continuous improvement and problem solving

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Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement

• Aravind Chandrasekaran
• John S. Toussaint

How one Wisconsin health system did it.

A number of health systems have scored impressive gains in improving outcomes and patient satisfaction and lower costs by applying the Toyota Production System (TPS) to redesign “lean” clinical and administrative processes, eliminating waste and boosting quality. But in all too many cases, when the leader who championed TPS left his or her organization, these efforts began slipping. The authors know this firsthand: This happened at Wisconsin-based ThedaCare. When one of the authors (John Toussaint) left in 2008, its performance in terms of quality (as measured by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s metrics for Next Generation accountable care organizations) fell from best in the nation to middle of the pack. Through the authors’ research in health care and other industries, they’ve identified a set of practices that can stop this collapse and sustain a culture of continuous improvement after the departure of a leader who was passionate about TPS. They include the following: incorporating TPS in succession planning for the CEO and board members, instilling lean behaviors in managers at all levels, creating your own success stories, and establishing a TPS operating system.

A number of health systems have scored impressive gains in improving outcomes and patient satisfaction and lower costs by applying the Toyota Production System (TPS) to redesign “lean” clinical and administrative processes, eliminating waste and boosting quality. But in all too many cases, when the leader who championed TPS left his or her organization, these efforts began slipping. We know this firsthand: This happened at Wisconsin-based ThedaCare . When one of us (John Toussaint) left in 2008, its performance in terms of quality (as measured by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s metrics for Next Generation accountable care organizations) fell from best in the nation to middle of the pack.

• Aravind Chandrasekaran is an associate professor of operations and academic director of Master of Business Operational Excellence (MBOE) at the Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business.
• John S. Toussaint M.D., is the founder and executive chairman of Catalysis, a nonprofit educational institute, and an adjunct professor at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. He is the former CEO of a health care system and coaches teams on Toyota Production System principles.

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About this content

A problem can be defined as a gap in performance (actual vs. expected). Problem solving is therefore the act of identifying the possible causes of that “gap” and implementing countermeasures that aim at mitigating or eliminating them, so that the performance can meet expectations.

In life as well as in the work we do, we are frequently faced with problems, sometimes daily. Not all problems are equal and not all of them can benefit from the same approach to problem solving. This is why it’s helpful identify early on what approach to problem solving would be best fit for the problem at hand:

• Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA)
• Complex Problem Solving
• Innovation (or research)

How it works

When faced with a problem, ask the following questions to identify what approach is best suited for the type of problem you are addressing:

• Are you addressing a self-evident process with a simple solution?
• Are you making a change and want to track the before/after improvement results?
• Are you solving a problem that appears to have multiple causes?
• Are you implementing a new process or service?

Follow the respective clue to learn more about the best approach for each type of questions problem resolution.

What approach should I use?

When to use it

• Quick action is preferred or necessary
• The cause of the problem is self-evident
• Proposed solution is small, easily testable, and not risky
• The change is easily reversible

How to use it

• Ask: how can I improve the process? How can I make the process better, faster, cheaper?
• Use visual management to make a process clearer
• Simplify a process to make it more efficient
• Use less costly supplies or methods to save costs

Examples of when to use Just do it

• Implementing a policy or revising an outdated policy
• Switching to a vastly cheaper and better technology or supply
• Implementing a previously non-existent checklist
• Eliminating a redundant or non-value added step

Just Do It worksheet: Click here to download

• Application of the scientific method in testing a change
• Use of pre and post change to measure success of intervention
• Focus on continuous improvement in the process

Plan: What change are you going to make?

• Who is going to do what and by when?
• Have a clear objective, a goal (often called AIM statement)

Do: How are you going to make it?

• What resources will you need?
• What method of improvement will you use?

Study: Did you see an improvement?

• How long will you observe the change?
• Did you achieve the set objectives?

Act: Adopt the change, revise the plan, discard

Examples of when to use PDSA

• Testing the cost effectiveness and impact on quality of a new surgical implant compared to the currently used one
• Confirming the before and after financial impact of adding one more service line

PDSA worksheet: Click here to download

• The cause of the problem is unknown
• The countermeasures are difficult to adopt
• Disciplined approach to problem solving is preferred
• Multiple stakeholders or departments needs to be involved
• Use a structured approach to problem solving such as A3, DMAIC, 8D, etc.
• Usually they follow similar steps identified below:

Examples of when to use complex problem solving

• Length of stay in a unit is higher than national average
• Staff reports feeling of burnout and lack engagement that results in high turnover

A3 Problem Solving worksheet: Click here to download

• A new way to deliver a product or service or a new product or service to address a need
• New knowledge on how to treat disease or improve patient care that requires IRB approval
• Data and statistical analysis are necessary
• Funded by internal or external research grants
• Innovate with the intended customer in mind
• Think in terms of minimum viable product (MVP)
• Leverage Agile development principles

Examples of when to innovate

• Implementing Covid-19 testing sites in the community
• Transition employees from on site working to work from home, with minimal disruption

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Continuous improvement process: A 6 steps guide to implementing PDCA

Human transformation hinges on the idea that we can better ourselves and our organizations. So when it comes to the continuous improvement process (Plan, Do, Check and Act or PDCA) , it’s an investment in reaching our full potential. This journey isn’t a one-size-fits-all when it comes to implementing improvement strategies or improvement techniques. It’s a deliberate process that requires observation, analysis, planning, and action. 

But continuous improvement also is built on the idea that coaching can help people — and organizations — along the way. Like coaching, continuous improvement is an ongoing effort. It’s built on a foundation of teamwork , a strong company culture , and feedback. But it also requires support and continuous improvement tools to help keep skills and capabilities sharp. 

At BetterUp, we believe everyone has the potential to grow and transform. We know businesses are made up of people. So when you invest in your people, you invest in the success of your organization.

Sometimes, continuous improvement is the smallest change that adds up over time. Other times, continuous improvement goes hand-in-hand with adapting to change and building resilience to stay competitive in today’s market. Regardless, the process generates results without the pain that comes with making big changes at once.

If it seems like there's room for improvement at work, or if you want to become an industry leader who stays ahead of the curve, use continuous improvement as a framework for making positive changes.

What is continuous improvement?

Continuous improvement is the process of making small incremental changes that add up to significant results based on deliberate observation of current processes.

Also known as Kaizen, the continuous improvement method originated in Japan. Today, it’s been adopted by businesses across the globe as a way to achieve operational excellence .

The main idea behind continuous improvement is that no process is perfect and there is always room for improvement . The goal is to squeeze out waste, optimize resources, and empower employees to make changes that improve the company's bottom line.

Process improvement consultant Brian Ragone  says it is "system thinking where we build feedback loops so we get information from current processes and reflect on how to improve them."

Ragone says the focus of continuous improvement is three-fold:

• Improving tools and materials
• Improving people and relationships
• Improving the work environment

That often means removing bloated tools. Other times, it's improving documentation about how you work, so anyone can come in and get started immediately. It’s also upskilling your people. Finally, it's removing barriers from communication or just friction in work relationships.

Finally, it’s improving the physical, and psychological safety of your people at work.

The 4 stages of continuous improvement

Continuous improvement is sometimes called the PDCA cycle , which stands for Plan-Do-Check-Act. And those are the four stages of continuous improvement.

Plan: Brainstorming and planning

Identify an opportunity for improvement and put together an action plan for management . For example, you notice that your conversion rates are below average for your industry. So you determine that you'll send a nurture email sequence in addition to calling your leads.

Do: Testing solutions

Once you've identified an opportunity and determined how best to address it through change, implement that change on a small scale. We do this to objectively measure its effectiveness. For the email sequence example above, that may mean only emailing a small percentage of leads (20% for example).

Check: Verifying the effectiveness

Did the change work? We need to know before we can apply it organization-wide. If our test 20% of leads convert better than the other 80% who don't receive nurture emails, for example, we can conclude that the change was effective.

Act: Implementing the solution

Once you confirm that your solution is effective, it's time to deploy it organization-wide to reap the benefits.

Continuous improvement methods

There are several methods for continuous improvement. Here are five of them: 

• The Lean Method
• The Kanban Method

Total Quality Management

• Agile Methodology. 

Let’s look at each one.

The Lean method

The Lean methodology is a continuous improvement framework that was originally developed for manufacturing. It has since been adopted by businesses in other industries. The goal of Lean is to eliminate waste and improve efficiency .  And it does that by streamlining processes and eliminating non-value-added activities.

The Kanban method

The Kanban method is a framework that helps you visualize your work and optimize your workflow. The key principle of Kanban is to break down your work into smaller tasks and then track the progress of each task through every stage of your workflow. This helps you identify bottlenecks and areas of inefficiency so you can make improvements.

Six Sigma is a statistical framework that helps you identify and eliminate defects in your process. The goal of Six Sigma is to achieve near-perfection by reducing defects to a Six Sigma level . That's a defect rate of 3.4 errors per million opportunities.

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a framework that ensures that your products meet or exceed customer expectations. TQM is built on the foundation of continuous improvement. It emphasizes the need to systematically identify and address quality issues.

Agile Methodology

The Agile methodology is a framework for managing software development projects. Agile emphasizes iterative development, rapid prototyping, and constant feedback from stakeholders. The goal is to help teams create and launch high-quality software products in a fast and efficient manner.

Why is continuous improvement important?

Increased efficiency and productivity.

Because you’re constantly identifying areas where your processes can be improved, you can create a more streamlined workflow that cuts down on wasted time and resources. As a result, your team will be more productive .

Improved employee engagement and relationships

As Ragone stated, continuous improvement focuses on people and relationships just as much as it focuses on tools. The feedback loops in continuous improvement mean that employees watch out for opportunities for improvement in communication. 

When employees feel like they are a part of a continuous improvement process, they are more engaged and invested in the success of the company. And you’ll have better relationships between employees and managers and a more positive work environment overall.

Reduced waste

By eliminating defects and streamlining processes, you can improve the quality of your product or service. This not only leads to happier customers but can also save you money in the long run by reducing the need for rework and replacements.

Reduced costs

In addition to reducing waste, continuous improvement can also help you save money in other ways. For example, by streamlining your process, you may be able to reduce the amount of inventory you need on hand. And by identifying errors early, you can avoid the cost of fixing them later on.

Improved customer satisfaction

When you eliminate waste and defects, you end up with a product or service that is more likely to meet customer expectations. As a result, your organization will experience increased customer satisfaction . 

Reduced cycle time

One of the benefits of making small improvements is that you can do it quickly. This means you can get your product or service to the market faster and start seeing results sooner.

Increased innovation and staying ahead of the competition

Continuous improvement helps you stay ahead of the competition by encouraging you to constantly explore new ways to improve your process. And by making small changes, you can test out new ideas quickly and cheaply to see if they’re worth pursuing.

