variety of companies, even by a small capital companies, as Kaizen does not cost much and does not require great resources, as opposed to innovations that require a very large cost hard to run by a small capital companies.
Kaizen umbrella various management practices in Japan such as 5S (Japanese Cleanliness), TQC (Total Quality Control), Quality Control (QC) Circle, Zero Defect, JIT, SS (Suggestion System), TPM, TQM, and so on.
