...Continuous improvement Nowadays, the company need to move and looking forward in order to be successful. The top management must make right decision and action in order to maintain sustainability of the company. They must take into consideration all consequences may arise when the decision taken comes to its implementation state. One of the technique can be apply to the company is continuous improvement. Walt Disney Company, Toyota and United States Environmental Protection Agency are some examples of organization that used continuous improvement as one of the technique used in their business operation. History behind the existence of Continuous Improvement Japan is one of the first countries that realize the existence of continuous improvement. Continuous improvement gives a good impact to the company and also the economy as whole. It was being stated by Ron Ashkenas who is the managing partner of Schaffer Consulting in his article. During 1950s, Japanese manufacturers did not emphasis on quality in the production of product. But then, they imposed a culture of analytical and systematic change. (Ashkenas, 2012) As a result, Japan became one of the countries that dominate key industries such as automobiles (e.g Toyota), telecommunications (e.g Fujitsu) and consumer electronics (e.g Sharp). It starting in 1970s when Japan was able to create low cost and produce quality products. For your information, people in Japan called continuous improvement as kaizen. Kaizen is...
Words: 2244 - Pages: 9
...CONTINIOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS Continuous improvement process is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. * ROLL INTO – INSTITUTE OF QUALITY for processes in place. KAIZEN APPROACH * Feedback: The core principle of CIP is the (self) reflection of processes. * Efficiency: The purpose of CIP is the identification, reduction, and elimination of suboptimal processes. * Evolution: The emphasis of CIP is on incremental, continual steps rather than giant leaps. Key features of kaizen include: * Improvements are based on many small changes rather than the radical changes that might arise from Research and Development * As the ideas come from the workers themselves, they are less likely to be radically different, and therefore easier to implement * Small improvements are less likely to require major capital investment than major process changes * The ideas come from the talents of the existing workforce, as opposed to using research, consultants or equipment – any of which could be very expensive * All employees should continually be seeking ways to improve their own performance * It helps encourage workers to take ownership for their work, and can help reinforce team working, thereby improving worker motivation. The elements...
Words: 309 - Pages: 2
...Continuous Improvements Concept of Continuous Improvement Filed under: Management of Process Quality, Structures and Teams — Tags: continuous improvement, employee involvement, Kaizen, operator ownership, SPC — Nameer @ 8:00 pm Continuous improvement is based on a Japanese Concept called Kaizen, is the philosophy of continually seeking ways to improve operations. It invloves identifying benchmarks of excellent practices and instilling a sense of employee ownership of the process. The focus can be on: * Reducing the length of time required to process requests for loans in bank * The amount of scrap generated at a milling machine or the number of employee injuries. * Continuous improvement can also focus on problems with customers or suppliers, such as customers who request frequent changes in shipping quantities and suppliers that to maintain high quality. The bases of the continuous improvement philosophy are the beliefs that virtually any aspect of an operation can be improved and that the people most closely associated with an operation are in the best position to identify the changes that should be made. Consequently, employee involvement plays a big role in continuous improvement programs. Getting Started with Continuous Improvement Instilling a philosophy of continuous improvement in an organization may be a lengthy process, and several steps are essential to its eventual success. 1. Train employees in the methods of statistical process control (SPC)...
Words: 347 - Pages: 2
...Continuous Improvement Report ‘Murphy’s Cellars’ 22nd March 2011 Michael Wallace Peter Crown Geoff Hancock Laura White March 16, 2011 Dear Nathan, We would like to take his opportunity to thank you for participating in our recent Continuous Improvement Project. Your cooperation and assistance over the past two months has been outstanding and the information you have provided the team invaluable. Your professional attitude towards the project was exceptional and the out of hours work you put in to provide us with the requested information has been much appreciated. Overall we feel the project was a success and attached is a report identifying areas within your business that are contributing towards your problem of stock control. Also included are recommendations for improvement in these areas that we feel will significantly reduce stock loss. We would appreciate any feedback if you choose to implement any of the solutions put forward in the report. Once again thank you for your dedication and hard work, it has been a pleasure to work with someone so enthusiastic and has made the whole project an enjoyable experience. If there is any further information you require please do not hesitate to contact us. Yours Sincerely, Michael, Peter, Geoff & Laura. 2 Business Description Summary: The business consists of the original bottle shop which has a drive-thru facility and a recently opened a larger premises located in the same suburb. The original bottle...