When you have a system in place for making small changes on an ongoing basis, you'll never stop improving.

Allows agility and adaptation to change 

In today's business environment, adapting quickly to change is critical to success. Building resilience as an organization is no longer a nice to have. It’s a must for every business. Continuous improvement helps you build a system that makes it easier to test out new ideas and quickly implement changes.

The 6 steps in continuous improvement

There are many ways to implement continuous improvement in your organization, but the most common method involves the following six steps:

1. Assess your current state

The first step in any process improvement initiative is to figure out where you are today. This can be done by mapping your current processes .

“Process maps help you understand your current workflows and allow you to spot opportunities for improvement (if any)."  Brian Ragone, Founder and Process Management Consultant at Puzzle

Ragone says this is the most important step in all forms of process improvement.

Walk through your current business processes with the people involved. Document every step (even those you deem irrelevant). Write down the order your people complete those steps in through the end of the process. 

Next, create a flow chart using a process mapping tool to show your ordered process’ steps so you can see every detail with a birds-eye view

Then identify the role responsible for each step in your process and the tools used. Project management tools, like Asana, can help with this process. Remember, continuous improvement is about your tools and materials, people and relationships, and environment.

You should begin to spot gaps and opportunities for improvement now.

2. Identify the root cause of problems

Once you know where your process breaks down, it’s time to find out why. To identify the root cause of a problem, ask these five questions:

• What happened?
• When did it happen?
• Who was involved?
• What were they doing?
• What were the conditions under which it happened?

Using these prompts, we may discover that:

• Leads fill our demo request form but never showed up
• A week after they filled out the form
• The lead, our CRM, and our sales team were involved
• The lead filled out the form, our CRM notified us of a new lead, and our sales team qualified the lead and sent an invite to them for the call
• Leads wait two days to receive an invite

From this analysis, we can spot two areas as potential root causes: the demo call invites wait time, and the tone of the invitation.

3. Develop a solution

Now that you know where your process is breaking down and why, you can create a plan to address the problem.

This plan should involve the people who are responsible for the steps in your process. Brainstorm potential solutions and then choose the one that promises to be most effective.

4. Implement the solution

Once you have a solution, it’s time to create a plan for implementing it.

This plan should include a timeline for execution, a list of responsibilities, and any resources you’ll need. Then, put the plan into action.

5. Evaluate the results

After you’ve implemented your solution, it’s time to see if it worked.

Evaluate the results of your solution against your original goals for improvement. If it didn’t work as planned, go back to step three and brainstorm another solution.

6. Standardize the process

If your solution was successful, congratulations! The last step is to make sure the process is followed correctly from now on.

To do this, create standard operating procedures (SOPs) that describe the steps in your process. These SOPs should be clear and easy to follow so that anyone can do them.

You should also create checklists or flowcharts that can be used as a reference when following the process.

But remember that solutions are never final with the continuous improvement model. Establish feedback loops that let you continually access your processes for improvement.

7 ways to improve continuous improvement

There is always room for improvement in any process, even a process that’s designed to be improved. Here are a few ways you can make your continuous improvement efforts even more effective:

1. Create feedback loops

The best way to encourage continuous improvement is to create a culture that supports it. Encourage employee involvement by asking for and receiving feedback .

And when employees make suggestions, take them seriously and give them the resources they need to make those improvements. It can also help in your employee engagement efforts. 

2. Focus on the customer

The goal of continuous improvement is to create a better product or service for your customers. So, it’s important to keep them in mind when you’re making changes.

3. Set SMART goals

SMART goals help you benchmark your progress and see if you’re making the improvements you want.

4. Be flexible

Don’t be afraid to change your plans if you find a better way to do something. The whole point of continuous improvement is flexibility in how we approach work and changes.

5. Be willing to be wrong

If you’re getting feedback from your employees , not all of it will be the feedback you like. Remember to approach all feedback with an open mind.

As Glenn Rogers, CEO of Float tells his team, “Seek continuous improvement by welcoming feedback rather than defending against it. Your self-improvement journey requires education, seeking advice from others, and a willingness to be wrong.”

6. Communicate your plans

Make sure everyone in your organization knows what your plans are and how they can help. Good communication will help everyone stay on the same page and work together to improve your processes.

7. Celebrate your successes

When you make a successful improvement, take the time to celebrate it. This will help motivate your team members and show them that their efforts are appreciated.

Set on your continuous improvement journey

Continuous improvement is a powerful tool for any organization. By using it, you can make small, incremental improvements that add up to big results over time.

The key to success with continuous improvement is to start small. Don’t try to do too much at once. Instead, make one or two incremental changes focusing on one area at a time.

Remember, the goal is to make your process better, not perfect. There will always be room for improvement, so don’t strive for perfection .

And if you’re not sure where to start, try BetterUp. Creating improvement opportunities starts with gathering the right support systems to help you get there. A coach can help provide personalized support to your workforce to help create a value stream that performs.

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Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

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10 Continuous Improvement Principles (+ How to Utilize Them NOW)

Summary of principles covered in this post:

PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act)

Lean thinking, 5s methodology, value stream mapping.

• Continuous Learning and Training

Root Cause Analysis

What is continuous improvement.

Continuous improvement is a fundamental principle that drives organizational growth and success. It refers to the ongoing effort to enhance processes, products, and services through incremental improvements. Continuous improvement is not a one-time project or isolated event, but rather a systematic approach that involves everyone in the organization. It is a continuous process of identifying opportunities for improvement, setting improvement goals, implementing improvement initiatives, and evaluating the results.

By embracing continuous improvement principles, organizations can achieve operational excellence, improve product quality, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive innovation. Continuous improvement empowers employees, encourages employee engagement and involvement, and fosters a culture of learning and collaboration.

It is a vital component of successful business strategies and enables organizations to adapt to changing market conditions, stay competitive, and achieve sustainable growth.

Benefits of Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement is a powerful approach that helps organizations streamline their workflows, reduce operating overhead, and identify opportunities for improvement. By continuously reviewing and refining processes, companies can optimize resource allocation, minimize waste, and increase productivity.

One of the key benefits of continuous improvement is the ability to make incremental improvements based on what is learned. Instead of waiting for a major overhaul, this approach allows for smaller, more manageable changes to be implemented over time. This ensures that improvements are sustainable and can be adapted to changing circumstances.

Furthermore, continuous improvement enables organizations to adapt to changes in the business environment. By constantly reassessing processes and practices, companies can stay agile and respond effectively to emerging trends and customer demands. This agility helps businesses stay competitive in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

By focusing on continuous improvement, organizations can also identify new opportunities for improvement. Through techniques such as process mapping and employee engagement, companies can pinpoint bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and areas of potential growth. This enables them to proactively address challenges and capitalize on untapped potentials.

In summary, continuous improvement enables organizations to streamline workflows, reduce operating overhead, and identify opportunities for improvement. By making incremental improvements, adapting to changes, and proactively seeking growth opportunities, companies can maintain or improve their effectiveness over time.

Continuous improvement 101: The basics

Continuous improvement is a fundamental principle that drives growth and success for organizations. It involves a systematic and ongoing effort to make incremental improvements in processes, products, and services. By continuously evaluating and refining operations, companies can enhance efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction. This approach encourages employees to identify opportunities for improvement, fosters a culture of innovation, and allows businesses to adapt to changing market demands. Continuous improvement is not a one-time project, but rather an ongoing journey towards operational excellence and organizational development. By implementing continuous improvement principles, companies can achieve sustainable growth and maintain a competitive edge in today’s dynamic business landscape.

Understanding Processes

Understanding processes is a crucial aspect of continuous improvement initiatives within organizations. Without a clear understanding of how work is being done, it becomes difficult to identify areas for improvement and implement effective changes.

Many organizations face challenges in not knowing how their work is being performed. Often, work processes are undocumented, primarily relying on employees’ institutional knowledge. This lack of visibility hinders the organization’s ability to analyze and improve these processes. It also creates dependencies on specific individuals, making it challenging to sustain improvements when employees leave or change roles.

To overcome these challenges, organizations need to undertake the process of discovering, documenting, and digitizing workflows. This involves actively seeking out and understanding how work is currently being performed, mapping out the steps involved, and documenting key information such as inputs, outputs, and decision points.

By creating a baseline understanding of the current processes, organizations can visualize how work flows, identify inefficiencies, and uncover opportunities for improvement. This information serves as a foundation for implementing changes, streamlining operations, and enhancing productivity.

In conclusion, understanding processes is a fundamental step in continuous improvement initiatives. It provides organizations with the necessary knowledge to identify improvement opportunities and implement changes that enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Through the process of discovering, documenting, and digitizing workflows, organizations can create a baseline understanding and visualize how work is performed, enabling them to make informed improvements.

Developing a Plan for Improvement

Developing a Plan for Improvement involves a systematic approach to addressing inefficiencies and maximizing productivity within an organization. The process begins by seeking input from various sectors of the business, including employees at all levels, cross-functional teams, project managers, and management teams. This collaborative effort ensures a comprehensive understanding of the current state of affairs and enables the identification of improvement opportunities from multiple perspectives.

Once input is gathered, the next step is to break down big initiatives into small-scale changes. This helps in reducing complexity and making improvements more manageable and attainable. By breaking down initiatives into smaller components, organizations can focus their efforts on specific areas that require attention, allowing for more effective problem-solving and implementation of improvement measures.

It is crucial to view improvement as an ongoing effort aligned with the strategic goals of the organization. Continuous improvement is not a one-time project but rather a mindset and culture embraced by the entire workforce. By embedding improvement practices into the fabric of the organization, companies can continually adapt to changing market conditions, customer requirements, and internal demands. This ongoing effort ensures that improvement remains a priority and drives the organization towards achieving its strategic goals.

In summary, developing a Plan for Improvement involves seeking input, breaking down big initiatives, and considering improvement as an ongoing effort aligned with the strategic goals of the organization. By following this process, organizations can effectively identify and implement small-scale changes, leading to enhanced productivity, operational excellence, and a culture of continuous improvement.

Implementing Change Effectively

Implementing change effectively is a crucial aspect of continuous improvement in organizations. One of the key principles to follow is to take small steps rather than large, disruptive changes. By breaking down big initiatives into smaller, more manageable changes, companies can avoid overwhelming their employees and reduce the risks associated with major transformations. Small changes allow for a more gradual adjustment process, empowering employees to adapt and embrace the changes more effectively.

To visually track and manage these small changes, organizations can use a kanban board. A kanban board provides a visual representation of projects, tasks, and their progress. It helps teams prioritize work, identify bottlenecks, and ensure a smooth flow of tasks throughout the implementation process. This visual framework facilitates collaboration and transparency across different sectors of the business, enabling input and feedback from various stakeholders.

In addition to using a kanban board, actively seeking input from employees at all levels of the organization is crucial. By involving employees in the decision-making process, organizations can tap into their valuable insights and expertise. This fosters a sense of ownership and engagement, leading to better buy-in and successful implementation of changes.

