What Is Kaizen (Continuous Improvement)?
Also known as: kaizen event, kaizen blitz, continuous improvement, CI
Definition
Kaizen is the Japanese term for continuous improvement: a habit of making many small, frequent changes to processes, led by the people who do the work, rather than relying on occasional large projects or one-off redesigns.
Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) Explained
Kaizen literally means change for the better. In lean manufacturing it takes two forms. Daily kaizen is a steady flow of small suggestions from operators and supervisors, such as relocating a tool or adjusting a fixture. A kaizen event (sometimes called a blitz) is a focused team effort, often three to five days, on one process, with a defined start state, target and follow-up.
A kaizen event usually follows a pattern: define the problem and target, observe the current process at the gemba, measure it, brainstorm and trial changes, standardize what works and assign follow-up actions. Without the last step the gains erode, which is the most common reason events disappoint.
ERP data gives kaizen a baseline and a scoreboard. Cycle time, scrap, rework and on-time delivery measures from job or work order history (for example job transactions in Infor SyteLine, production orders in Infor LN or SAP, work orders in NetSuite) show whether a change actually moved the number. Quality modules record nonconformances and corrective actions that become kaizen candidates.
Kaizen is a management system, not a project list. It works when supervisors have time to act on ideas, ideas get a quick answer, and results are visible. A suggestion box that nobody answers produces nothing.
Why It Matters
- Delivers compounding gains without large capital spend.
- Builds problem-solving skill and ownership on the shop floor.
- Gives quality systems such as ISO 9001 and AS9100 a practical continual improvement mechanism.
- Uses ERP history as objective proof, so gains are not just anecdotal.
In Practice
A packaging cell averages a 45 minute changeover. A four day kaizen event films a changeover, separates internal from external steps and builds a pre-staged cart. The new standard is trialed over a week. Job order setup hours are then compared before and after in the ERP, and the cell keeps the gain by updating its standard work and routing setup time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does kaizen mean?
It is Japanese for change for the better, commonly translated as continuous improvement.
What is a kaizen event?
A short, focused team effort, typically several days, to improve one specific process, ending with standardized changes and assigned follow-up actions.
How is kaizen different from innovation?
Kaizen is many small incremental improvements from the people doing the work. Innovation is a larger step change, often involving new technology or a redesign.
How do you measure kaizen results?
Use before and after data on a defined metric such as cycle time, scrap rate, setup time or on-time delivery, pulled from shop floor and ERP records.
Related Terms
Lean Manufacturing
Lean manufacturing is a production philosophy derived from the Toyota Production System that maximizes customer value by systematically identifying and eliminating waste, defined as any activity that consumes resources without adding value the customer would pay for.
Gemba Walk
A gemba walk is a structured visit by managers to the place where work is actually done, such as the shop floor, to observe processes, ask questions and see problems first hand instead of relying on reports or dashboards.
PDCA Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act)
The PDCA cycle is a four-step improvement loop: Plan a change, Do it on a small scale, Check the results against the plan, and Act to standardize the change or adjust and repeat. It is also called the Deming or Shewhart cycle.
SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die)
SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) is a structured method developed by Shigeo Shingo for reducing equipment changeover time to under ten minutes, primarily by converting setup steps that require the machine stopped into steps performed while it still runs.
Seven Wastes (Muda)
The seven wastes, or muda, are the non-value-adding activities lean seeks to remove: transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, overprocessing and defects. A common mnemonic is TIMWOOD. Many teams add unused talent as an eighth.
Go Deeper
Cycle Time & Capacity Calculator
Translate cycle time, parallel stations, shift pattern, and realistic utilization into hourly, daily, and annual production capacity.
Free ToolYield Improvement Value Calculator
Put a dollar value on first pass yield improvement: failures avoided, rework and scrap savings, and the worth of each yield point.
Aligning Lean Manufacturing with Your ERP
Align lean manufacturing with ERP: kanban and MRP coexistence, backflushing, value stream costing, pull signals in SyteLine and LN, plus AI-driven kaizen.
Shop Floor Data Collection: Connecting Machines to ERP
Shop floor data collection guide: connect CNC machines, barcode scanning, and IIoT sensors to ERP. Covers OPC UA, MTConnect, Factory Track, costs, and AI agents.
Working with Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) in a live environment? Our engineers do this every day - and our AI agents automate most of it.