Words: 2264 - Pages: 10
...AMES Continuous Improvement Abstract This paper presents the continuous improvement efforts that Airborne Maintenance and Engineering Services implemented in January 2013. AMES has just passed one year under the new processes established by the continuous improvement team. The paper compares aircraft delivery times before and after continuous improvement efforts using a lower tail t Test of hypothesis for the mean. The null hypothesis is continuous improvement did not improve aircraft turn time. However an inference made from statistical hypothesis t-test is that the continuous improvement efforts improved the turn time of heavy maintenance aircraft. AMES Continuous Improvement The aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) business is competitive on a global scale. To be competitive in this industry the MRO must produce a reliable aircraft on time at a low cost. These match the top three concerns of any MRO customer cost, schedule, and quality. Airborne Maintenance and Engineering Services (AMES) is an upstart MRO formed in 2009. AMES is known for excellent aircraft quality/reliability at a higher price and longer schedule. AMES currently has a strong revenue stream from 2 sister airlines under the same Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) umbrella. Looking forward into future growth AMES must maintain high reliability, improve turn time and not raise cost in the process. In 2012 ATSG hired Empower MX, a consulting firm to review AMES’s...
Words: 1035 - Pages: 5
...Continuous Improvement Jordan Barnes MBA 6022 Cause and Effect Diagram As shown, there are four main causes for Toyota's poor top to bottom communication and slow response. The first is the flawed company structure. Because Toyota is ran by an all male group of Japanese men, there is a cultural disconnect with the parts of their business outside of Japan. This also creates a bottom to top fear complex, where car dealers fear the consequences of sending up bad news or a bad report. Furthermore, there is only one central hub where decisions are made (which is in Japan) and this can easily slow down response times to problems. The second cause is Toyota's poor risk management strategy or lack thereof. With no risk management team or effective plan in place, the car dealers have no clear plan of action regarding multiple issues or multiple car defects. The third cause focuses on the company’s misconstrued core values. Toyota's values were ordered as Safety, Quality, and Volume. But when the want to be the best in the industry became the need to be the best, volume became the most important value. Quality and, subsequently, safety fell behind. The last cause was the company’s manufacturing system. When Toyota set out to beat GM in the automobile industry, they had one goal in mind: having the most cars on the road. They managed to accomplish this but it was at the expense of quality. The new suppliers they started working with had cheaper cost. This allowed them to save money...
Words: 1126 - Pages: 5
...Have the Continuous Improvement (Cl) efforts at Absa Bank’s Horizon Medium Business Banking unit, in the Gauteng West region successfully addressed the key concepts of Continuous Improvement as set out by Trollip, 2008? By Sinqobile Khobotho Ndlovu {20625261} Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Business Administration At the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) Business School Research Supervisor: Mr. Bux Heather November 2008 Page 1 of 112 Declaration “I, Sinqobile K Ndlovu, declare that: • This work has not been previously accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. • This dissertation is being submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Business Administration. • The dissertation is the result of my independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by referencing and a reference list is attached. • I hereby give consent for my dissertation, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organizations.” Signed: …………………. Date: 20 December 2008 Page 2 of 112 Abstract Success in today’s highly competitive financial sector requires an organization to have a sustainable competitive advantage that would distinguish it from the rest. Products...
