Continuous improvement sounds nice until you try to do it every day. These quotes from Kaizen pioneers and operational leaders reveal what sustained improvement actually takes.
Lean tools from Toyota identify and eliminate waste in your processes. Learn how to use value stream mapping, Kanban, A3, PDCA and Gemba walks.
Process excellence means consistent execution with minimal waste and variation. Lean, Kaizen and BPM offer different paths but none work without discipline.
Kaizen is a Japanese methodology for continuous improvement through small, consistent changes rather than dramatic overhauls. It works because it engages everyone in the organization.
A kaizen event is a focused five-day workshop where a cross-functional team identifies waste, designs fixes, and implements process improvements on the spot.
Motorola created Six Sigma in 1986 to hit 3.4 defects per million. Most firms run at 3 Sigma with 66,807 defects per million. One shift saves 20% in margins.
The consistent buzz about continuous process improvement has been present for more than three decades - to the point where it is becoming a background hum.