Masaaki Imai
JapanBiography of Masaaki Imai
Masaaki Imai, a Japanese analyst and consultant specializing in quality management, founded Cambridge Corporation in 1962. He is the author of the concept of Continuous Improvement and is considered the pioneer of spreading the philosophy of 'kaizen' worldwide. His book, 'Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success', became an international bestseller and brought attention to the concept of kaizen among major corporations. In 1986, four years before James Womack's 'The Machine That Changed The World: The Story of Lean Production', Imai's work introduced the world to 'lean production'. His second book, 'Gemba Kaizen: A Commonsense, Low-cost Approach to Management', was published in 1997 and discussed practical application of kaizen principles to increase production efficiency, improve quality, and generate income in minimal time and with minimal costs.
Path to Discovery
Imai began his journey at the age of 20 in 1950 when he embarked on a trip to American factories with Japanese managers. At that time, Japan had already relinquished its status as a military superpower and was focused on succeeding in the field of manufacturing. They hoped to learn from American practices to achieve their goals. However, within twenty years, the situation had reversed, and American managers were now learning from the Japanese about management secrets.
Kaizen Institute
Imai founded the Kaizen Institute in 1985, which is now known as the Kaizen Institute Consulting Group. From the beginning, the institute specialized in developing new approaches to implementing a 'lean' culture. Today, the institute supports large and small organizations worldwide in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and America. Their primary focus is on providing consultation, training new personnel, and certification through the Kaizen College. All consultants working with Masaaki have extensive practical experience in implementing kaizen principles and are highly proficient in the philosophical and methodological aspects of this concept.
