Im a great believer in the principle of continuous and never ending improvement. “Kaizen” as it is called in Japan or “CANI” as Tony Robbins calls it. Its amazing how much difference it makes over time. Tiny, seemingly inconsequential changes all add up to better performance a better environment to work in and so on. This is how the British Olympic cycling team went form nowhere to winning gold medals. Get more comfortable saddles. get slightly better tyres, include a fun team activity each week to boost morale…and on and on. None of the changes would have been big, some even unmeasurable . But it all adds up to forward movement and momentum. The same applies to engineering and product design. Toyota and Honda are the masters of this. I driven a Toyota for the last 13 years ( Yaris for 7 Auris for 8) and the only thing that has gone wrong ( on both) is the battery needed replacing. I find it incredible. But that is the power of the continuous improvement ethos to create amazing designs that could not be arrived at without this process. Ill never forget seeing a brochure for the Mk2 Austin Maxi. Inside it said that their engineers had “taken a long hard look” at the Mk1 Maxi and could not find anything to improve!. Really! were they drunk or something ? Can you imagine going back into the past with even an average Toyota and showing these Austin engineers. Hybrid power train, fully electric seats, parking assist, climate control, Bluetooth entertainment system etc etc. I’m not sure the Maxi even had a rear windscreen wiper ? Lesson? There is ALWAYS something that can be improved. Look for it, implement the change then look for another one. Not doing this ends in a story like British Leyland who constantly re-used old components in new designs, maybe because there was nothing “wrong” with them. Well no, maybe there was nothing wrong, but your competitor just made it a ton better and left you in the dust. Innovation matters and the Kaizen principle is very much a part of this.
Martyn Beaumont
– Director
Design&Product