Words: 28188 - Pages: 113
...Continuous Improvement Section 3- Manage Opportunities for Further Improvement Learning Activity Q1Your organisation has implemented changes to the way in which goods purchased to customers are delivered and the time within which they are delivered. The feedback you have had from customers suggests that they are more satisfied with their dealings with your organisation and would be more likely to purchase goods from your organisation in the future. Why is it important to establish processes that will inform employees of the outcomes of their continuous improvement efforts in this area? How could you communicate outcomes to employees? It is important to think broadly and take into account the contribution of how each individual and groups work together to achieved objectives. Standards of performance, depth of capabilities and the behaviours that people bring to their work should be all part of organisation’s focus in rewarding and recognising staff. To support the organisation goal to get the best from both the individual and the group, it is important to demonstrate an appreciation of discretionary effort, positive impact on the spirit of the team and the extent to which someone’s behaviours are aligned with the business values. Q2Create a check sheet that could be used to record data of work team performance to aid the identification of further opportunities for improvement in the scenario. You are counting the number of defects on a production line that is turning...
Words: 489 - Pages: 2
...explaining what continuous improvement means in the context of organisational success. Explain how the concept can and should be applied. Explain how it is possible to lead continuous improvement systems and processes encouraging employees to: - participate in decision making processes - assume responsibility - exercise initiative Explain how you will conduct an information session to communicate an organisation's continuous improvement process to employees. Explain how you would identify and address sustainability requirements in light of continuous improvement Explain how you would facilitate mentoring and coaching sessions to help workers take part in the organisation's continuous improvement process. Outline how you, as an organisational leader, would gather information about continuous improvement needs and would contribute to and implement continuous improvement initiatives. Draft a memo to employees providing information about changes to plans and operations, the outcomes of continuous improvement efforts. Lastly, also consider customer service and feedback from customers that might contribute to identification of improvement opportunities. Include reference to the impact of change on individuals and groups within an organisation, risk assessment, risk management and techniques for successfully managing the different types of change. What actions would you take to ensure that employees in the organisation understood the need for improvement and were able to...
Words: 1827 - Pages: 8
...define/set for all as a team. Also applying individual and team goals/objectives decreases the level of inactivity, increases the level of concentration, performance and awareness, and raises the “bar” to another level pushing everybody to a significant upper level. 2. Several different techniques may be used such as: Open Meetings, E-mails, One on One Meetings, Use of Presentations, Communication via Training Sessions, etc. 3. By definition Stakeholders are a person, group or organization that has interest or concern in an organization. Stakeholders can affect or be affected by the organization's actions, objectives and policies. Having this into consideration it becomes easy to see how important it is to communicate changes or improvements to Stakeholders, since they are directly affected by all decisions, modifications, etc. Actions needed to be fully calculate since their expertise and know-how is deeply appreciated keeping all processes in track. 4. Frontline Managers should definitely seek for regular feedback, listen to the employees, keep track of progress and aim for growth and development. 5. Property Management Systems (POS) are always a valid tool to keep track of progress, evolution, effective and ineffective strategies or products. POS allow us to receive detailed reports and keep a close eye on something hard to detect without the help of technology. Later on, all this data can be treated...
Words: 4220 - Pages: 17
...Republic of the Philippines Technological University of the Philippines Ayala Boulevard, Ermita Manila IM – 10: Production Management CHAPTER VIII. Production Process Improvement For Product Innovation Submitted by: Tugade, Erwin Benedict P. Liang, Dongping (Jessie) BAM – IM – 4LE Submitted to: Noel B. Hernandez, Ph. D. Topics to be discussed 1. Production Process. 2. Characteristics of A Production Process. 3. Importance of Continuous Process improvement. 4. Innovation Drivers of Change. 5. Reverse Engineering. 6. Kaizen. Objectives * To be able to know what is Product Innovation. * To identify the reason of Continuous Innovation. * To be able to enumerate different factors Necessitating Change in Process Design * To introduce some new ways of thinking about continuous improvement. * To understand innovation as drivers of change. * To discuss about Reverse Engineering and Kaizen. Introduction To win in manufacturing, not only do you need the ability to innovate, but you must also execute upon that innovation and deliver new product to market before your competitors do. That's true manufacturing agility, and it can't happen if your enterprise is burdened by isolated plant-based execution systems that lack coordination between headquarters, engineering and the shop floor. As Blanchard (2005) believes that innovation is the successful exploitation of new ideas. And companies’ success, for example...