By taking small steps, utilizing a kanban board, and seeking input from various sectors of the business, organizations can implement change effectively as part of their continuous improvement efforts. This approach ensures a smoother transition, higher employee engagement, and ultimately, better outcomes for the organization.

Quality Control and Monitoring Progress

Quality control and monitoring progress are vital components of the continuous improvement process. They play a crucial role in identifying areas for improvement and ensuring the effectiveness of implemented changes.

By implementing quality control measures, organizations can systematically evaluate the quality of products and processes. This involves defining quality standards, conducting inspections, and testing to ensure that products meet customer requirements. Quality control helps prevent defects, reduce waste, and improve overall product quality.

Monitoring progress is equally important as it allows organizations to track the impact of implemented changes. It helps identify areas where the desired improvements have been achieved and areas where further attention is needed. By regularly monitoring progress, organizations can identify bottlenecks, measure performance against set goals, and make data-driven decisions.

Key metrics and measurements can be used to monitor progress in continuous improvement initiatives. These may include productivity rates, customer satisfaction scores, defect rates, cycle times, and cost savings. By monitoring these metrics, organizations can assess the effectiveness of the changes implemented and determine if they are moving in the right direction.

To ensure product and process quality, organizations can utilize quality control tools and techniques. This may involve process mapping, statistical analysis, root cause analysis, and mistake-proofing methods. These tools help identify areas of improvement, analyze data to detect patterns, and prevent errors or defects from occurring. By using these techniques, organizations can continuously monitor and enhance the quality of their products and processes.

Continuous Improvement Strategies

Continuous improvement strategies are an integral part of any successful organization. These strategies focus on making incremental improvements to processes, products, and services in order to achieve operational excellence and meet customer requirements. By continuously evaluating and enhancing processes, organizations can reduce waste, increase efficiency, and drive innovation. This requires a commitment to ongoing effort, employee engagement, and the use of various continuous improvement tools and methodologies. In this article, we will explore the principles of continuous improvement and how they can be effectively implemented to drive positive change and long-term success.

Streamlining Processes and Cutting Costs

Streamlining processes and cutting costs are essential goals for businesses looking to improve their operational efficiency and remain competitive in today’s fast-paced market. One effective approach to achieve these objectives is by implementing continuous improvement principles.

Continuous improvement involves an ongoing effort to identify and eliminate waste, reduce inefficiencies, and optimize workflows. By focusing on incremental improvements, businesses can make small but meaningful changes that add up to significant cost savings over time. This approach encourages employee involvement and empowers them to contribute improvement ideas based on their firsthand knowledge and experience.

To streamline processes and cut costs, businesses can employ various strategies and techniques. One approach is to eliminate waste by identifying and removing non-value-added activities that do not contribute to the final product or service. Standardizing processes is also crucial as it helps to eliminate variations and ensures consistency throughout the organization.

Automation is another powerful tool in streamlining processes and cutting costs. By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, businesses can increase efficiency, minimize errors, and free up employees’ time to focus on more value-added activities. Technology solutions, such as robotic process automation and workflow management systems, can be leveraged to achieve these goals.

Overall, implementing continuous improvement principles enables businesses to reduce operational costs and increase efficiency, ultimately improving their bottom line. By actively seeking opportunities for improvement, involving employees, and leveraging automation technology, businesses can streamline processes, cut costs, and position themselves for long-term success.

Automating Tasks to Increase Efficiency

Automating tasks is a key strategy for businesses looking to increase efficiency and streamline operations. By leveraging digital platforms, organizations can automate the tracking of task duration and execution, providing valuable visibility into the process.

With automated tracking, businesses gain a comprehensive understanding of how tasks are performed and the time it takes to complete them. This visibility allows for the identification of bottlenecks and areas for improvement, enabling businesses to optimize their workflows and allocate resources more effectively.

By identifying bottlenecks, businesses can take proactive steps to address them, improving productivity and reducing delays. Automation also eliminates the potential for human error, ensuring consistent and accurate task execution.

The ability to track task duration and execution in real-time enables organizations to complete jobs faster. It provides valuable insights into the efficiency of different tasks and helps businesses make informed decisions to enhance productivity. With this information at their fingertips, organizations can prioritize tasks, allocate resources efficiently, and optimize their overall operations.

In conclusion, automating tasks through digital platforms is a powerful strategy to increase efficiency. By tracking task duration, businesses can identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement, leading to streamlined workflows and faster job completion. Embracing automation is crucial for organizations looking to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced business environment.

Leveraging Technology for Improved Performance

Leveraging Technology for Improved Performance in Continuous Improvement

In today’s fast-paced business environment, leveraging technology has become essential for organizations striving for continuous improvement. Technology not only enables streamlined processes but also provides valuable data and insights for making informed decisions.

One way to enhance continuous improvement efforts is through the implementation of a digital continuous improvement approach. By embracing digital tools and platforms, businesses can create a connected worker ecosystem that fosters collaboration, improves communication, and empowers employees to contribute to the improvement process. A connected worker platform allows for real-time information sharing, resulting in quicker problem-solving and more efficient decision-making.

To effectively leverage technology for continuous improvement, organizations can employ strategies such as using kanban boards. Kanban boards are digital visual boards that help teams visualize their workflows, prioritize tasks, and track progress. This enables better task management and promotes accountability among team members.

Another strategy is to seek input from different sectors of the organization. By involving employees from various departments and levels, businesses can tap into diverse perspectives and ideas, facilitating innovation and continuous improvement.

Additionally, breaking big improvement initiatives into small-scale changes can drive significant progress over time. This approach allows for quick implementation, measurement of results, and adjustment if needed. It also helps to build momentum and keeps employees engaged in the improvement process.

Lastly, it is vital to view continuous improvement as an ongoing effort rather than a one-time project. Technology enables organizations to collect data, track performance, and monitor results continuously. By treating continuous improvement as a never-ending journey, businesses can drive sustained growth and achieve operational excellence.

In conclusion, leveraging technology, particularly through the adoption of digital continuous improvement and a connected worker platform, can significantly enhance the effectiveness of continuous improvement efforts. By utilizing tools like kanban boards, seeking input from different sectors, implementing small-scale changes, and embracing a continuous improvement mindset, organizations can unlock the full potential of technology for improved performance.

Improving Employee Involvement in the Processes

Employee involvement is a crucial factor in driving continuous improvement processes within organizations. Engaging staff members in identifying opportunities for improvement not only boosts morale and empowers employees, but also leads to significant advancements in efficiency and productivity. By involving employees in the improvement process, organizations tap into their frontline knowledge and expertise, gaining valuable insights and innovative ideas for enhancing operations.

When employees are empowered to implement their own ideas for process improvement, even small changes can have a significant impact. For example, a manufacturing company may empower its line workers to suggest modifications to the production process. These suggestions could range from small adjustments in workflow to implementing new technologies or equipment. These seemingly minor changes can lead to improved cycle times, reduced waste, and increased overall productivity.

Leadership plays a vital role in creating a culture of continuous improvement and providing structure for employees to report and act upon their ideas. Strong leaders not only encourage employee involvement but also provide the necessary resources, support, and training to foster a culture of innovation. By creating an open and transparent environment, leaders make it safe for employees to speak up, share their ideas, and take ownership of the improvement process.

In conclusion, improving employee involvement in continuous improvement processes is critical for organizations seeking to drive positive change. Empowering employees, encouraging their ideas, and supporting a culture of innovation can lead to significant improvements in efficiency, productivity, and the overall success of the organization.

Focusing on Product Quality and Consistency

Focusing on product quality and consistency is of utmost importance for any organization aiming for success in today’s competitive marketplace. Delivering high-quality products consistently not only enhances customer satisfaction but also builds brand reputation and loyalty. Continuous improvement principles provide a framework that ensures continuous evaluation and enhancement of product quality and consistency.

One way continuous improvement principles can be applied is by fostering a culture of excellence and accountability within the organization. This involves setting clear quality standards, establishing quality control measures, and regularly monitoring and evaluating product performance. By empowering employees at all levels to take ownership of quality, organizations can promote a sense of responsibility and engagement, leading to improved product outcomes.

Implementing robust quality management systems is another key strategy. This involves defining quality objectives, monitoring key performance indicators, and implementing corrective action processes when quality deviations occur. By using data-driven decision making and problem-solving methodologies, organizations can identify root causes of quality issues, make necessary process improvements, and prevent recurrence.

Regular training and skill development programs are also essential to ensure that employees are equipped with the necessary knowledge and expertise to consistently deliver high-quality products. Investing in employee development enhances their understanding of quality standards, enhances their ability to identify and address potential issues, and promotes a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Additionally, embracing automated quality control and inspection technologies, establishing rigorous supplier selection and monitoring processes, and implementing standardized operating procedures are key techniques that can support consistent delivery of high-quality products.

In conclusion, focusing on product quality and consistency is crucial for organizations to meet customer expectations and achieve long-term success. By applying continuous improvement principles, implementing key strategies, and utilizing effective techniques, organizations can ensure that their products consistently meet or exceed customer requirements.

10 Lean Methodology Principles for Continuous Improvement

Lean methodology is a systematic approach that focuses on eliminating waste and maximizing value in processes. It is widely recognized as a powerful tool for achieving continuous improvement. The principles of lean methodology promote the idea of ongoing process optimization by identifying and eliminating non-value-added activities. This approach emphasizes the importance of streamlining processes, enhancing productivity, and delivering products or services that meet customer needs efficiently. By embracing the principles of lean methodology, organizations can improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, enhance customer satisfaction, and drive sustainable growth.

Kaizen is the philosophy of continuous improvement, emphasizing small, incremental changes over time to drive progress and eliminate waste.

How to get started with Kaizen in your business

• Educate employees about the concept of Kaizen and its importance in driving continuous improvement.
• Encourage employees to identify small areas for improvement in their daily work processes.
• Set up regular team meetings or suggestion boards to gather and discuss improvement ideas.
• Prioritize and implement selected improvements gradually, tracking the impact and celebrating successes.

PDCA is a four-step iterative cycle for problem-solving and improvement. It involves planning, implementing, evaluating, and adjusting actions to achieve desired outcomes.

How to get started with PDCA in your business

• Identify a specific process or problem that requires improvement.
• Plan: Analyze the current state, set improvement goals, and develop a plan to achieve them.
• Do: Implement the planned changes on a small scale.
• Check: Evaluate the results and compare them against the goals.
• Act: Based on the evaluation, adjust the plan, scale up the changes, or implement further improvements.

Gemba Walk refers to going to the actual workplace or where the work is happening to observe, learn, and understand processes, identify areas for improvement, and gather insights from employees.

