When discussing the history of business process improvement in Japan, it is necessary to consider what has
been referred to as “Japanese-style management.” The “lifetime employment system” and “labor participation
in management” are two of the major characteristics of Japanese-style management. Quality circle (QC)
activities have been conducted on these conditions, and they contribute to improving the quality of Japanese
products. Not only to improve the quality of products, each employee observes the business process, and keeps
making improvements where possible.