The Best Kaizen is Still Better Kaizen

It’s quite unexpected to be quoted, particularly when I have no recollection or record of it. Nevertheless, I stand by these words of mine, originally published in The Daily Kaizen blog by the experienced lean practitioners at Group Health Cooperative:

“Sometimes the best kaizen is no kaizen at all.”

Misconceptions Around Kaizen: Understanding the True Meaning of Improvement

I am afraid that the wrong lesson may have been taken from these words. Connor Shea writes:

“So it is true that not every improvement needs to be done using an event to accomplish results. The constant necessity is that good thinkers acting bravely achieve great results. When leaders actively define standards, diligently create and implement standard work, and routinely check on adherence to standard work, improvement happens.”

Although his statement holds true, I tend to use the term “kaizen” in a more general manner, rather than exclusively referring to a kaizen event. In certain cases, the optimal form of kaizen involves discontinuing a process altogether, rather than analyzing and redesigning it. This approach is preferable as it eliminates unnecessary work and can result in greater improvement. In fact, several techniques utilized in lean management, such as 5S, kanban, and andon, simply involve ceasing or halting a process. A good reference to this idea is the blog article System Toyota of Production: TPS or Stop.

Eliminating Unnecessary Processes: A Key Principle of Lean Management

The phrase “no kaizen at all” should not be mistaken for giving up, avoiding improvement, or lack of effort. Instead, it means stepping back from our process improvement mindset and tools and agreeing to stop doing certain processes or systems. By not wasting our energy on improving processes that should be eliminated, we can focus our efforts on more meaningful innovations and improvements. This concept aligns with the “vital few” principle of selecting breakthrough initiatives in hoshin kanri. The most effective kaizen involves deselecting trivial or unnecessary kaizens and focusing on the essential few that make the most significant impact.

The Value of Stopping to Combat Over-Processing in Kaizen

To combat the waste of processing or over-processing, stopping the process is often the most effective and practical solution. There is often confusion around the term “over-processing,” with many assuming it means using excessive or unsuitable resources to complete a task. However, the original meaning refers to the waste of processing itself, where the process is not needed. In such cases, it does not make sense to continue improving an unnecessary process using kaizen techniques. Instead, the most sensible action is to agree to stop the process, which eliminates waste and allows us to focus on more valuable initiatives.

The Wisdom of Taiichi Ohno

I’ve heard this expressed in Japanese as 「止めるに勝る改善は無し」 yameru ni masaru kaizen wa nashi which means “There is no kaizen superior to ceasing (to do the process).” Someone at Toyota attributed this to Taiichi Ohno. If I misunderstood its meaning, please reply in the comments section.

*For a better understanding of the vocabulary, please refer to the Gemba Academy Glossary.

---