How to get started with Gemba Walk in your business

• Schedule regular Gemba Walks where managers and leaders visit the workplace to observe processes.
• Engage in open conversations with employees, asking questions, and listening to their suggestions and concerns.
• Take notes and document observations during the Gemba Walks.
• Use the insights gained to identify improvement opportunities and prioritize actions to address them.

Lean Thinking focuses on eliminating waste and maximizing value for customers by streamlining processes, reducing defects, and optimizing resources.

How to get started with Lean Thinking in your business

• Identify a specific process or value stream that needs improvement.
• Map the current state of the process, identifying bottlenecks, waste, and areas of inefficiency.
• Brainstorm and implement strategies to eliminate waste, streamline the process, and optimize resource utilization.
• Continuously monitor and measure the impact of changes, making further adjustments as needed.

5S (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) is a systematic approach to workplace organization, ensuring cleanliness, efficiency, and safety.

How to get started with the 5S Methodology in your business

• Sort: Remove unnecessary items and clutter from the workspace.
• Set in Order: Organize tools, equipment, and materials in a logical and ergonomic manner.
• Shine: Establish cleaning and maintenance routines to keep the workplace clean and presentable.
• Standardize: Develop and document standard procedures for organizing and maintaining the workspace.
• Sustain: Foster a culture of 5S by providing training, regular audits, and continuous reinforcement.

Kanban is a visual management technique that uses cards or digital boards to track and control work progress, providing real-time visibility and enabling efficient workflow management.

How to get started with Kanban in your business

• Identify a workflow or project that can benefit from visual management using Kanban.
• Create a Kanban board with columns representing different stages of the workflow.
• Use cards or sticky notes to represent tasks or work items and move them across the board as they progress.
• Set work-in-progress limits for each column to prevent overloading and promote flow.
• Regularly review the board, identify bottlenecks, and make adjustments to optimize the workflow.

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a powerful tool used in continuous improvement efforts to understand, analyze, and improve the flow of materials and information in a process.

 It is a visual representation of the entire production process, from raw material acquisition to the delivery of the final product.

The purpose of VSM is to identify areas of waste and opportunities for improvement. By mapping out each step of the process and identifying bottlenecks, delays, and unnecessary activities, organizations can pinpoint areas that require immediate attention.

VSM enables organizations to see the big picture and understand how different processes interact with one another. It provides a comprehensive view of the entire production process, allowing organizations to identify and eliminate non-value-added activities.

By utilizing VSM, organizations can improve process efficiency, reduce lead times, and enhance overall productivity. This aligns with the core principles of lean methodology, which focuses on eliminating waste and continuous improvement.

In conclusion, Value Stream Mapping is an essential tool for organizations seeking to achieve operational excellence. It helps them identify areas for improvement, streamline processes, and enhance overall performance. By visualizing the flow of materials and information, organizations can drive continuous improvement efforts and ensure that every step in the process adds value to the customer.

How to get started with Value Stream Mapping in your business

• Select a specific value stream or process to map, focusing on the flow of materials, information, and activities.
• Create a visual representation of the current state, including process steps, wait times, and handoffs.
• Identify areas of waste, such as delays, excessive inventory, or rework.
• Develop a future state map by brainstorming and implementing improvements to eliminate waste and streamline the value stream.

Poka-Yoke refers to mistake-proofing techniques and devices designed to prevent errors or defects from occurring in the first place, improving quality and reducing rework.

This can be done in a variety of ways including offering in-house training, external seminars and workshops, online courses, and educational materials. By providing employees with up-to-date knowledge and skillsets, organizations can ensure that their workforce remains competitive, efficient, and productive.

How to get started with Poka-Yoke in your business

• Analyze processes or tasks to identify potential sources of errors or defects.
• Implement error-proofing techniques, such as checklists, visual cues, or physical devices, to prevent mistakes.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of Poka-Yoke techniques.
• Encourage employees to contribute ideas for error prevention and provide feedback on existing error-proofing measures.

Root Cause Analysis is a problem-solving technique used to identify the underlying causes of issues or failures, enabling effective solutions and preventing recurrence.

Root Cause Analysis can be used to identify the systemic issues at the root of an issue or failure and then develop solutions that address the problem in a more effective and lasting way. It relies on a structured approach, such as the “5 Whys” technique, to identify the root cause of a problem or failure.

How to get started with root cause analysis in your business

• Assess the current skills and knowledge gaps within the organization.
• Develop a training plan that includes both internal and external learning opportunities.
• Provide access to resources such as online courses, workshops, or mentorship programs.
• Encourage employees to share knowledge and best practices with their colleagues through cross-training and knowledge-sharing sessions.
• Regularly evaluate the impact of training initiatives and adjust the plan accordingly.

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• Agile project management
• Continuous improvement

What is continuous improvement?

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Flexibility is a big part of the Agile framework. If something isn’t working, you need to make changes. If something works well, you can learn from that and implement it into your next project. Unlike Waterfall project management, which is a sequential approach to project execution, continuous improvement allows you to make constant adjustments to meet changing project demands.

These little tweaks and changes you make are part of the continuous improvement process. Conducting sprint retrospectives and using lean process improvement can help you make the necessary changes to kickstart your company.

This guide will cover everything you need to know about continuous improvement and its role within the Agile framework.

Definition of continuous improvement

Continuous improvement is the ongoing process of analyzing performance, identifying opportunities, and making incremental changes to processes, products, and personnel. By analyzing and fine-tuning processes, your company can save time and deliver an overall better product.

Continuous improvement tools and methodologies

Integrating continuous improvement into your everyday work life involves adopting tools and practices that help you think from an improvement mindset. The best tools for continuous improvement live alongside your actual work and the best practices are those that you revisit time after time.

Retrospectives

Agile retrospectives are arguably the first tool you should add to create a culture of continuous improvement. Team retrospectives open the door to conversations about what went well and what could be better. Many teams elect to do retros after projects wrap up or one-off retros focused on specific moments. The most effective teams hold retrospective meetings regularly and are independent of specific happenings. Holding a retro every other week is a surefire way to put yourself on a path of continuous improvement.

The Plan-Do-Check-Act Principle (PDCA)

Plan-Do-Check-Act, or PDCA, is among the most widely used tools in the continuous improvement model. “Plan” is your opportunity to identify an opportunity and plan for change. “Do” is when you implement the change on a small scale. “Check” is the process of using data to analyze the results of the change and determine whether it made a difference. “Act” is when you implement the change more broadly and continue to assess the results. If one stage did not work, simply begin again.

Software teams execute PDCA loops when they launch new features via “feature flagging”. Feature flagging is the process of rolling out a new feature to a small subset of real customers in a limited test. The test is to determine if test customers were more successful than those without the new feature. After checking on user data, teams act by rolling out that feature to all

5 whys or root cause analysis

It turns out that toddlers are onto something when they continually ask their parents, “why?” The 5 whys is a popular root cause analysis technique where the continued asking of why tends to uncover the root cause in five whys or less. Root cause analysis is useful for continuous improvement as it focuses your improvement efforts on the underlying causes rather than the symptoms. 

Kaizen and Kata

Those seeking the most flexibility can ground their process in the philosophies of improvement kata and kaizen. Improvement kata is a four-step process to create solutions to dynamic problems. Using a kanban board to track your progress through those four steps will help your team stay on track. Kaizen’s ten principles is another framework you can use to inspire your continuous improvement journey.

Lean manufacturing

Lean manufacturing is based on lean principles , eliminating wasted time and resources to ensure projects are finished and delivered on time. Lean revolves around five key principles:

• Defining value
• Mapping the value stream
• Creating a flow
• Establishing pull
• Seeking perfection

Amazon is a prime example of lean management. Workspaces are organized to maximize productivity, and products sold or shipped by Amazon are packed up and ready for shipment.

Adidas uses direct-to-store shipping to ensure customers can access a wide range of shoes while keeping a smaller inventory at each store. Then, if a customer wants a specific pair of shoes that aren’t in stock, they can be shipped directly to that Adidas store.

You can use lean project management software to enjoy these benefits within your company. 

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Total quality management (TQM) is a continuous improvement approach that increases customer satisfaction and employee involvement. By having everyone contribute to improving quality, companies can reduce errors and improve essential processes. This is the heart and soul of continuous improvement — minimizing errors and streamlining processes to improve quality.

The Agile methodology is a project management method that breaks larger projects down into smaller portions, known as sprints . After each sprint, the team conducts a sprint retrospective to make changes and improvements for the next sprint. Agile methodology relies on collaboration and adaptability, changing based on the results and feedback you’re getting.

Kanban method

The Kanban method helps teams visualize workflows, avoid overwhelming themselves, and improve efficiency. Kanban principles revolve around workflow visualization, including your backlog , current work, and finished work. This helps you keep work flowing steadily without overwhelming yourself or falling behind on deadlines. There are four essential Kanban metrics :

• Work-in-progress

Benefits of continuous improvement

As a business, a continuous improvement cycle can help you make changes that increase employee satisfaction, efficiency, and overall quality. Here are some of the main benefits of the continuous improvement process.

Operational efficiency

When you have a lot on your plate, saving a small amount of time makes a big difference. Continuous improvement allows you to streamline processes to increase productivity, which means you can get more done in the same amount of time.

Enhanced employee engagement

Allowing employees to participate in the continuous improvement process can get your team more involved and increase employee engagement. Toyota launched the Creative Idea Suggestion System in 1951 to increase employee engagement through continuous improvement.

Reduced waste

Continuous improvement methodologies like the Lean methodology help reduce waste by trimming the fat off of individual processes. If you can whittle a process down to a few simple steps, you can save time and get more done.

Cost reduction

Eliminating inefficient processes and streamlining processes to make them more efficient can lead to cost savings. Applying lean principles to manufacturing means saving time and resources throughout the manufacturing process. Improving supply chain management can lower storage and shipping costs, increasing your bottom line.

Improved quality

With continuous improvement, you’re constantly working to enhance minor processes that ultimately elevate your product or service. By streamlining processes and doing more with fewer resources, you can deliver better products and services to each customer or client.

How to implement continuous improvement

Implementing continuous improvement in your company is a four-step process known as the PDCA cycle. Here’s a breakdown of how it works:

• Plan : Start by determining where you can improve and creating a plan. For example, if your customers aren’t engaged, you can try offering a discount or promotional offer via email.
• Do : During this step, you implement your plan on a small scale. This allows you to determine how effective your plan was without company-wide effects.
• Check : Next, look at the results your plan delivered. Did it work? Reflecting on the results of your plan is one of the most critical steps.
• Act : If your plan worked, you can implement it on a larger scale. If your plan didn’t work, you can go back to the drawing board and start at the planning stage again.

You can use other tools and techniques — such as the 5 whys analysis — to help you identify weaknesses and develop plans for continuous improvement. You can check out our 5 whys analysis template to help get you started.

