Kaizen Award in Romania: the KAIZEN™ way in obtaining the continuous improvement success

In the times when the economic performance and sustainable management are representing two of the most challenging characteristics of the business environment, there are some methods and techniques that passed the test of time. The great majority of companies are using in the present the KAIZEN™ Business System, a system of management which has been expanding in all over the world, by having and implying the power of continuous improvement and standardization. Having as “role-model” the well-known Toyota Production System, KAIZEN™ Business System has become the fundamental way of managing a business, which led to the creation of personalized management systems for companies. In Romania, it was also developed the Kaizen by Harmony concept, as an approach of KAIZEN™ Business System, its results being highly appreciated at the international level. In the daily challenging task of changing the paradigms and mentalities, several companies succeeded in understanding the importance of KAIZEN™ Business System and have been applying the Kaizen by Harmony concept ever since. Their results are impressive, few companies reaching to the international benchmark level in their fields of activity and becoming leaders of the Romanian or European markets. Therefore, the Kaizen Award in Romania has become the proper way of acknowledging their results and efforts to strive for excellence in the endless cycle of the continuous improvement. The aim of this paper is to describe the competitive advantage offered by KAIZEN™ Business System and Kaizen by Harmony, in strong correlation with the practical approach of the case-studies representing the amazing stories of the Kaizen Award in Romania winners until the present moment. The use of these best practices will underline once again some important business characteristics that must exist in every company, for it to become and remain competitive.