KAIZEN: THE POWER OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN THE TRANSLATION INDUSTRY

At GeaSpeak, we strive not only for quality in our deliverables but also for continuous growth, both individually and as a team. One of the key principles guiding our work culture and workflow optimization is the Japanese concept of Kaizen (改善), which means continuous improvement.

Though Kaizen originated in Japanese manufacturing after World War II and is often associated with Toyota’s production system, its application today extends far beyond factory floors. From education and health care to tech and services (and yes, even translation and localization) Kaizen offers a powerful, human-centered approach to doing better every day.

What Is Kaizen?

In Japanese, Kaizen means “change for the better” or “continuous improvement.” It’s not about giant, sweeping transformations, it’s about making small, ongoing changes to processes, systems, and habits that collectively lead to significant long-term results.

In practice, this means:

Involving everyone in the improvement process, regardless of position
Welcoming feedback and suggestions
Encouraging experimentation and learning
Reducing waste and inefficiencies
Focusing on quality at every step

How We Apply Kaizen at GeaSpeak

Our journey toward Kaizen thinking became more structured after we obtained the ISO 17100 (Translation Services) and ISO 18587 (Post-editing of Machine Translation Output) certifications. These standards gave us the perfect opportunity to pause and take a fresh look at how we work, how we organize each stage of a translation project, and how we can perform every task more efficiently, without ever compromising quality.

We saw these certifications not as an endpoint, but as a starting point for improvement. Since then, we’ve developed internal systems to better track progress, ensure consistency, and promote clear communication both within our team and with our external collaborators.

Our implementation of Kaizen rests on two pillars:

1.Everything Can Be Improved, By Anyone

We believe that every team member has valuable insights into how we work. Whether it’s our operations lead, a linguist, or a project coordinator, we encourage everyone to propose improvements, from big ideas to small tweaks that save time or improve accuracy.

For example, this mindset has led to:

Streamlined annotation and tracking systems
Customized translation and software solutions
More efficient task management processes
Technical upgrades implemented in collaboration with our IT expert

Each improvement, however small, ripples outwards to benefit the entire team.

2.We Extend Continuous Improvement to Our Linguistic Network

Kaizen isn’t limited to our internal team. We also involve our freelance translators, editors, and reviewers in this culture of growth.

Here’s how:

We provide regular feedback on delivered work. Not only do we implement corrections, but also we give them constructive suggestions on style, consistency, and CAT tool usage.
For complex projects, we offer extra guidance and clarification, so linguists fully understand the client’s expectations.
We share technical tips, such as how to use shortcuts or troubleshoot common issues with CAT and QA tools.
We help our collaborators become aware of recurring linguistic or formatting issues, so they can avoid them in future assignments.

The goal is not only to ensure quality but to empower our freelance network to grow, just as our in-house team does.

Why Kaizen Matters in the Language Industry

In a fast-evolving sector like translation and localization, efficiency, quality, and adaptability are more important than ever. Applying Kaizen helps us:

Stay agile in response to industry demands
Deliver high-quality results to clients across sectors (especially IT and tech)
Reduce rework and misunderstandings
Foster a workplace culture where learning never stops
It also ensures we align with ISO standards and beyond, not just in compliance but in spirit, actively using feedback as a tool for growth and excellence.

Kaizen Is a Mindset

At GeaSpeak, Kaizen is more than a methodology, it’s a mindset that shapes how we work, learn, and evolve as a team. We believe that when every voice is heard and every process is open to change, we all grow together, and that benefits our clients, our collaborators, and our company as a whole.