Kaizen
A Japanese philosophy meaning continuous improvement through small, incremental changes involving all employees from executives to shop floor workers. Kaizen events or blitzes are focused improvement activities where cross-functional teams tackle specific problems over a few days to achieve rapid results.
RELATED TERMS
Continuous Improvement
An ongoing effort to incrementally improve products, processes, and services over time through small, sustainable changes. Continuous improvement is a core principle of lean manufacturing and quality management, engaging all employees in identifying and implementing improvements.
Lean Manufacturing
A systematic approach to manufacturing derived from the Toyota Production System that focuses on eliminating waste while delivering value to customers. Lean identifies seven types of waste (overproduction, waiting, transport, overprocessing, inventory, motion, and defects) and uses tools like value stream mapping, 5S, and kanban to continuously improve processes.
5S Methodology
A workplace organization method consisting of five Japanese principles: Sort (remove unnecessary items), Set in Order (organize remaining items), Shine (clean the workspace), Standardize (establish consistent practices), and Sustain (maintain the improvements). 5S creates an organized, efficient, and safe work environment that supports productivity and quality.
Value Stream Mapping
A lean manufacturing tool that visualizes all steps in the production process from raw materials to customer delivery, identifying both value-adding and non-value-adding activities. Value stream maps help teams see waste, understand material and information flow, and design improved future-state processes.