Kaizen is not Continuous Improvement

Kaizen is not Continuous Improvement

Western industry is lost in translation

During World War II, in order to support the critical war-related industries, the U.S. government implemented the Training Within Industry (TWI) programs.

The essence of TWI came down to the concept of small-step rapid improvement and the empowerment of employees to improve the use of the existing workforce, industrial equipment and technologies for the production of war equipment (during war time there is neither time for long term improvement projects nor resources for large and innovative changes).

TWI was a very successful program, the war was won and the American government had no reason to continue the program in U.S.. However in order to help rebuilding the Japanese industry the American occupation forces brought in experts on Statistical Process Control, Quality Circles and Training Within Industry (TWI) programs. In 1951 a TWI training film titled "Improvement in Four Steps" was translated as "Kaizen eno Yon Dankai".

Japan was introduced to "Kaizen".

Note that Japanese industry translated these improvement methodology from TWI as KAIZEN: "KAI" gives the idea of change and "ZEN" rooted in the Taoism or Buddhist philosophy, brings the concept of goodness as self-development for the community. The concept was rightly understood as implementing a common benefit developed internally.

In a totally unexpected development of events some Japanese companies, like Toyota, successfully applied SPC, Quality Circles and TWI surpassing the Western companies.

Western world was taught back and "Kaizen" was translated as "Continuous Improvement". On the other hand, reverse translation of "Continuous Improvement" in Japanese is "Kairyo 改良".

Western world is lost in translation: "Kairyo" is not "Kaizen". "Kaizen" is not "Continuous Improvement"!.

In ENLEANMENT we are pretty aware of the difference between Kaizen and Continuous Improvement and this is reflected in the impact of our Kaizen events in terms of implementation, results and sustainment.

The Western world and most of its executives, management and lean/quality experts keep attached to the wrong translation of Kaizen.

Wrong concepts drive wrong behaviors: The result of a kaizen is a long list of actions, a kaizen is used to justify an investment or to implement a pre-defined process or to show a catalog (or Google or ChatGPT) with the perfect solution; or the kaizen killer: a kaizen report out shows nearly $ millions of savings and cost avoidance but the Finance statements are never able to capture nor show them.

In ENLEANMENT everything is about the original concept, let's correct the wrong concepts:

KAIZEN is SELF-DEVELOPMENT for the COMMON BENEFIT