{"id":23488,"date":"2022-12-14T16:55:38","date_gmt":"2022-12-14T21:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/?post_type=glossary&#038;p=23488"},"modified":"2022-12-14T16:55:40","modified_gmt":"2022-12-14T21:55:40","slug":"continuous-improvement","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/","title":{"rendered":"Continuous Improvement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Continuous improvement, also known as &#8220;Kaizen&#8221;, is a philosophy and set of principles that focuses on making small, incremental changes to processes, systems, and activities in order to continuously improve them. The goal of continuous improvement is to eliminate waste and increase efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The origins of continuous improvement can be traced back to the lean manufacturing techniques developed by Toyota in the 1950s. The lean philosophy emphasizes the elimination of waste and the pursuit of perfection, and it has since been adopted by organizations in a variety of industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the key principles of continuous improvement is the idea of &#8220;flow.&#8221; This means that work should be organized and performed in a way that allows it to move smoothly and efficiently from one step to the next, without interruption or delay. By focusing on creating a smooth flow of work, organizations can reduce waste and improve the overall performance of their processes.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"319\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kaizen.gif\" alt=\"A framework showing the two types of continuous improvement: system-level and process-level. The front-line is responsible for process-level, while management is responsible for system-level. \" class=\"wp-image-23489\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Another key principle of continuous improvement is the idea of &#8220;pull.&#8221; This means that work should be performed only when there is an actual demand for it, rather than being pushed through the process regardless of whether it is needed. By using pull systems, organizations can reduce inventory and avoid the waste that results from overproduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Continuous improvement also emphasizes the importance of engaging and empowering employees in the improvement process. By involving employees in identifying and addressing problems, organizations can tap into their collective knowledge and experience to drive continuous improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By embracing the philosophy of continuous improvement, organizations can drive ongoing improvements in their processes, systems, and activities, leading to increased efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional Resources on Continuous Improvement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:36px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/the-lean-post\/articles\/cardboard-duct-tape-and-string-the-do-first-mindset-kaizen-means\/\">Cardboard, Duct Tape, and String: The Do-First Mindset &amp; Meaning of Kaizen<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/the-lean-post\/articles\/the-hard-work-of-making-hard-work-easier\/\">The Hard Work of Making Hard Work Easier<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/the-lean-post\/articles\/what-did-i-transform-today\/\">\u201cWhat Did I Transform Today?\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/the-lean-post\/articles\/michikazu-tanaka-of-daihatsu-on-what-i-learned-from-taiichi-ohno\/\">Michikazu Tanaka of Daihatsu on \u201cWhat I Learned from Taiichi Ohno\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Examples Across Industries <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:35px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Manufacturing \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/the-lean-post\/articles\/thrustmaster-comes-around\/\">Thrustmaster Comes Around<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Healthcare \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/the-lean-post\/articles\/view-from-the-hospital-floor-how-to-build-a-culture-of-improvement-one-unit-at-a-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">View from the Hospital Floor: How to Build a Culture of Improvement One Unit at a Time<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hospitality \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/the-lean-post\/articles\/a-radical-redesign-of-making-crudito-and-all-restaurant-kitchens\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Radical Redesign to Making Crudito<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Construction \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/the-lean-post\/articles\/respect-for-people-making-the-job-easier-for-workers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Respect for People: Making the Job Easier for Workers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Agriculture \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/the-lean-post\/articles\/tending-the-roots-of-lean-with-lean-farmer-ben-hartman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tending the Roots of Lean with Lean Farmer Ben Hartman<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Administration \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/the-lean-post\/articles\/lean-thinking-helps-city-of-chula-vista-with-budget-crunch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lean Thinking Helps City of Chula Vista with Budget Crunch<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Software \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/planet-lean.com\/doubling-performant-apps-using-kaizen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Doubling the Number of Performant Apps Using Kaizen<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Continuous improvement, also known as &#8220;Kaizen&#8221;, is a philosophy and set of principles that focuses on making small, incremental changes to processes, systems, and activities in order to continuously improve them. The goal of continuous improvement is to eliminate waste and increase efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction. The origins of continuous improvement can be traced [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"7644,7563,5886,7364,6562,5880","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"glossary-categories":[],"glossary-tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Continuous Improvement aka &quot;Kaizen&quot; - Lean Enterprise Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Transform your business with continuous improvement. Eliminate waste, increase efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Continuous Improvement aka &quot;Kaizen&quot; - Lean Enterprise Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Transform your business with continuous improvement. Eliminate waste, increase efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lean Enterprise Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-12-14T21:55:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kaizen.gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/\",\"name\":\"Continuous Improvement aka \\\"Kaizen\\\" - Lean Enterprise Institute\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kaizen.gif\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-12-14T21:55:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-12-14T21:55:40+00:00\",\"description\":\"Transform your business with continuous improvement. Eliminate waste, increase efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kaizen.gif\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kaizen.gif\",\"width\":600,\"height\":319},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/\",\"name\":\"Lean Enterprise Institute\",\"description\":\"Lean Production | Lean Manufacturing | LEI | Lean Services\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Lean Enterprise Institute\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/lei_logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/lei_logo.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":450,\"caption\":\"Lean Enterprise Institute\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Continuous Improvement aka \"Kaizen\" - Lean Enterprise Institute","description":"Transform your business with continuous improvement. Eliminate waste, increase efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Continuous Improvement aka \"Kaizen\" - Lean Enterprise Institute","og_description":"Transform your business with continuous improvement. Eliminate waste, increase efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/","og_site_name":"Lean Enterprise Institute","article_modified_time":"2022-12-14T21:55:40+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kaizen.gif"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/","url":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/","name":"Continuous Improvement aka \"Kaizen\" - Lean Enterprise Institute","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kaizen.gif","datePublished":"2022-12-14T21:55:38+00:00","dateModified":"2022-12-14T21:55:40+00:00","description":"Transform your business with continuous improvement. Eliminate waste, increase efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/lexicon-terms\/continuous-improvement\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kaizen.gif","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kaizen.gif","width":600,"height":319},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/","name":"Lean Enterprise Institute","description":"Lean Production | Lean Manufacturing | LEI | Lean Services","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/#organization","name":"Lean Enterprise Institute","url":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/lei_logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/lei_logo.jpg","width":1500,"height":450,"caption":"Lean Enterprise Institute"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary\/23488"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/glossary"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23488"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary\/23488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23494,"href":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary\/23488\/revisions\/23494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"glossary-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary-categories?post=23488"},{"taxonomy":"glossary-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary-tags?post=23488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}