Jira supports continuous improvement

Continuous improvement is a core tenant of Agile methodology, and Jira is designed for Agile teams. Backlog and Sprints allow you to break large projects down into smaller chunks. You can use Jira Scrum or Kanban boards to break projects down into even more manageable segments. There are various issue types within Jira, like Bugs, Tasks, and Sub-tasks, which cater to diverse project needs. 

Customizable workflows allow you to map Jira to your unique workflow , while real-time insights give you a better understanding of velocity, productivity, and other metrics. You can even import data from 3rd party platforms right into Jira, so you have a complete view of relevant data and info from other systems your team depends on.

Want to learn more about how Jira can help you focus on continuous improvement and make the necessary changes to remain agile? Try Jira Scrum Boards today.

Continuous Improvement: Frequently asked questions

What are some best practices for continuous improvement.

There are several ways to make continuous improvement work in your company. Some best practices include:

• Communicate constantly
• Capture and validate benefits
• Focus on metrics that impact your business
• Capture ideas for improvement
• Use an idea funnel
• Perform weekly reviews for projects

Getting everyone involved is an excellent way to maintain continuous improvement over time. You can train new employees on continuous improvement and use a continuous improvement program to allow employees to further their careers.

What is an example of continuous improvement?

Amazon is one of the best examples of continuous improvement in the industry. Amazon has used Lean methodology to optimize warehouses and streamline the shipping process. The company also has a unique approach that focuses on long-term customer satisfaction over short-term gains.

Apple conducts extensive user research to learn what people do and don’t like about Apple products. This research helps to continuously improve Apple products, adding new features that ensure Apple remains a top name in tech.

What is the main goal of continuous improvement?

The main goal of continuous improvement is to transform your company through small incremental changes. This improves employee engagement, boosts productivity and efficiency, and increases customer satisfaction. When you believe you always have room to grow, you can discover new opportunities for growth and improve your business.

As a self-proclaimed “chaos muppet” I look to agile practices and lean principles to bring order to my everyday. It’s a joy of mine to share these lessons with others through the many articles, talks, and videos I make for Atlassian 

Lean Process Improvement [What is it & How to Implement]

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What Is Continuous Improvement? The Complete Guide

Continuous improvement helps you identify opportunities always to become better. Discover the power of the continuous improvement mindset.

• What Is Lean Management?
• The 5 Principles of Lean
• What Is Shared Leadership?
• What Is Lean Manufacturing?
• What Is Value in Lean?
• 7 Wastes of Lean
• What Is Mura?
• What Is Muri?
• What Is 5S?
• What Is the Cost of Delay?
• What Is Value Stream Mapping?
• What Is a Pull System?
• What Is a Bottleneck?
• Just-in-Time Manufacturing
• Implementing a Kanban Pull System
• Pull System on the Portfolio Level
• What Is Kaizen?
• What Is Continuous Improvement?

Built-In Quality Management

What Is the Poka-Yoke Technique?

• What Is the PDCA (Plan Do Check Act) Cycle?
• 5 Whys: The Ultimate Root Cause Analysis Tool
• Gemba Walk: Where the Real Work Happens
• A3 Problem-Solving: Fight the Root Cause
• How To Perform Root Cause Analysis?
• Root Cause Analysis Tools
• What Is a Pareto Chart?
• What Is a Scatter Diagram?
• What Is a Fishbone Diagram?
• What Is Hoshin Kanri?
• What Is Hoshin Kanri Catchball?
• Demystifying the Hoshin Kanri X Matrix
• The Lean Transformation Model Explained
• Lean Transformation Roadmap - 8 Comprehensive Steps
• What Is Cycle Time?
• What Is Little's Law?
• What Is Takt Time?
• What Is Heijunka?
• What Is Jidoka?
• What Is Andon?
• Lean Six Sigma Principles
• Lean Six Sigma Tools
• Lean Six Sigma Implementation
• What Is Six Sigma?
• What Is DMADV?
• What Is DMAIC?
• Lean Project Management

In Lean, continuous improvement is like a religion. Although it seems like a simple thing to achieve, leaders and teams who are not familiar with process improvement techniques have a hard time sustaining it.

To inspire continuous improvement thinking in your organization, let's answer: what exactly is continuous improvement? What are the principles and examples of continuous improvement?  

What Is Continuous Improvement? 

Continuous improvement is an ongoing process of identifying, analyzing, and making incremental improvements to systems, processes, products, or services. Its purpose is to drive efficiency, improve quality, and value delivery while minimizing waste, variation, and defects. The continual improvement process is driven by ongoing feedback, collaboration, and data.    Continuous improvement is an essential component in a range of management systems, including Lean, Six Sigma , and Total Quality Management.  

What Is the Continuous Improvement Model in Lean? 

In Lean, continuous improvement is also known as  Kaizen . The continuous improvement model refers to a never-ending strive for perfection in everything you do. 

Kaizen originated in Japan shortly after the end of the Second World War. It gained massive popularity in Lean manufacturing and became one of the foundations of Toyota’s rise from a small carmaker to the largest automobile manufacturer on the planet. 

In the context of the Lean methodology , continuous improvement seeks to improve every process in your company by focusing on enhancing the activities that generate the most value for your customer while removing as many waste activities as possible.

The main types of waste in Lean are Muda, Mura and Muri.

• Muda : The seven wastes

Muda consists of 7 Lean wastes : transport, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, over-processing, defects. 

Removing all of them completely is nearly impossible; however, focusing on minimizing their negative effects on your work is crucial for successfully implementing continuous improvement.

• Mura : The waste of unevenness 

Mura is caused by unevenness or inconsistency in your process. It is responsible for many of the 7 wastes of Muda. Mura stops your tasks from flowing smoothly across your work process and therefore gets in your way of reaching continuous flow.

• Muri : The waste of overburden 

Muri  is a major problem for companies that apply push systems. When you assign too much work to your team, you place unnecessary stress on both your team and the process.

Muri is usually a result of Mura, and if you want continuous improvement to become part of your culture, you need to focus on getting rid of those wastes.

The 6 Benefits of Implementing the Continuous Improvement Model

There are several key benefits of applying continuous improvement in a business context: 

1. Increased efficiency: Continuous improvement helps businesses to identify and eliminate waste, inefficiencies, and redundancies in their processes, resulting in increased efficiency and productivity. 

2. Improved quality: By continuously analyzing and refining their processes, businesses can improve the quality of their products or services, reducing defects, errors, and customer complaints. 

3. Cost savings: Continuous improvement can help businesses reduce their costs by eliminating waste, reducing defects, and streamlining processes, resulting in increased profitability. 

4. Employee engagement: At the heart of continuous improvement lies feedback and assessment of the efforts, which enables employee engagement and satisfaction, teamwork and collaboration. 

5. Enabling transformation: Continuous improvement can help businesses stay ahead of the competition by allowing them to respond quickly to changing market conditions, customer expectations, and the emerging need for digital transformation . 

6. Supporting innovation: Continuous improvement can also drive a culture of innovation by encouraging businesses to experiment with new ideas and processes, leading to new or improved products or services. 

What’s an Industry Example of Continuous Improvement? 

Let’s look at an industry example of continuous improvement efforts implemented successfully in the aerospace domain.    Through establishing standards for prioritizing work based on urgency and implementing Kanban boards, engineering teams at a global manufacturer of aircraft parts, Aerosud, managed to visualize and address the roadblocks in their workflow. Introducing Kanban principles and practices, such as work-in-progress limits, has allowed the IT group to double their throughput within days.    To further streamline their delivery processes, the teams utilized Kanban feedback loops to exchange feedback, making continuous improvement efforts a natural part of the process.    In addition to adopting the Kanban principles and practices , the engineering team at Aerosud had also started to make use of the 5 Whys method to find the root cause of problems. (Source: Aerosud Case Study ). 

Continuous Improvement Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 

What is a continuous improvement cycle .

One of the most widely applied techniques for continuous improvement is the Plan-Do-Check-Act ( PDCA ) cycle which includes the following phases: 

Plan: Continuous improvement planning involves setting goals, defining what needs to be improved, and identifying the steps to achieve those goals. Planning also involves analyzing data to identify areas for improvement.

Do : Once a plan has been established, the next step is to put it into action. This involves implementing the changes identified in the planning phase and testing them to ensure they are effective. 

Check : The third principle is to check the results of the changes that have been implemented. This involves measuring performance against the goals established in the planning phase, tracking progress, and analyzing data to determine whether the changes have had the desired effect. 

Act : The final principle is to act on the results of the monitoring and evaluation process. If the changes have been successful, they should be standardized and integrated into the production process. If they have not been successful, the plan should be revised, and the improvement cycle should begin again.  

The cycle of continuous improvement should be ongoing, with each iteration building on the previous one to drive further improvement over time. 

What Are Examples of Continuous Improvement? 

Anything that can be improved can be used as an example of continuous improvement. From improving your business results and product quality to streamlining delivery processes and encouraging collaboration and feedback exchange across teams, departments, and suppliers, anything can be subject to continuous improvement. 

What Are the 3 Aspects of Continuous Improvement? 

The three key aspects of continuous improvement efforts include process, product and knowledge improvement. 

• Process improvement: Refers to identifying, analyzing, and improving the various processes involved in delivering a product or service. 
• Product improvement: This involves identifying, analyzing, and improving the product or service itself, including its features, design, and functionality. 
• People improvement: Through developing skills and knowledge of the people involved in products or services delivery, you can create a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

We offer the most flexible software platform

for outcome-driven enterprise agility.

There are many ways to achieve continuous improvement. All of them have one thing in common - analyzing what can be done better compared to the past. You can sustain continuous improvement by:

• Minimizing the wastes in your process
• Creating a suitable environment for your team to improve
• Implementing the PDCA cycle
• Always looking for the root cause of existing and potential problems
• Apply the Kanban method for workflow management

Michaela Toneva

SEO & Content Creator | Agile Practitioner

With a never-ending thirst for knowledge and a passion for continuous improvement, Michaela is an Agile practitioner with a good understanding of Kanban, Lean, and Agile methodologies. Her professional background includes SEO and content writing with a dose of sales and a pinch of social media.

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What is Continuous Improvement? Definition, Examples, and Tips

• Written by Contributing Writer
• Updated on April 16, 2024

Businesses are increasingly adopting continuous improvement (CI) as a strategic goal to improve their business operations proactively. If you’re a quality management professional, your expertise in the concept and application of continuous improvement can work in your favor in the current job market, where these skills are in high demand.

This article will explore the basics of continuous improvement, its benefits, implementation tips, career paths, and more. Additionally, we will discuss how you can start your journey in this dynamic field by choosing a job-ready Six Sigma training course .

How Do We Define a Continuous Improvement Lifecycle?

