There are two terms: Kaikaku and Kaizen.
KAIKAKU: Radical improvements or reform that affect the future value stream. Often these are changes in business practices of business systems.
Is really more related to the week-long event than is kaizen. Here is an
article.
KAIZEN: (改善, Japanese for "change for the better" or "improvement", the English translation is "continuous improvement", or "
continual improvement"). It is today closely associated with the Toyota Production System.
I think the term kaizen was more attractive and/or easier to understand (although there still seems to be plenty of disagreement about what it is or isn't after more than two decades worth of literature).
The kaizen event is also a large selling tool for many consultants who basically come into an area of your company and cherry-pick all the low hanging fruit. Given the myriad number and quality of the companies the members of The Cove have experienced, is there any doubt that improvements can't be shown. Yet the sad part is, many of the ideas generated during these kaizen events are the same thing the workers in that area have been screaming about for years.
Wayne
) towards perfection.
