Kaizen (Continuous improvement) Kaizen is an approach to creating continuous improvement based on the idea that small, ongoing positive changes can reap major improvements. Typically, it is based on cooperation and commitment and stands in contrast to approaches that use radical changes or top-down edicts to achieve transformation. Kaizen is core to lean manufacturing , or The Toyota Way . It was developed in the manufacturing sector to lower defects, eliminate waste, boost productivity, encourage worker purpose and accountability, and promote innovation. As a broad concept that carries myriad interpretations, it has been adopted in many other industries, including healthcare. Kaizen is a compound of two Japanese wo