Before you dive into any continuous improvement methodology, you need to have a clear understanding of the problem you are trying to solve and the purpose you are trying to achieve. This will help you define the scope, criteria, and metrics of your improvement project. You can use tools such as the 5 Whys, the Fishbone Diagram, or the SIPOC Model to identify the root cause, the effects, and the inputs and outputs of your problem. You also need to align your purpose with your vision, mission, and values, and communicate it to your team and stakeholders.
é importante salientar que para cada tipo de problema há X ferramentas de metodologias diferentes que podem ser usadas para solucionar cada um deles. O ponto inicial é entender o problema e avaliar qual ferramenta usar de acordo com o skill/habilidades da equipe, focada logicamente no resultado e principalmente, na satisfa??o do cliente (seja ele interno ou externo).
Diving in continuous improvement methodology is not as important as knowing "WHY" you are doing so. The purpose, the expectations, the goals, the impact and specific problem targeted to solve. This will not only provide you with insights but also anchor your strategy decision making in achieving the goal.
??Identify your specific problem and define clear goals. ??Choose a methodology that aligns with your objectives; Lean is ideal for efficiency, while Six Sigma targets quality. ??Use root cause analysis tools like 5 Whys or Fishbone Diagram to understand underlying issues. ??Adapt the chosen methodology to your organization’s culture and resources for smoother implementation. ??Continuously review results and adjust methods to sustain improvements. ??Track progress with key metrics to ensure the methodology meets your goals over time.
?? How do you select the best continuous improvement methodology? Trick question! There isn’t one best methodology. There are however, tools that work better than others at solving the problem you have in mind. Always start with what problem you are looking to solve. Then review what knowledge and tools you have and or could acquire to help solve the problem. If you believe that the "hammer" in your hand is the best tool, then everything is going to start looking like a nail and your going to swing that hammer at everything - even the screws! Keep an open mind, open toolbox and always start with the problem! ?? Like to support this
Navigating the many forms of continuous improvement methodologies can be challenging. I've often emphasized the importance of understanding the specific problem we're addressing, assessing the current situation and identifying gaps. Once done, it becomes clearer whether tools like Lean, Six Sigma or Kaizen are appropriate. Beyond the initial choice, I believe in the iterative process of implementing, monitoring, reviewing and standardizing results, which invariably leads to refining our methodologies further. To me, continuous improvement isn't just about methods... it's about ingraining a mindset of relentless pursuit of excellence. Vince Lombardi - Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.
Once you have a clear problem and purpose statement, you need to assess your current state and identify the gaps between where you are and where you want to be. This will help you prioritize the areas that need improvement and set realistic and measurable goals. You can use tools such as the SWOT Analysis, the Value Stream Mapping, or the Process Flow Chart to analyze your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, as well as your current processes, resources, and value streams.
Usually, the method doesn't matter so much as whether you do it at all. The proper comparison is action vs. inaction. Most methods will beat the option of doing nothing.
Combined with the previous section - to add here: data analyst where appropriate. This will enable a baseline (we need to know if we are improving - right?!) and data can often help with establishing where the gaps are and even highlight some root causes.
Once you've defined your problem and purpose, assess your current state to identify gaps and prioritize areas for improvement. Use tools like SWOT Analysis or Value Stream Mapping to analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and streamline processes effectively. This approach sets clear, measurable goals aligned with organizational objectives.
When selecting a continuous improvement methodology, it is important to consider factors such as your industry, culture, customers, complexity, urgency, and resources. Commonly used methods include Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen and PDCA. Lean focuses on eliminating waste and maximizing value for customers. Six Sigma is data-driven and structured and is designed to reduce variation and defects. Kaizen encourages small and incremental changes while PDCA is a cycle of Plan, Do, Check, Act. Combining or modifying these methods, such as Lean Six Sigma or Kaizen Blitz, can also be beneficial depending on your context and goals.
We have various tools and frameworks at our disposal, and the context often provides clues about what we should use. But I believe that not only the context of the problem and experience are sufficient for choosing the ideal strategy. It is necessary to understand the context of the individuals involved in building this project; their engagement is closely linked to the purpose of the objective and trust in execution. To ensure this, we need to make sure they understand the methodologies and tools. Never forget that adapting tools and methodologies is a great way to simplify things. The best tools are those you know how to use and understand.
In my experience, if you know what Lean tool to use to solve your problem, then you have a Lean project. If your problem can be stated as "Rework is often required due to manual data entry errors." then you know what aspect of the process to target (manual data entry errors). If you don't know what Lean tool to use to solve your problem, then step back and use the Define, Measure, and Analyze phases of Six Sigma DMAIC to determine what Lean tool to use in the Improve phase. Problem statements like "First Pass Yield (Accuracy metric) for patient billing info entry is currently at 75% FPY when FPY is targeted to be 95% or better" are good candidates for Six Sigma projects when we don't know what Lean tool to use to solve the problem.
