In 30 seconds
- Many small improvements beat rare big ones.
- Everyone, at every level, contributes ideas.
- Kaizen events tackle one problem intensively over a few days.
Origins
Kaizen is central to the Toyota Production System and lean thinking. Masaaki Imai's 1986 book Kaizen introduced the idea widely in the West.
Two forms
| Everyday kaizen | Kaizen event | |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | Small tweaks | One focused problem |
| Duration | Ongoing | A few days |
| Who | Everyone | A cross-functional group |
Kaizen in agile teams
The Sprint Retrospective is a built-in kaizen moment. Continuous improvement is the general term; kaizen carries the lean tradition of standardizing what works before improving again.
Myth vs reality
Myth · Kaizen means big transformation programmes.
Reality · It's mostly small, steady steps.
Myth · Kaizen is only for factories.
Reality · It applies to any process, including software.
Myth · Managers drive kaizen.
Reality · Everyone contributes; managers support.
FAQ
What's the difference between kaizen and continuous improvement?
Essentially the same idea; kaizen is the lean term and tradition.
What's a kaizen blitz?
Another name for a short, intensive kaizen event.
How do we start?
Pick one small annoyance this week and fix it.