Change for the better—that’s the literal meaning of the Japanese word kaizen, formed from the word kai (change) and zen (to become good). Crane, with its culture of continuous improvement, stages almost 1000 Kaizen events throughout the Company annually, each aimed at solving a particular problem or improving the way in which we perform some aspect of our business. Employees from all levels of our business separate themselves from their jobs to come together for an entire week to participate in an intensive kaizen where they focus on a problem and implement a solution. 

Kaizens are just one part of the Crane Business System, a comprehensive set of business processes and Operational Excellence tools that we use to drive continuous improvement throughout our businesses. Beginning with a core value of integrity, the Crane Business System incorporates the voice of the customer, value stream analysis (linking customers and suppliers with our production cells), prescriptive and uniform visual management techniques, and a broad range of Operational Excellence tools into a disciplined strategy deployment process to drive superior financial results by focusing on continuously improving safety, quality, delivery and cost.