Kaizen is a Japanese business philosophy that focuses on gradually improving productivity by involving all employees and by making the work environment more efficient. It translates to "change for the better" or "continuous improvement." The small changes used in kaizen can involve quality control, just-in-time delivery, standardized work, the use of efficient equipment, and the elimination of waste. Changes can come from any employee anytime and don’t have to happen slowly, although kaizen recognizes that small changes now can have big future impacts.