A continuous improvement lifecycle is a cyclical method of identifying and rectifying errors. It evaluates the process for inefficiency, wastage, and undetected flaws. Applying corrective actions becomes a regular task rather than being performed only after customer complaints or a major breakdown. CI helps catch errors before they become big enough to stop operations.

As identifying and accepting errors is normalized, the employees become receptive toward working on corrective and preventive actions to improve quality. The CI lifecycle thus enables every individual in the organization to develop a continuous improvement mindset, wherein they can keep learning and applying novel concepts for a quality output. They begin to work congruently towards taking the company to a higher level.

Also Read: Six Sigma Tools: Here’s Top Powerful Tools You Should Know in 2024

What is Continuous Improvement: Examples

Here are some examples to further clarify what continuous improvement looks like in real life.

Insufficient Inventory

Having sufficient inventory is crucial to keeping the processes running smoothly. Delays in shipments may lead to low inventory, which can snowball into frustrated end users. Hence, continuous improvement aims to find issues with steps such as raw material inventory at the supplier, shipment durations, and demand rates. The solution typically involves closely tracking all the steps and setting up alerts for insufficient inventory.

Regular Expert Seminars

Working on the same process can lead to a restricted point of view regarding quality. Hence, continuous improvement is implemented wherein the pain points and skill gaps are noted, training is arranged for the skills, external experts are invited to introduce upcoming and new concepts, and the effect of the training on the process quality is tracked using predetermined metrics.

Acquisition Bottlenecks

A scientific organization may not be able to meet its research goals within the timeline due to bottlenecks in material ordering and equipment acquisition. Hence, a continuous improvement program can be applied to the accounting and approval department to root out the cause for the bottlenecks, such as incomplete forms, long approval processes, paper-based requests, etc. Removing the issues and improving the time to obtain materials can accelerate the research progress.

Safety in a Chemical Factory

A chemical factory must comply with OSHA regulations. Although everyone follows basic safety rules, a closer look at incidents is required to find the issue. A continuous improvement program can be adopted to implement additional safety rules gradually rather than changing most of them simultaneously.

Waiting Times in Restaurants

While waiting at a restaurant is a known phenomenon, some restaurants are notorious for excruciatingly long waiting times after ordering food. A continuous improvement program can help identify the reason for the delay, such as slow food preparation, low number of staff, improper flow of ordering and serving food, etc. This can help streamline the process and lessen the waiting time.

Types of Continuous Improvement Processes

The continuous improvement process can be implemented in two major ways—incremental and breakthrough. The choice depends on the magnitude of the issue and the time available. Typically, you may use a combination of the two for the most optimum solution.

Incremental Improvement

It refers to minor changes to the process without a complete overhaul and drastic disruption to business operations.

This ensures that the product is improved gradually using the infrastructure already in place, thereby avoiding a major equipment purchase. You can do such small and immediate solutions without involving a team for approval and communicate these changes to the people in your operational unit so that they know about the improvement. Incremental continuous improvement is implemented in a short span of time, and the effect is observed immediately.

Breakthrough Improvement

It entails occasionally evaluating the various parts of the organizational processes for undetected inefficiencies or identified flaws. It requires the investment of considerable resources and time. This may lead to a temporary disruption of operations and may also involve a change of equipment or method. Breakthrough improvement typically requires a team to assess, analyze, and change the process. The results become visible over a longer period after the corrective actions have been implemented.

However, what sets this apart from similar improvement processes is that the employees do not wait for a breakdown or insist on running the old process. They regularly assess the various parts of the operations for any potential for modification or enhancement. Further, these breakthrough improvements considerably impact the productivity and financial aspects of the business.

Also Read: What is Value Stream Mapping? Process, Examples, and Everything You Need to Know

The Key Advantages of Continuous Improvement

Businesses worldwide integrate continuous improvement for numerous advantages. Let’s take a glance at some of them.

• The product quality undergoes a tangible improvement. The product’s competitiveness in the market is enhanced with customers going for a known product of consistently high quality.
• Higher productivity and efficiency lead to a reduced production cost and a low error ratio.
• Direct involvement in the quality improvement process gives employees a sense of responsibility and greater satisfaction, as they can improve the processes personally.
• Better collaboration between various departments results in streamlined teamwork and potential for innovation.
• Consistent quality leads to greater customer satisfaction, higher customer retention, and an enhanced brand name.
• The organization develops a culture of proactive learning to understand customer requirements and work toward a smooth resolution.
• Closer tracking of the organizational processes for potential flaws results in a safer work environment.
• The employees are better acquainted with the objectives and core values of the organization.

What Is Continuous Improvement, and When to Use It

Improper use of continuous improvement may result in loss of time and effort and unresolved problems. Hence, knowing in what instances you can use this method is important. You can use CI when:

• The issues are recurring, and a permanent solution has not been found.
• Customer complaints are on the rise and are more or less about similar problems or processes.
• A huge investment in equipment change is not possible at the given moment.
• The quality improvement team is disconnected from the rest of the employees, who are not motivated to get involved.
• The quality improvement has come to a standstill with no tangible growth.

A reputed Six Sigma bootcamp can help you gauge more instances where you can apply continuous improvement.

Four Stages of Continuous Improvement Lifecycle

Now that we’ve answered “What is continuous improvement?”, let’s explore the four major stages of the CI lifecycle—Plan, Do, Check, and Act, also called the PDCA cycle.

Stage 1: Plan

Establishing the objective of the improvement exercise and planning the pathway forms the core of the ‘PLAN’ stage. This is a critical stage as it decides the course of the exercise and the outcome.

A badly planned improvement process will delay the timeline, damage the existing operation, or leave the main issues undetected and unsolved. Hence, you must invest sufficient time and effort in this stage to plan and allocate the tasks to be completed.

Stage 2: Do

In this stage, you will follow the steps detailed in the plan. Tracking the completion of the tasks as per the plan is crucial. Team members must do their part within the given timeframe to avoid delays or errors. The data is collected to assess the efficiency of the steps taken.

Stage 3: Check

After implementing the plan, you must check if the measures work to the desired level. Appropriate inspection techniques can help in assessing the level of improvement. Any undetected flaw that was not addressed can be identified.

Stage 4: Act

If the ‘Check’ stage verifies that the improvement measures are working, you can apply these actions to the rest of the process or organization, as the case may be. If the actions do not seem to work as well as expected, you can return to the ‘Plan’ stage and reassess the situation. This helps keep the improvement process fluid and open to further development.

Also Read: Six Sigma Black Belt Salaries in 2024: Everything You Need to Know!

What is Continuous Improvement, and What Are the Methods?

The form in which CI is implemented may differ depending on the situation, sector, goals, and organizational structure. Here are a few popular methods.

Lean is a method that eliminates waste in as many process steps as possible. Waste may be unused material, scrap generated due to defective parts, over-ordered resources, etc. Lean entails streamlining communication and enhancing team coordination for innovative ideation and optimized resource use.

Kanban is a collaborative and visual continuous improvement method characterized by workflow transparency. The entire team knows all the steps and tasks in detail and can track them. The motive is to optimize work cycle times by focusing on task completion and reducing work-in-progress.

Six Sigma is a statistical methodology for reducing the number of defects per a certain number of produced parts. It uses a data-driven approach to collect information about the process parameters and assess the improvement measures’ efficacy.

Kaizen is an incremental improvement method comprising small but effective actions implemented to enhance the process gradually. This Japanese term refers to allowing personnel to identify flaws and implement immediate changes in the system.

Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a method that evaluates the entire production process, from the supply chain to customer service, for potential areas for improvement. This method adopts a broad vision to assess the effect of errors and corrective actions on the entire workflow rather than restricting the improvement exercise to a certain operational unit.

Steps to Implement a Continuous Improvement

Regardless of the method selected, the steps to implement a continuous improvement program remain largely the same. Below are the main steps of CI implementation.

• Evaluate and map the existing operations. Go through them in detail to learn and document the various parameters, equipment, work cycles, and the skills and work profiles of the concerned personnel.
• Note the issues and work on finding their root cause. This requires considerable input from various stakeholders and a deep process analysis.
• Based on the analysis, identify the bottlenecks and pain points and devise a solution. The solution must be backed by strong practical evidence and a solid theoretical foundation, including the metrics determining its effectiveness.
• Implement the corrective actions detailed in the solution. Involve the process workers and communicate the necessary actions for correct implementation. Impress upon them the need to follow the steps to the ‘T’ and collect sufficient data.
• Scrutinize the implementation results and deep-dive into the data to arrive at the predetermined metrics. Compare the metrics to the baseline values and assess the process efficiency. If the improvement is not up to the expected level, revisit your workflow and solution steps.
• If the implementation works optimally, standardize the parameters and revise the process flow and work instructions. Communicate the changes to the concerned unit and ensure they have understood the modifications. Track the new process and ascertain that the actions are being implemented correctly.

Completing a comprehensive, immersive Six Sigma course can help you learn how to implement a continuous improvement method correctly.

Continuous Improvement Careers

Continuous improvement has become a lucrative career. It includes roles such as CI manager, CI engineer, CI specialist, and CI lead. Further, as its implementation becomes more widespread, there will be an increasing demand for corporate trainers with expertise in continuous improvement. Here’s a quick look at the work profiles and salaries.

CI Engineer

They work on quality issues, devise specific engineering solutions, and assess their implementation. The average annual salary for this technical role is $100,062 .

They work as project managers, develop and manage quality improvement programs for multiple departments, arrange audits and training sessions, and track quality issues. The average annual salary of this role is $124,525 .

This is the team leader who takes charge of developing programs, assembling teams, and implementing the programs. They are concerned only with the issue at hand. This role also requires technical expertise and commands an average annual salary of $118,089 .

CI Specialist

They are similar to project managers who evaluate a specific department and manage continuous improvement programs. They are responsible for assessing the need for CI, acquiring and allocating budgets, and finalizing the issues requiring improvement programs. The average annual salary this role earns is $111,010 .

Develop In-Demand Skills in Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement (CI) requires a massive shift in an organization’s culture. It encourages employees to be proactive about devising measures to improve product and process quality. Knowledge of CI can add significant value to your career and pave the road to lucrative employment opportunities in multiple industries.

Our comprehensive Six Sigma program will equip you with the essential skills to rise in this field. This self-paced program teaches key concepts such as DMAIC, Lean, Six Sigma, Agile management, and Minitab®. Aligned with IASCC’s Lean Six Sigma Green and Black Belt levels, this course is delivered by industry experts and offers an excellent window for you to gain hands-on training and networking benefits.

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Quality Management Process: A Beginner’s Guide

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• What is the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cy ...

What is the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle?

The PDCA cycle is a useful technique for addressing, analyzing, and solving business problems. Because the PDCA cycle is built on the process of continuous improvement, it offers a level of flexibility and iterative improvement. 

PDCA cycle history

The PDCA cycle was first introduced by Walter Shewhart , the father of statistical quality control. In his book, Economic control of quality manufactured product , Shewhart applied the scientific method to economic quality control. 

