Introduction

Kaizen is a Japanese word meaning change for the better or continuous improvement. It is fundamental to Lean Manufacturing that we must continuously strive to get better. In this chapter we'll cover the basic concepts of Kaizen taken from Gemba Kaizen by Masaaki Imai,1 and we'll review how Beta is applying those concepts.

Interestingly, Henry Ford understood and described many of the concepts of what is today known as Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen some 80 years ago when he wrote Today and Tomorrow. Indeed, Toyota at one point gave its American managers a copy of Today and Tomorrow to read.2 U.S. manufacturers, including Ford Motor Company, could take a lesson from Henry Ford's "playbook,"2 which parallels many of the concepts in The Toyota Way by Jeffrey Liker.3 In it, among many other points Ford makes, he observed that "Today's standardization is the necessary foundation on which tomorrow's improvements will be based." Like Toyota, he thought of standardization and innovation as two sides of the same coin. And, like Toyota he abhorred all forms of waste,. He applied Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen principles at every opportunity, seeking constantly to reduce waste, reduce variability, reduce system cycle times, and improve overall performance.

Imai provides an outline for continuous improvement and adds much detail to Henry Ford's musings, providing much of the "how to" in implementing Kaizen in the workplace. Early in the...