Process development
The development of continuous improvement is partly about
creating an infrastructure of involvement processes including
suggestion schemes and improvement groups, but it is also
concerned with developing appropriate tools and assessment
procedures.
Developing and training
The purpose of education is to increase awareness of the need for
continuous improvement. Training courses may be held to
impart problem-solving and decision-making skills. The use of
the various analytical and statistical tools can be demonstrated
and practised.
Holding the gains
Evaluation should lead to action ‘holding the gains’. The gains
can include better practices and processes, cost savings and
improved service to customers. Continuous effort is required to
ensure that incremental gains are consolidated and become part
of normal working practices to the benefit of customers and,
therefore, the organization.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT TECHNIQUES
Improvement is based on building knowledge of what works
and does not work and then applying it appropriately. The three
basic questions are: 1) What are we trying to accomplish? 2)
What changes can we make that will lead to an improvement?
And 3) How will we know that a change is an improvement?
The plan-do-check-act cycle is used as the basis for developing
and testing changes: planthe change strategy, including who will
be involved, what data will be collected and when the data will
be considered adequate for study, dothe intervention, checkthe
results, acton the knowledge gained from the data – maintain the
plan, modify the plan, add to the plan. If the change is successful,
embed it by expanding it to the rest of the system, establishing
processes to support it and identifying ways in which further
improvements can be made.
How to Achieve Continuous Improvement 35