Process improvement projects have traditionally struggled with obtaining accurate data quickly and easily. In many cases, various data sources provide competing sources of the truth. Smart technologies offer the means to provide a single source of the truth, without the time-consuming and labor-intensive efforts of the past.
There has been a tendency to brand all continuous improvement as kaizen. Kaizen is at the core of the Toyota Production System, which strives to eliminate waste of all types. All employees, regardless of their level in the organization, work collectively to achieve incremental improvements.