TABLE OF CONTENTS Continuous improvement involves planning and operating processes, providing inputs, evaluating outputs, examining performance, and modifying processes and their inputs to achieve better performance. This chapter explains the three basic principles of continuous improvements: focus on the customer, understand the process and involve the people.
In Oakland s model for total quality management, the customer supplier chains form the core which is surrounded by the hard management necessities of a good quality system, tools and teamwork. These need to work together to manage, measure and improve processes continually. Continuous improvement methods may be used to check progress, in terms of commitment, strategies, teamwork, problems and results, and development towards excellence.
A structured approach to making improvements is provided by the drive model:
define the problem,
review the information,
investigate the problem,
verify the solution, and
execute the change.
People working in a process must know whether it is capable of meeting the requirements, know whether it is actually doing so at any time, and make corrections when it is not. Simple SPC techniques are used, not only as a tool kit, but as a strategy for reducing variability, part of the continuous improvement approach.
Continuous improvement is probably the most powerful concept to guide management. It is a term not well understood in many organizations, although that must begin to change if those organizations are to survive. The concept requires a systematic approach with the following components:
planning the process...
