When you want to improve your processes, you have two main options: continuous improvement or breakthrough improvement. Both methods aim to enhance efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction, but they differ in scope, speed, and approach. How do you choose the best one for your situation? Here are some factors to consider.
Continuous improvement is a gradual and ongoing process of making small changes to your existing processes. It involves identifying problems, implementing solutions, and measuring results. Continuous improvement is based on the principles of lean, six sigma, and kaizen, and uses tools like PDCA, 5S, and DMAIC. Continuous improvement is suitable for stable and mature processes that need incremental improvements over time. It requires a culture of collaboration, feedback, and learning.
Choosing between continuous improvement and breakthrough improvement in hospitality process design depends on several factors. If your current processes are stable and relatively effective, it's often more suitable to focus on continuous improvement, making incremental refinements over time to enhance efficiency and guest satisfaction. However, if your organization's goals involve significant transformative changes, such as implementing innovative technologies or redefining the guest experience, then a breakthrough approach may be necessary. Guest feedback and strategic vision can guide your choice, a balanced approach, combining both continuous and breakthrough improvements, may be the most effective strategy for your hospitality business
Breakthrough improvement is a radical and rapid process of making significant changes to your existing processes or creating new ones. It involves challenging assumptions, exploring alternatives, and implementing innovations. Breakthrough improvement is based on the principles of design thinking, agile, and TRIZ, and uses tools like brainstorming, prototyping, and testing. Breakthrough improvement is suitable for complex and dynamic processes that need dramatic improvements in a short time. It requires a culture of creativity, experimentation, and risk-taking.
Opting for a breakthrough improvement approach in hospitality process design means committing to making significant and transformative changes. It involves reimagining and reengineering core processes, often leveraging innovative technologies and practices to create a substantial impact on operational efficiency and guest satisfaction. This approach is suitable when your organization seeks to differentiate itself in a highly competitive market, respond to disruptive industry trends, or fundamentally enhance the guest experience. However, it also requires a substantial investment in terms of resources, and there's a higher level of risk associated with achieving the desired outcomes.
Choosing between continuous improvement and breakthrough improvement can be difficult, as there are trade-offs and synergies to consider. Continuous improvement is more predictable and reliable, yet less disruptive and transformative. On the other hand, breakthrough improvement is more innovative and impactful, but may be more uncertain and costly. However, continuous improvement can prepare the ground for breakthrough improvement by eliminating waste and improving quality; likewise, breakthrough improvement can inspire continuous improvement by generating new ideas and opportunities.
When selecting the most suitable method for your process improvement, it is essential to consider the criteria and context of your situation. For instance, the goal and scope of your improvement project, such as optimizing or innovating, and whether you want to improve one process or the whole system. Additionally, you should take into account the current state and performance of your process, as well as the resources and constraints of your organization. In addition, context factors such as market and customer needs, industry and regulatory standards, technology and best practices should be taken into account when making a decision. These factors can help you determine how competitive and dynamic your market is, how compliant and safe your processes are, and how aware and aligned you are with the best practices in your domain.
After evaluating the criteria and context of your process improvement project, you can make a decision and take action. You could focus on making small and steady improvements if your goal is to optimize your existing process and the situation is stable and predictable. Alternatively, if the goal is to innovate or create a new process, you can focus on making big and fast improvements. If you want to balance optimization and innovation, you can combine both methods and use them in different phases or areas of your process. Whichever option you choose, it's important to plan, execute, and monitor your project. Define objectives, metrics, and milestones; assign roles and responsibilities; communicate and collaborate with stakeholders; track and evaluate results; learn from successes and failures; and adapt methods and processes as needed.
Both Continuous Improvement & Breakthrough Improvement are relevant, necessary, & important to drive innovation. The key is knowing when to utilize each methodology. Many professionals use the terms, & others, interchangeably-regrettably. The way I think about it is this: Continuous Imp is constant; it's a mindset. Every professional & organization should be engaged in it every day, like eating & breathing. If you aren't engaged in CI, then you are falling behind & adding business risk to the pile. Breakthrough Imp is utilized when something dramatic needs to happen to create dramatically different outcomes - burning platform kinds of things. Turnarounds, M&A, Divestitures, market share collapse (or gain), VUCA events. BI is additive to CI.