​Which of the following is NOT a fundamental principle of KAIZEN?​

Correct option is A

Introduction:

Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy focused on continuous, incremental improvement involving everyone in an organization—from top management to frontline workers. It is widely applied in quality management and lean manufacturing.

The fundamental principles of Kaizen include:

• Empower people: Engage and involve employees at all levels in identifying and solving problems, promoting a culture of shared responsibility and improvement.

• Know your customer: Understanding customer needs is vital for improving processes to deliver better quality and value.

• Go to Gemba: This means “go to the actual place” where work happens to observe processes firsthand and identify areas of improvement.

The phrase “Let it go” is unrelated to Kaizen philosophy; in fact, Kaizen emphasizes not ignoring problems or letting inefficiencies persist but actively addressing and improving them. Therefore, option (a) is not a fundamental principle of Kaizen.

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Information Booster:

• “Let it go” contradicts the Kaizen spirit because Kaizen is about not accepting the status quo or neglecting issues.

• Kaizen requires a proactive approach to continuous improvement, where problems are tackled immediately.

• It promotes empowerment to encourage employees to take ownership of improvements.

• Understanding the customer helps align improvements with customer expectations.

• Going to Gemba encourages managers and employees to observe real work environments rather than relying on reports or assumptions.

• Kaizen’s principles foster a culture of discipline, communication, and teamwork.

Additional Knowledge:

(b) Empower people: Correct principle. Kaizen depends heavily on involving all employees to continuously improve processes and share ideas for change.

(c) Know your customer: Correct principle. Customer satisfaction is central to Kaizen as improvements aim to increase value and quality from the customer's perspective.

(d) Go to Gemba: Correct principle. This is a core practice in Kaizen and Lean methodology, emphasizing direct observation to understand actual problems and waste.