What Is Continuous Improvement?

A continuous improvement strategy is any policy or process within a workplace that helps keep the focus on improving the way things are done on a regular basis. This could be through regular incremental improvements or by focusing on achieving large scale process improvements. Facilities that focus on improving continuously become more competitive over time and can maintain their advantages in their industry, but only if the improvement efforts are done correctly. Taking good baseline measurements and taking ongoing measurements will help identify the effectiveness of the efforts being made. Businesses that actively seek continuous improvement opportunities will have a much better chance at generating more value over time for both the customer and for employees. Value comes in the form of improved products, better services the business offers, better safety procedures for employees, and a sense of fulfillment in the work they are doing.

What Is the Continual Process Improvement Model?

There are countless ways to achieve a work culture focused on process improvement. It’s the effort involved in finding the right strategy to use for the unique industry that can be difficult. Luckily, all the continual improvement models will focus on similar types of improvement techniques, each just goes about it in a different way. Making ongoing improvements in performance, commitment, strategy, and workflow all help build up the company's bottom line. These four categories will also help improve the overall value being produced by the facility. Facilities that focus on improving continuously become more competitive over time and can maintain an advantage in their industry. However, this is only if the improvement efforts have been done correctly. The secret is taking initial data and comparing it to data collected after changes have been made. This strategy will help identify the effectiveness of the solutions being put into action.

How Do I Implement the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Principle?

To implement the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) principle, follow a cyclical process of continuous improvement. Each step builds upon the previous one and leads to the next: Plan – In the planning phase, teams must measure current standards, brainstorm ideas for improvements, identify how the improvements should be implemented, set objectives, and create a plan of action. Do – Next, the team must implement the plan that was created in the first step. This includes not only changing existing processes, but also providing any necessary training, increasing worker awareness, and adding additional controls to avoid a potential problem in the future. Check – After implementing any changes, the workers must then take new measurements and compare them with those taken prior to the change. This step is essential for identifying if any improvements have taken place. The outcome must be analyzed, and any corrective or preventative actions must be planned to achieve the desired result. Act - All the existing data from the change is then analyzed by management teams to determine if the change will become permanent or if further adjustments are needed. Once a change has been fully implemented, it is time to begin looking for new ways to make further progress, which cycles back into the Plan step. The PDCA cycle is an excellent example of continuous improvement because of its cyclical nature. In fact, it helps promote the idea that a process is never completely perfect, and that there is always an opportunity to improve in the future.

What Is Total Quality Management (TQM)?

Total Quality Management, or TQM, began in the manufacturing sector. It has since been adapted for use in many other environments as well. This method for continuous improvement focuses on improving employee involvement, customer satisfaction, communication, and other key elements for success within a company. Total Quality Management is a continuous improvement strategy that is often incorporated into or alongside, other strategies to help maximize success and guarantee a positive overall transformation.

What Are the Pipe Marking Standards for Ammonia Refrigeration?

A set of standards developed specifically for ammonia pipes exists was published by the International Institute for Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) and are typically used wherever ammonia is present. The IIAR standard can be used along with other standards if necessary. The ammonia-specific requirements are important because this chemical can be quite dangerous and is used in many industries.

Are There Pipe Marking Standards for Marine Environments?

The standards put out by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for pipe marking in marine environments have similarities to ANSI standards, but in many cases have more specific instructions and color combinations with special banding. The ISO 14726 standard applies to sea vessels and other marine workplaces.

Continuous Improvement Meaning & Tools

Contents

Continuous Improvement: How Constant Changes Fuel Workplace Efficiency
What Is Continous Improvement?
Continuous Improvement Model
Benefits Of Continuous Improvement
Continuous Improvement Examples
Tools to Improve Your Workplace

May 2, 2022

Continuous Improvement: How Constant Changes Fuel Workplace Efficiency

A business’s success isn’t determined by the innovative ideas it brings to the table or new product launches. It’s about continuously adopting new strategies and refining existing procedures to enhance the standard line of operations.

This is a typical overview of what the continuous improvement methodology suggests, which we will further explore in this article. But first, let’s start with the basics.

What Is Continous Improvement?

