Are you familiar with the ancient Japanese philosophy of ‘Kaizen’?

Kaizen is the principle of continuous improvement that can make a huge difference to the efficiency of any company and is saving some of the world’s most powerful companies millions of dollars a year. Sound good? Here are ways you can embrace Kaizen to improve your business.

• What’s your waste? - This isn’t just about what’s ending up in the rubbish, it’s also unnecessary movement, overproduction of stock, waste due to mistakes, and time spent waiting. Examine whether the waste is avoidable or could be made more efficient.

• Get organised! - Create a standardised work week so the same things are happening on the same day or time. Organise your equipment so everything has a home, and everyone knows where it is.

• Create visual systems - Get everything out of your head and onto a board –the goals and priorities, how you’re tracking, and who’s responsible. It helps with communication and eases the pressure on you because you now don’t need to be there to answer all the questions.

• Non-utilised resources - Listen to your team; their ideas and even their hidden talents could be put to good use.

You don’t have to spend millions on flash solutions

Simply get down to basics, understand the root cause of the problem, and put systems in place. Continuous improvement is about making your life easier, less frustrating, and gaining more time to be an efficient, effective business owner.