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…