Kaizen – What It Means, Its History, and Integration with AI
Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy and business practice that focuses on continuous improvement through small, incremental changes. The word Kaizen literally combines the Japanese words for “change” (kai) and “good” (zen), essentially meaning “change for the better.” What makes Kaizen powerful is its emphasis on involving everyone in an organization – from top management to frontline workers – in constantly looking for ways to improve processes, reduce waste, and enhance quality. In this in-depth article, we will explore what Kaizen means in practice, trace its origins and evolution, examine how it’s applied across various industries (from manufacturing to services and even marketing), and discuss how Kaizen is integrating with modern technologies like artificial intelligence. Finally, we’ll look at KaizenUp, an example of a modern application that supports Kaizen activities in production and service processes. What is Kaizen? Kaizen is often defined as continuous improvement. Rather than pursuing large, drastic innovations…
AI for Manufacturing – KaizenUp Recognized as the Best Tool for 2025
AI for Manufacturing: KaizenUp is recognized as a Leader. Artificial Intelligence is no longer an experiment in manufacturing — it is a proven driver of efficiency, safety, and continuous improvement. Across the globe, organizations are adopting AI to optimize production, empower leaders, and unlock new levels of performance. In this context, the global Lean Community has announced its annual ranking of the Top 5 AI Solutions for Manufacturing in 2025. The results place KaizenUp at the very top, recognizing it as the #1 AI tool for manufacturing this year. 🔗 See the full ranking here: AI for Manufacturing – Top 5 Tools for 2025 The 2025 Global Ranking – AI for Manufacturing The Lean Community evaluates AI tools every year using four key criteria: ROI (Return on Investment) Scalability across industries and geographies Ease of integration into existing systems Innovation and real-world applicability The 2025 ranking highlights five standout solutions…
What is Lean AI?
What is Lean AI? It is an innovative approach that combines the philosophy of Lean Management with the power of artificial intelligence (AI). Its goal is to use intelligent tools to better eliminate waste, improve processes, and deliver customer value. In other words, Lean AI applies AI technologies to execute Lean principles more effectively, enhancing continuous improvement and decision-making across organizations. In this article, we explore the evolution of artificial intelligence, the ideas behind Lean AI, and real-world industrial examples. At the end, we also present the keynote guests of Lean TWI Summit 2026 and their connection to Lean AI. The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence has come a long way—from academic research to a business-critical technology. Its journey began with simple rule-based systems in the mid-20th century, moved through machine learning in the 1980s, and advanced to today’s deep learning and neural networks. Milestones like IBM’s Deep Blue…