Word
kaizen
/ˈkaɪzɛn/
Definition
n. a Japanese business philosophy that focuses on making small, continuous improvements every day. Instead of trying to change everything at once, you look for tiny ways to make work better and more efficient.
n. a Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices and personal efficiency. Often applied in manufacturing and corporate management to describe a culture where all employees actively suggest and implement incremental changes.
Examples
“Our team uses kaizen to improve our workflow every week.”
“By adopting kaizen, the factory managed to reduce waste by ten percent through hundreds of minor adjustments suggested by the assembly line workers.”
“While radical innovation often captures headlines, the long-term success of the automotive giant is frequently attributed to kaizen, ensuring that every internal process undergoes constant, granular refinement.”
Examples
simple
“Our team uses kaizen to improve our workflow every week.”
contextual
“By adopting kaizen, the factory managed to reduce waste by ten percent through hundreds of minor adjustments suggested by the assembly line workers.”
complex
“While radical innovation often captures headlines, the long-term success of the automotive giant is frequently attributed to kaizen, ensuring that every internal process undergoes constant, granular refinement.”
Usage
Often used as a modifier before other nouns, such as 'kaizen event' or 'kaizen methods'.
Real-World Examples
“Kaizen , the quest for continuous improvement, and jidoka , automation with a human touch, are two that will be familiar to many non-Japanese speakers.” Etymology
From Japanese 改善 (kaizen), from Middle Chinese 改善, and from Old Chinese 改善 (*qˁəʔ-ɡenʔ "to correct errors"), dividing into 改 ("to change") and 善 ("good"). It arrived in English in 1959, introduced by Boyé Lafayette De Mente in his volume Japanese Etiquette and Ethics in Business.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.