ABSTRACT
Kaizen* consists of a multitude of small improvements that we make to our procedures, our organization, and any other gemba* activity. The principle of small-cost improvements must be sustained and encouraged so that it continues. It’s somewhat similar to a circus entertainer who starts by spinning a plate on the end of a stick, and then adds a second, a third, a fourth plate, and so on. He has to return to the first one to give it a new spin and do the same for the rest. He knows very well that if he stops the cycle, the plates will lose their energy and they’ll all fall. Kaizen works according to the same principle. Once we carry out an improvement project, we have to make sure we don’t sit around admiring the result; we need to move on to the next one.