When choosing a continuous improvement methodology, consider industry, culture, customer needs, complexity, urgency, and resources. Options like Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and PDCA offer tailored approaches for efficiency, quality improvement, incremental changes, and iterative problem-solving. Selecting the right method or combination depends on aligning these factors with organizational goals for effective outcomes.
After you have chosen and adapted a suitable continuous improvement methodology, you need to implement and monitor your improvement actions. This involves planning, executing, measuring, and reviewing your changes and their impact on your problem and purpose. You can use tools such as the Action Plan, the Gantt Chart, the Run Chart, or the Control Chart to organize, track, and evaluate your improvement actions. You also need to involve and communicate with your team and stakeholders throughout the implementation and monitoring process.
When you're monitoring a process, first you need a metric everyone can agree on. First Pass Yield, Cycle Time, Completions per Day, Scrap Rate, or Rework Rate, are common output metrics that are easy to measure. Next you need to use a daily or weekly Run Chart to demonstrate the performance over time. As issues occur, like system downtime, or late deliveries, their impact can be seen on the Run Chart. Likewise, as improvements are made, the corresponding improvements in KPI performance helps give management confidence that the results are due to project implementation efforts, not just statistical variation.
La mise en ?uvre doit être bien préparée. On doit savoir qui fait quoi, comment, quand. cette planification doit être connue de tout le groupe et doit être affichée, cela permet de communiquer à l'ensemble de l'entreprise sur les actions en cours. Toujours planifier une date butoire et des jalons pour des points réguliers sur l'avancement.
After selecting a suitable continuous improvement methodology, execute and monitor your improvement actions diligently. Utilize tools like Action Plans, Gantt Charts, Run Charts, or Control Charts to organize, track, and evaluate progress. Engage and communicate consistently with your team and stakeholders to ensure alignment and drive successful outcomes.
The last step of any continuous improvement project is to review and standardize your results. This involves comparing your actual results with your expected goals, identifying the lessons learned and the best practices, and documenting and sharing your findings and recommendations. You can use tools such as the A3 Report, the Balanced Scorecard, or the Standard Operating Procedure to summarize, communicate, and sustain your results. You also need to celebrate and recognize your achievements and the contributions of your team and stakeholders.
All too often, improvements events end with considerable improvement to the process and promises of even more improvement in the future. As people leave an area, the knowledge goes with them. Process performance slowly backslides to the initial performance, or even worse. Standard Work in the form of Single Point Lessons, short and focused on a single task, will help train new employees in the complete and correct procedure. You can also create short videos and post them on YouTube as 'Private' or 'Unlisted.' Logging into the time entry system, Changing a program in a machine, or Submitting expense reports are great candidates for 30 second videos. Post QR codes at the machine or workstation for easy reference to the videos.
When selecting a continuous improvement methodology, it is important to consider factors such as your industry, culture, customers, complexity, urgency, and resources. Commonly used methods include Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen and PDCA
When selecting a continuous improvement methodology, it is important to consider factors such as your industry, culture, customers, complexity, urgency, and resources. Commonly used methods include Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen and PDCA
Conclude your continuous improvement project by reviewing results against goals, extracting lessons learned, and documenting findings using tools like A3 Reports or Balanced Scorecards. Share recommendations widely and celebrate team contributions to ensure sustained progress and learning across the organization.
Continuous improvement is not a one-time project or a final destination. It is a continuous journey of learning and adapting to changing needs and expectations. Therefore, you need to continuously improve your improvement process by seeking feedback, identifying new opportunities, applying new methods, and revisiting your problem and purpose. You can use tools such as the Feedback Loop, the Gemba Walk, or the Benchmarking to collect, analyze, and act on feedback, observe and understand your processes and customers, and compare your performance with others.
Introducing something like post-mortems, or retrospectives, can be extremely useful for inspecting and improving processes. Before the session, provide data and/or reports that describe the performance of your process. During the session invite participants to provide feedback and requests for process improvement. Facilitate the discussion by creating an agenda, jotting down action items, and keeping the discussion focused. After the session, post notes, action items, and next steps. Post-mortems are invaluable.
Améliorer l'Amélioration Continue, cela semble être une expression difficile à comprendre mais comme tout processus, il est important de toujours "améliorer". Pour cela, il faut des données, des indicateurs, des rapports de performances et surtout écouter les personnes concernées.
Continuous improvement is a perpetual journey of learning and adaptation. Regularly seek feedback, explore new opportunities, and revisit goals to stay responsive and effective. Tools like Feedback Loops, Gemba Walks, and Benchmarking help gather insights and drive ongoing enhancement of processes and outcomes.
Don’t get fixated which tools and follow the theoretical processes, experiences accumulated by people who are solving problems and performing CI are more valuable. Seek to retain those knowledge by documenting the process of CI. Determine the start state, what’s the process of RCA, the eventual solution, the end state, and the AAR. AAR, After Action Review, helps people to know what can be done better and for people to gain insights into the thoughts and action of those problem solver. It’s not easy to document all these, but it’s worth it.