Continuous improvement, also known as continual improvement, is an eternal process where products or procedures are steadily evolving. It’s a relentless cycle of continuous analysis, planning, and introducing changes to achieve perfection. By adopting this cycle, businesses can eliminate waste and maximize productivity to achieve their desired results.

The methodology of continuous improvement can lead businesses to save time and money while delivering high-value products to their customers. This ensures their standing position in the fast-paced changing market where competitors are continuously making changes and practicing continuous improvement to maintain their place. You can introduce those changes by implementing the continuous improvement model.

Continuous Improvement Model

Businesses adopt multiple models, commonly associated with the concept of lean manufacturing, like Kanban, kaizen, and more. However, the continuous improvement model is a four-step approach, also known as the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle:

Plan: Identify weak areas in your business practices or products.

Do: Implement the desired change you want to see in your business or product.

Check: After a period of time since the change, assess previous and current statistics if the change is towards continuous improvement.

Act: If the change ensures continuous improvement, implement it on a broad scale and regularly assess your results. If the change does not progress, begin the cycle again.

Lean thinkers implement multiple methods of continuous improvement like, “Six Sigma, Lean, Kaizen, and lean management in their business practices. These methods address weak points and strategically assess their productivity and profitability based on systematic cycle times.

Benefits Of Continuous Improvement

Implementing a continuous improvement cycle in your organization can help you make much-needed changes that increase employee productivity and boost morale. Practicing continuous improvement can help you access the following benefits:

Operational Productivity:
By analyzing your existing procedures and practices, you can make slight improvements to ensure breakthrough changes. This practice of continuous improvement allows leaders to streamline value chain processes to increase productivity resulting in more quality work being done in the same amount of time.

Employee Engagement:
To implement good changes while practicing continuous improvement. It’s important to involve your employees who are responsible for product management and production. The workers in a manufacturing company are solely responsible for the product, so it’s only natural that they know more. It’s important to engage your employees to ensure continuous improvement.

Reduced Waste:
When leaders or managers visit the worksite to analyze the current business practices, they can intricately oversee areas of waste. Continuous improvement methodologies like lean methodology can help reduce waste by eliminating the practices or products that don't offer profit or are a potential bottleneck. By practicing continuous improvement, businesses can save more time and get more done.

Cost Reduction:
Eliminating procedures that create bottlenecks or making changes can lead to cost savings. Applying lean practices to manufacturing processes means saving resources by eliminating waste processes that take monetary investment throughout the manufacturing process. Improving inventory and supply chain management can help reduce shipping costs and prevent long shelf life.

Improved Quality:
With continuous improvement, leaders are constantly working to enhance processes along the value chain to deliver better quality products and services. You can do more with fewer resources and deliver better products and services with the practice of continuous improvement.

Continuous Improvement Examples

Now that you are familiar with the structure of continuous improvement and what advantages it can bring, here are some real-life settings you can learn from.

Time Audits: Measuring how much time a specific procedure requires to ensure completion can help make task distribution easier. This can lead to setting timely deadlines, enforcing a work-life balance culture, ultimately motivating employees, and eliminating the possibility of burnout.
Survey and Polls: Your employees are your best bet in knowing where to begin making changes. They are well-versed with the entire structure of the business and are at the forefront of operations, making their input extremely valuable to the change-making process.
Team-Building: No matter how experienced your staff is, you cannot yield results without proper synchronization. It is your duty to bring a team of individuals together to create a systematic workflow. This can yield lasting results and ensure that one individual can pick up the pace when another falls short.

Tools to Improve Your Workplace

Having the right continuous improvement tools is essential to the long-term success of any strategy. These tools can be anything that helps ensure the quality improvement process can move forward successfully.

Some simple examples of this include:

Foam tool organizers to ensure tools are kept in good working order and stored where they are easy to access.
Floor marking tape is excellent for improving visual communication, which can help improve efficiency and boost safety, which is essential for improvement.
Whiteboards can assist workers and management in formulating and monitoring plans for process changes.
Facility labels and industrial label printers can help to organize equipment, ensure employees follow safety regulations, and improve process efficiency in the workplace.

Aside from the tools that can be helpful for establishing a continuous improvement culture in the workplace, action lies in the hands of all members of the company. They must be the change that benefits both themselves and their customers in the end.

Focusing on Continuous Improvement in the Workplace