Shewhart’s thesis was further developed by W. Edwards Deming , who championed Shewhart’s work. Deming expanded on Shewhart’s idea and used the scientific method not only for quality control but also process improvement.

Deming went on to teach the method—which he called the Shewhart cycle—to Japanese engineers. There, the Shewhart cycle mixed with kaizen (the Japanese principle of continuous improvement , which was developed by Kaoru Ishikawa ), the Toyota production system, and lean manufacturing to become what we now call the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. 

Nowadays, the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle is commonly used as part of lean project management .

This methodology has many names, including:

Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, or PDCA cycle

Deming cycle or Deming wheel

Shewhart cycle

Control cycle

Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle or PDSA cycle 

When should you use the PDCA cycle?

The PDCA cycle is a framework for how to approach and resolve project management and process improvement problems. As a result, it can be implemented for a wide variety of projects. Teams that use the PDCA cycle effectively embrace the element of continuous improvement—rather than using the cycle for an end-to-end process, the PDCA cycle is a way to ensure continuous improvement and implement the iterative process . 

The Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle is particularly useful when you want to:

Streamline and improve a repetitive work process

Develop a new business process

Get started with continuous improvement

Rapidly iterate on change and see immediate results

Minimize errors and maximize outcomes

Test multiple solutions quickly

4 steps to use the PDCA cycle

The four steps of the PDCA process are in the name: planning, doing, checking, and actioning. Notably, this process is a cycle, so as soon as you reach the end, you can start over from the beginning again. 

The first step to any process improvement or project planning is to figure out what you need to do. Like any project plan , this includes a variety of information, including:

The project objectives

Success metrics

The project deliverables or end result

Project stakeholders

The project timeline

Any relevant project risks or constraints

You can use the PDCA cycle for a wide variety of projects. Whether you’re building a new project from scratch or using the PDCA as a quality improvement project, investing in a robust planning phase is a great way to set the project on the right track. 

Keep in mind that PDCA is a cycle. It’s okay if you don’t have all of the answers the first time around, since you’ll probably run this cycle multiple times. Each time you re-run the PDCA cycle, evaluate your project plan to ensure it’s up-to-date and accurate towards your project goals. 

Once you’ve ironed out your project plan, the next step is to try it out. Like most types of lean project management, PDCA embraces small, incremental changes. During the Do phase of the PDCA cycle, implement the project plan on a small scale to ensure it works. 

Review the test you ran during the Do phase of the PDCA cycle to ensure everything went according to plan. More likely than not, you will identify things to improve on during the Do phase. After all, it isn’t called continuous improvement for nothing! The Check phase is critical to finding these small things before they get too big and problematic. 

If necessary, revisit your project plan to ensure your project is still hitting your project objectives. Alternatively, if you realized you need to make a change to the project plan, you can also do so now. 

After the check, move to the Act phase, which includes rolling out the full project or process improvement. Don’t forget that the PDCA cycle is a cycle. If you need to, return to the Plan phase to continuously improve your project or processes. 

Pros and cons of the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle

The PDCA cycle is a powerful tool to continuously improve, but there are also some disadvantages to using this system as well. Take a look at the pros and cons of the PDCA cycle: 

Helpful for teams looking to get started with continuous improvement

Flexible methodology for virtually any project

Quickly implement change and see results

Use the PDCA as your standard operating procedure to increase org-wide standardization without the use of a project management office (PMO)

Proven continuous improvement methodology

You need support from senior management in order for the PDCA cycle to be particularly effective

Value comes from running the cycle over and over again. Not an effective methodology if you only plan on doing it once. 

Requires time to implement and learn

Isn’t a great solution for urgent projects, since you typically expect to run the cycle multiple times

Planned-Done-Checked-Actioned

The PDCA cycle is an effective way to implement continuous improvement and problem solving. To get the most out of the PDCA cycle, set your projects up for success with project planning tools . Plan, manage, and track your team’s projects to hit your deliverables on time. 

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• What is the (PDCA) Plan, Do, Check, Act Cycle?

• Learn Lean Sigma
• Improvement Methodology

PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) is a time-tested methodology that forms the backbone of continuous improvement in various industries. The PDCA cycle, which embraces simplicity and systematic progression, facilitates problem-solving and process improvement by following four distinct stages. These stages create a circular flow that promotes continuous refinement and adaptation.

The PDCA cycle provides a structured approach that can be tailored to various scenarios, whether you’re looking to address specific organizational challenges, standardize processes, or foster innovation. This article delves into the essence of PDCA, examining its four phases, applications, and why it is such an effective tool for continuous growth and improvement. Join us as we unpack the PDCA cycle’s dynamics, providing insights and practical advice on how to effectively apply this time-tested methodology in your organization or project.

Table of Contents

What is pdca.

PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) is a four-step methodology for continuous improvement and problem solving in a variety of organizational processes. It starts with planning (Plan) a change or solution, then doing (Do) it on a small scale. The results are then evaluated (Check) to determine the effectiveness of the plan, leading to the final action (Act) of either broadly implementing the change or revising the plan. The cyclical nature of PDCA encourages continuous refinement and adaptation, making it a versatile tool for improving quality, efficiency, and innovation in a wide range of industries and settings.

Why use PDCA?

The PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle is an indispensable tool in the world of process improvement and project management, and here’s why it’s so widely embraced:

1. Simplicity and Structure:

PDCA offers a simple and structured approach that anyone can follow. Its four-stage cycle – Plan, Do, Check, Act – provides clear guidelines that can be applied to various problems and processes. This simplicity makes it accessible to team members at all levels, fostering inclusivity and alignment.

2. Adaptability:

The cycle is not confined to a specific industry or project type. It’s a flexible framework that can be adapted to different contexts, whether it’s manufacturing, logistics, or healthcare. This adaptability makes it a universal tool for continuous improvement.

3. Continuous Improvement:

Unlike linear models, PDCA operates in a continuous loop. After the Act stage, the cycle repeats, allowing for ongoing refinement and optimization. This iterative nature ensures that improvements are sustained and built upon, leading to long-term growth and excellence.

4. Risk Mitigation:

By encouraging small-scale testing and careful analysis (Do and Check stages), PDCA helps in identifying and mitigating risks early in the process. This controlled approach minimizes the chances of large-scale failures and promotes a culture of thoughtful experimentation.

5. Enhanced Communication and Collaboration:

The clear structure of the PDCA cycle facilitates communication and collaboration within teams. Everyone knows the stage of the process and their role in it, leading to greater synergy and efficiency.

6. Problem-Solving and Innovation:

PDCA’s systematic approach encourages problem-solving and innovation. By continuously evaluating and adapting the plan, organizations can discover new solutions and approaches that may not have been apparent at the outset.

What are the four phases of the PDCA cycle?

The PDCA cycle has four key stages as can be seen in the graphic below.

Stage 1 – Plan – identify and define the problem, creating a plan for the change.

Stage 2 – Do – Test the potential solutions from the plan.

Stage 3 – Check – Study the results, analyze the results and understand what you have learnt.

Stage 4 – Act – Take action based on the outcome of the previous step. If the change worked implement what was learnt from the test into the full process. If the change does not produce the required results repeat the cycle with a different plan.

Within the planning stage, it is important to have a clear understanding of what the problem is you are trying to solve. Ensure those involved all have a clear and consistent understanding.

Once a consistent understanding has been established, you need to create a plan.

Within your plan is important to consider:

• What are the goals?
• How are we going to do it?
• What resources do we need?
• Who is responsible for taking action?
• When are the actions going to be done?

Start implementing the plan as set out in the previous stage. Ensure everyone knows their role and responsibility, consider creating an effective communication plan for all stakeholders as changes to the process are likely and you need to ensure those involved understand what is happening and why.

You might find that the plan needs to adjust during this step as you implement your plan, therefore it is advised to start small and then expand once you are confident in the plan.

Review the results of the trial from the previous stage, did this produce the expected results?

Ensure you review the results with the team involved as they will be able to provide insight and understanding of the results based on their involvement.

Ensure you have collected sufficient data so that the test is statistically significant and not just a one-time result with may not be repeated.

Once everything has been tested and reviewed if the results meet the expected outcome it is time to implement the solution full-time into the process. Ensure all stakeholders are fully aware of what the change is and what they need to do to sustain the change. Tools such as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or other training aid are useful in this step. During this stage it is useful to continue to check the process for a period of time after to ensure all issues have been resolved and that the problem does not reappear elsewhere.

Once this improvement is closed out you can repeat the cycle with further improvements to continually make improvements to the process.

If the results from the test do not meet the expected outcome return to the plan stage and repeat the process with a different potential solution.

When to use the PDCA cycle?

When an organization is looking to improve its processes or when a specific problem needs to be addressed, the PDCA cycle is frequently used. In this answer, we will go over when and how to use the PDCA cycle for project improvement.

• When there is an issue or problem: The PDCA cycle is frequently used to solve problems or issues that an organisation may be experiencing. When a problem arises, the PDCA cycle can be used to identify the root cause of the problem, develop a solution, implement the solution, and then evaluate the results to determine if the problem has been solved. This can assist organisations in addressing issues quickly and effectively while minimising their impact on the business.
• When continuous improvement is required: When an organisation wants to continuously improve its processes or products, the PDCA cycle is used. Organizations can use the PDCA cycle to identify areas for improvement, develop and implement a plan to address those areas, and then evaluate the results to see if the changes have resulted in an improvement. This can assist organisations in remaining competitive and meeting their customers’ changing needs.
• When standardisation is required : The PDCA cycle can also be used to standardise processes within an organisation. Organizations can use the PDCA cycle to identify best practices, develop standard processes, implement those processes, and then evaluate the results to ensure that the processes are functioning as intended. This can assist organisations in increasing efficiency, reducing waste, and ensuring consistent quality.
• When innovation is required: The PDCA cycle can also be used to drive innovation within an organisation. Organizations can use the PDCA cycle to generate new ideas, test those ideas, evaluate the results, and then implement the best ideas. This can assist organisations in staying ahead of the competition and discovering new ways to meet their customers’ needs.

The PDCA methodology is usually best suited to situations where the improvement needs a small amount of resouces and is a less intense problem. Whereas if these are greater you may consider A3 , 8D , DMAIC or DFSS for your project.

In conclusion, the PDCA cycle is a useful methodology for improving processes, products, and services within an organisation. It can be used in a variety of situations, including when there is a problem or issue, when continuous improvement is required, when standardisation is required, and when innovation is required. Organizations can use the PDCA cycle to quickly identify areas for improvement, develop and implement plans to address those areas, and then evaluate the results to ensure that the desired outcomes are met.

