The Kaizen record: before–after, gain and sustainment

A Kaizen record tells the story of an improvement: what the problem was, what changed and what the result was. The record asks these three questions in order and places before and after photos side by side.

How is the gain written?

The gain field is not a free number. Depending on the gain type the company chose (time, material, energy, scrap and so on), the calculation is written line by line and shown with its formula in the record. Committee and finance can see where the figure comes from.

• Estimate: the expectation of the person who opened the record.
• Measurement: a field measurement taken after a set period.
• Finance validation: approval of the amount by finance.

These three values are never merged into one total; each stays on its own card. The sentence “we saved” is only used for a validated amount.

After it is marked done

When a Kaizen is completed, the system starts sustainment follow-up: at the end of the period the company sets, it asks whether the improvement is still in place. An improvement that slipped back shows up in the record instead of quietly disappearing.