Words: 3906 - Pages: 16
...Continuous Improvement Planning Process Tiya Rush Lissade Grand Canyon University: EDA 577 October 15, 2014 The Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP), known as the School Improvement Plan (SIP) within the State of Florida, has proven to be a meaningful tool used to monitor the effectiveness and implementation of the school wide action plan as it relates to student achievement, curriculum and instruction, and the involvement of parents and the community. Within the Miami Dade County Public School system, the SIP's foundation is based on similar standards and the methodology identified in W. Edward Deming's plan-do-study-adjust (PDSA) cycle. Each component of the cycle is committed to the process of improving schools on an ongoing basis by identifying and planning for change, implementing the change, analyzing the results of data to determine if the process was effective and adjusting or broadening the plan based on the results of the entire cycle (Bernhart 2014). These standards ensure school sites are providing structures that set objectives, meet the objectives and verify that they have been met through consistent monitoring and refining of the objectives (Bernhart 2013). The vision of our district within Miami-Dade County is committed to providing educational excellence for all stakeholders (Dade County Public Schools 2014). This vision is shared with the author’s vision in Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement that a schools system should be used to "improve...
Words: 1079 - Pages: 5
...the results of a 5-question phone survey of customers who report problems, questions, or requests through the Customer Support Centre (Attachment A). Each business day, the survey activity occurs drawing potential participant names from 20% of all lines of service tickets from the previous day’s business that are in “closed status”[i.e. this status indicates that CSC believes that work requested by the customer is complete]. Customer Satisfaction begins byin setting a baseline of expectations and then delivering service to those expectations. As reactions to that service are accumulated, you reset those expectations are reset accordingly and begin the process begins again. The journey to high customer satisfaction is truly continuous improvement in action. It happens in bite-sized chunks versus quantum leaps. One must be willing to take risks and try new things, . Wwhile all the time monitoring (i.e. metrics are a must) your choice closely. This will provide the feedback...
Words: 307 - Pages: 2
...The “Respect for People” principle is one of the two pillars of The Toyota Way; the other being “Continuous Improvement.” Toyota claims that respect for people is the foundation for continuous improvement. Many managers seem to think they know what this “Respect for People” principle implies, and they believe that they follow it. The reality is that most do not understand this concept outside of the Toyota management system. Toyota states, “Respect for people is the attitude that regards people’s ability to think most.” Most managers have a poor idea of what it actually means to demonstrate “Respect for People.” Many would claim that showing respect for people would include things such as treating employees fairly, giving them clear goals, trusting them to achieve goals set, and listening to employees. Managers believe respect is easy to understand and apply these misguided ideas. This is a huge part of lean that has been missing. “Respect for People” is an aspect of excellence at Toyota that needs to be understood and implemented. It is a mindset that can be difficult to understand without experiencing day to day. This is why it was looked over for so long, with instead the focus being on the surface of the Toyota way. Emphasis is put on the high importance of workers capabilities to begin to describe what it means to truly demonstrate “Respect for People. The workers are allowed to display their capabilities through active participation in running and improving...
Words: 1148 - Pages: 5
...CQI stands for continuous quality improvement and it involves the idea of health care professionals identifying and envisioning what they are doing and how they can do better and be more efficient in their practice. CQI starts with making adjustments and enhancing patient care and health care practice. (http://www.healthit.gov/sites/.../nlc_continuousqualityimprovementprimer). “CQI begins with a clear vision of the transformed environment, identification of necessary changes to achieve that vision and input from engaged team members who understand the needs for the practice” (http://www.healthit.gov/sites/.../nlc_continuousqualityimprovementprimer). “All APNs must appreciate the critical importance of outcomes data in evaluating, improving,...
Words: 413 - Pages: 2
