What is kaizen in steel fabrication?

Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning “continuous improvement.” It’s a philosophy and approach wherein all employees are involved in regularly suggesting and implementing small, incremental improvements to the company’s processes and products. In a small steel fab shop, kaizen could manifest as weekly team huddles to discuss ideas – e.g., a welder might propose a new fixture design that speeds up fit-up, or the office might streamline the change order paperwork process to save time. The Kaizen mindset emphasizes that no process is ever perfect and that frontline workers especially should be empowered to improve their work environment and methods continuously, rather than waiting for big, top-down changes.

Kaizen (Continuous Improvement)

What is Kaizen?

Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning continuous improvement. It’s a philosophy and approach wherein all employees are involved in regularly suggesting and implementing small, incremental improvements to the company’s processes and products.

In a small steel fab shop, kaizen could manifest as weekly team huddles to discuss ideas. For example, a welder might propose a new fixture design that speeds up fit-up, or the office might streamline the change order paperwork process to save time.

The Kaizen mindset emphasizes that no process is ever perfect and that frontline workers especially should be empowered to improve their work environment and methods continuously, rather than waiting for big, top-down changes.

Over time, these small changes compound to significant gains in quality, efficiency, and morale. For example, eliminating an unnecessary material handling step could reduce a job’s cycle time by 5%, which in a lean margin business, is notable.

Kaizen also involves standardizing the improved process (Plan-Do-Check-Act cycles) so that gains are sustained.