Chapter-10: Continuous Improvement.

“Kaizen means ongoing improvement involving everybody, without spending much money”.- Masaaki Imai

Imagine for a moment if there were no improvements taken place, what would have been the weight of 128 GB cell phone with 12 hours of battery backup. It may be equivalent to a 2-3 kg in weight; no further workout is required. All the improvements and the state-of-the-art gadgets we use in our personal or professional life are result of continuous improvement. The quest for finding out the best is happening day in and day out.

One can create value only if he/she constantly steps up the service standards.? To accomplish this, we must start afresh every day. If a customer expresses cent percent satisfaction today, the same need to be sustained. There is no guarantee that the same customer will follow suite with the very same level of services tomorrow.

Predictability in service delivery is critical. We get numerous requests from employees in the organization, each one should have a well-defined timeline to address. Once the service delivery standards are accepted by customer, we must ensure delivery as per agreed standards.

What gets measured gets improved; once the service gets the required maturity levels autopilot them with process and systems and start reviewing it periodically.

In the competitive environment, it is important to adapt this continuous improvement approach. Take any product or service you used one year back and compare the utility from the same brand you use at present.? You will find improvement in it; otherwise, the product or the firm would have disappeared. We have several examples of this continuous improvement, for example, mobile or smart phones, cars, retail malls, and the like. As individuals, each one needs to continuously improve and create a positive long-lasting impression.

The five-step process, which is the answers for the questions below, will help in continuous improvement cycle to provide better service:

?1.?? Who are my customers?

2.?? What do they need? What are their measuring parameters and expectations?

3.?? Do my product/services meet their need, expectations?

4.?? What is my process for meeting their need, expectations?

5.?? What corrective action(s) required to improving my process?

These questions when answered diligently will help you to service your customer better. This will help you to evolve a continuous improvement culture.

?“What gets measured gets improved faster”- Peter Drucker