Comments on: Kaizen and Lean: Understanding the Links

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 20:58:46 +0000

The key differences between lean and Kaizen are very interesting to me. While Kaizen focuses on continuous improvement and the strategies that accompany that focus area – lean’s principles have to do with reducing waste, as well as cutting costs and reducing waste throughout the production process. Lean also addresses quality issues including defects, delays and overproduction. I think lean is a very important concept because like Kaizen, it focuses on constant improvement but is results driven. Since learning more about how these two concepts mirror each other, it becomes clear that the philosophy of Kaizen aids lean with the necessary principals to ultimately improve quality and reduce waste. After reading this article, I now better understand how one concept may be unsuccessful without the other. This article has identified the importance of using both concepts interchangeably.

By: Gordon

Gordon — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 20:51:02 +0000

I enjoyed reading your post about comparing kaizen to lean. Especially how continuous improvement and learning are the basis for both of them. A focus on continuous improvement is an investment in existing staff, and with staffing shortages so prevalent these days, it is important to build that sort of resiliency.

By: Steve Rudin

Steve Rudin — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 20:48:37 +0000

This article really helps the reader understand the relationship between lean principles and the Kaizen philosophy. Lean, in its own right, is the whittling down of unnecessary steps in processes to further improve the production line. Bringing awareness of Kaizen into workspaces to employees makes them more aware of the potential obstructions in the production processes and, as stated in the article, empowers the employees to make these changes themselves.