Despite emphasis on following established procedures, Japanese process orientation isn’t static. The kaizen principle treats continuous improvement as essential—current methods should be followed and also critically examined and enhanced.
This reflects understanding that processes exist in changing environments; what worked yesterday may not serve tomorrow. Improvement operates through systematic analysis: reflection practices, quality review, and performance evaluation identify where methods could be enhanced. When processes produce poor results, the response is investigation rather than blame—what in the method allowed this?
How could procedure change to prevent recurrence? Small improvements accumulate over time to produce substantial advancement. The discipline of following method combines with the discipline of improving method.
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