Kaizen History

Kaizen History-- Kaizen 改善 is Japanese for Continuous Improvement

The first character 改 (Kai) means change and 善 (Zen) means to become good. In the business world, Kaizen is practiced to create greater efficiency and productivity in the workplace. Kaizen is a philosophy. When applying Kaizen principles to a job, people seek and discover the best and most intelligent ways to carry out their work.

Businesses inspired by Kaizen commit to a standard of excellence and are continually making small improvements within the company. Similar to a ripple effect, one slight change generates more changes, and eventually all departments will reap the rewards. Through Kaizen change is not something to be feared but instead becomes second nature.

History

Kaizen was born after World War II in Japan. It began when Toyota brought American quality management teachers to oversee their production process. Soon after that, quality circle groups were formed to tackle work-related issues. Quality circles are also called Kaizen groups. A Kaizen group is a team of people brought together to find ways to improve a company. This core concept was the originating principle behind the Kaizen philosophy.

The word Kaizen gained popularity through the title of the book Kaizen: The Key to Japans Competitive Success written by Masaaki Imai. Since the book's debut in 1986, businesses all over the world began using Kaizen to fine-tune their business practices. Following the book's triumph, Masaaki Imai is regarded by some as the father of Kaizen. His progressive views on business and marketing helped many companies grow and develop; however, he is only one of the many innovators who brought about the philosophy.

Edward Demming was equally influential during the time of World War II. His book Out of Crisis is considered a management classic. The Demming prize, named after him, is awarded to companies for total quality management.

Demming’s theories emphasize how employees are not the cause of problems. Instead of reprimanding them, management asks appropriate questions to find the cause of the problem, and then correct it. Demming also introduced the Demming Cycle. One of the most commonly used quality control tools available--the cycle is broken down into four steps: plan, do, check and act. Managers and CEO’s often use the cycle daily.

Kaizen is a progressive system of management because it depends on small incremental changes. Kaizen in many ways is the cure for corporate and management woes; it may not bring about one clear solution, but it does help build a business strategy that enables a company to grow.

Problem=Process Improvement

Kaizen challenges the way we think of inefficiencies in the workplace. A Kaizen operated business sees challenges as opportunities to improve the process. By process, we mean the steps involved in getting the job done. We understand that maintaining a step-by-step process aka "six sigma" is important to have consistency across the board.

Kaizen teams are disciplined, conscientious, and patient---progressively working towards greater efficiency and higher standards. Our ultimate goal is to keep our customers happy. In adopting the Kaizen philosophy, we are aware of all the complexities that comprise our jobs and our lives. Through this awareness, we are better able to handle challenges both big and small while adapting to the ever-changing nature of our Real Estate business.