To summarise, the PDCA cycle is a valuable methodology for organisational continuous improvement. It is a straightforward approach that can be applied to small or simple change projects and is also known as the Deming cycle or Shewhart cycle. The PDCA cycle’s four stages: Plan, Do, Check, and Act, provide a logical sequence of steps for problem-solving. It enables controlled trials of potential solutions with adequate analysis prior to full implementation.

PDCA is useful for keeping the project team on track, facilitating communication, and keeping stakeholders focused. It is ideal for simple improvement projects that do not require extensive analysis. It is a powerful tool for organisations seeking to improve their efficiency and achieve continuous improvement.

• Moen, R. and Norman, C., 2006. Evolution of the PDCA cycle .

Daniel Croft

Daniel Croft is a seasoned continuous improvement manager with a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma. With over 10 years of real-world application experience across diverse sectors, Daniel has a passion for optimizing processes and fostering a culture of efficiency. He's not just a practitioner but also an avid learner, constantly seeking to expand his knowledge. Outside of his professional life, Daniel has a keen Investing, statistics and knowledge-sharing, which led him to create the website learnleansigma.com, a platform dedicated to Lean Six Sigma and process improvement insights.

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Lean Six Sigma 101: A Continuous Improvement Guide 

In our fast-paced, ever-evolving business landscape, companies are always looking for ways to refine their operations and boost efficiency. Lean Six Sigma stands out as a robust solution, fostering continuous improvement for these organizations.

As companies push the boundaries in pursuit of exceptional performance, Lean Six Sigma offers a powerful toolkit and guiding principles that empower organizations to tackle challenges confidently. By merging the strengths of both Lean and Six Sigma methodologies, it paves the way for organizations to reduce waste, fine-tune processes, and elevate the quality of their products and services.

What is Lean Six Sigma?          

Lean Six Sigma is an integrated and comprehensive approach to enhancing operational efficiency and quality. It merges two distinct methodologies, Lean and Six Sigma, to form an effective framework for continuous improvement.

Lean originates from the Toyota Production System and focuses on eliminating activities that do not add value to a process i.e. waste.

On the other hand, Six Sigma is a data-centric methodology aimed at systematically minimizing process defects. The name “Six Sigma” represents an aspirational quality level, aiming for a mere 3.4 defects out of a million opportunities. Six Sigma employs a rigorous statistical approach to pinpoint and address root causes to achieve this quality level.

Organizations harness the best of both worlds by integrating Lean and Six Sigma. While Lean streamlines processes by cutting waste and enhancing flow, Six Sigma uses data analysis to detect and eradicate problems at the source. Together, they provide a well-rounded approach to continuous improvement.

Lean Six Sigma vs Kaizen: main similarities and differences

Both Lean Six Sigma and KAIZEN™️ provide valuable methodologies for tackling organizational challenges, albeit with distinct approaches. They differ in some aspects, each offering unique perspectives on problem-solving and continuous improvement.

Six Sigma heavily relies on quantitative metrics and statistical analysis to drive improvements in business processes, aiming to minimize defects and enhance quality. On the other hand, KAIZEN™️ focuses on holistic improvement throughout the organization, transcending reliance solely on numerical data associated with quality.

Despite these methodological nuances, both Six Sigma and KAIZEN™️ share a common goal: to optimize corporate efficiency and effectiveness by purging non-value-added activities. In practice, companies can adopt a blended approach, incorporating elements from both Six Sigma and Lean concepts, as well as from KAIZEN™️.

Both Lean Six Sigma and KAIZEN™️ stand out as exceptional concepts that yield significant time and cost savings, providing organizations with valuable tools to enhance their operations.

Why is Lean Six Sigma important?     

The Lean Six Sigma is important for several fundamental reasons that positively impact organizations. This comprehensive approach to continuous improvement provides significant benefits that are reflected in various key areas:

Operational Efficiency Reach

The Lean Six Sigma is designed to eliminate waste, reduce inefficiencies, and optimize processes. This leads to more streamlined workflows, shorter cycle times, and a more efficient use of resources.

Quality Improvement

The Six Sigma methodology aims to reduce defects and enhance quality. This results in higher-quality products and services, reducing customer complaints, rework, and costs associated with errors.

Increased Customer Satisfaction

Lean Six Sigma enhances customer satisfaction by focusing on quality, reducing lead time, and delivering value to the customer.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Lean Six Sigma employs statistical analyses for informed decision-making. This diminishes subjectivity in business decisions, allowing organizations to identify and address the root causes of problems more effectively.

Cost Reduction

Lean Six Sigma significantly reduces operational costs by eliminating waste, rework, and defects. This directly improves profit margins and competitiveness.

Implementation of a Culture of Continuous Improvement and Innovation

Lean Six Sigma fosters a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organization. Employees are empowered to identify issues, implement solutions, and seek excellence in their daily processes. They are also encouraged to discover new ways of doing things, which can lead to innovative products, services, and processes.

Lean Six Sigma provides a structured and systematic approach to enhancing efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction while driving a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making. Organizations that successfully implement Lean Six Sigma often gain a significant competitive advantage.

What are the Principles of Lean Six Sigma   

The values of Lean Six Sigma are based on a combination of Lean and Six Sigma principles. The following are the main principles:

Focus on Customer Needs

All improvement efforts should be directed toward delivering products and services that meet or exceed customer expectations.

Waste Identification and Elimination

Tasks that do not add value from the customer’s perspective should be identified and eliminated.

Continuous Improvement

The pursuit of excellence is an ongoing process. Organizations should continuously seek ways to enhance their processes.

Decisions should be based on concrete analyses and data , not on assumptions. This approach aids in identifying root causes and assessing changes’ impact.

Employee Involvement

Employees are a valuable knowledge source on processes and challenges. Encouraging their active participation and involvement helps pinpoint improvement opportunities, and fosters shared accountability.

Process Standardization

Establishing clear and consistent standards for processes helps reduce variability and ensures product or service quality . Consistent processes also make it easier to detect anomalies.

Systematic and Structured Approach

Lean Six Sigma employs a systematic approach, such as the DMAIC methodology (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control), to address issues and roll out improvements.

Leadership and Commitment

Organizational leadership plays a pivotal role in fostering a continuous improvement culture.

Measurable Outcomes

The success of Lean Six Sigma is gauged through tangible outcomes, such as defect reduction, efficiency/productivity enhancement, cost savings, and customer satisfaction. Routine measurement ensures that improvements have a positive impact.

These principles guide Lean Six Sigma’s successful implementation, setting organizations to achieve sustainable improvement in their operations and processes.

The Lean Six Sigma Methodology      

As previously mentioned, Lean Six Sigma is a structured and systematic approach that combines Lean and Six Sigma principles to achieve operational excellence and continuous improvement in organizations. It provides a clear and directed path for problem-solving and process improvement, addressing waste elimination.

DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control

The DMAIC process is at the heart of the Lean Six Sigma methodology. It is a five-step sequence that guides teams in problem-solving and process improvement.

Each step plays a specific role in the transformation process:

• Define : In this step, the team clearly defines the problem and establishes improvement objectives. Understanding the current situation, identifying stakeholders, and setting success criteria are essential.
• Measure : During this phase, the team collects relevant data about the process. Measurement is vital to understand current performance, identify variations, and determine the extent of existing problems.
• Analyze : The analysis stage involves delving into the data gathered in the previous step to identify root causes. Statistical tools are often employed to identify patterns and trends that might be contributing to the issue.
• Improve : By understanding the root causes, the team develops and implements solutions. These are tested and adjusted as needed before final implementation.
• Control : The final step focuses on maintaining and monitoring the improvements. Control systems are established to ensure that changes remain effective in the long run. This involves defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and creating a monitoring plan.

How Lean Six Sigma is applied in real-world scenarios  

Implementing Lean Six Sigma in real-world scenarios is adapted based on the organization’s specific needs and the problem at hand. Teams are established, typically with a Green or Black Belt leader who is an expert in the methodology.

Teams go through the DMAIC stages, applying specific tools and techniques at each phase. This might encompass data analysis, value stream mapping, and design of experiments, among others. The methodology is versatile enough to find applications in diverse sectors, from manufacturing to services.

Lean Six Sigma fosters a collaborative approach, engaging team members and relevant stakeholders throughout the process. The emphasis on data collection and analysis supports informed decisions, while the continuous improvement culture encourages experimentation and innovation.

Ultimately, Lean Six Sigma results in sustainable improvements in processes and quality, cost reduction, heightened customer satisfaction, and an organizational culture geared toward excellence .

What are Lean Six Sigma Tools

Lean Six Sigma boasts a wide range of tools and techniques that assist in problem identification, data analysis, problem resolution, and continuous improvement. These tools are employed throughout the DMAIC process stages to guide teams in systematically addressing issues. Here are some of the primary tools:

Value Stream Mapping

A visualization tool for a process flow, used during Value Stream Analysis , which identifies value-adding and wasteful activities. It aids in waste elimination and process optimization.

Diagrams (Fishbone or Cause and Effect Diagram)

Utilized to find an issue’s potential causes, this diagram categorizes them into areas such as people, processes, equipment, materials, and environment.

Control Charts

These are employed to monitor a process’s performance over time. They assist in identifying variations and deviations from set targets.

Pareto Analysis

A tool for prioritizing the most significant problems or causes and identifying the main contributors to a given problem.

Root Cause Analysis

Using tools such as the 5 Whys, teams delve deep into the underlying causes of a problem to identify the root cause.  

Design of Experiments (DOE)

Used to test multiple process variables and reveal which factors have the most significant impact on process outputs.

Scatter Plots

These display the relationship between two variables and assist in finding a potential correlation between them.

Regression Analysis

Employed to examine the relationship between independent and dependent variables, allowing for outcome predictions based on historical data.

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

Evaluates potential failure modes in a process or system, identifying their causes and impacts, and setting priorities for mitigation actions.

An approach to workplace organization and cleanliness focused on enhancing efficiency, safety, and employee motivation.

A visual workflow management tool that helps control and optimize production and material flow.

Devices or techniques designed to prevent errors and defects, minimizing the potential for human mistakes. 

These are just a handful of the many tools Lean Six Sigma offers. Which tool to use depends on the problem’s nature and the project’s unique needs. By smartly combining these tools, teams can effectively pinpoint and tackle issues, achieving sustainable improvements and outcomes in organizational processes.

Lean Six Sigma Training and Certification

Appropriate training plays a pivotal role in effectively implementing Lean Six Sigma. It is essential to deeply understand the tools, techniques, and methods involved to make meaningful improvements in organizational processes and outcomes.

A Lean Six Sigma certification is a formal recognition for individuals who have shown expertise in using the methodology. This certification confirms that they have acquired the skills to lead improvement projects, apply statistical tools, and lead teams to achieve efficiency, quality, and reduce variability.

The most common certification levels – Lean Six Sigma Belts – are:

• White Belt : These are team members familiar with the basic concepts of Six Sigma and can support projects but do not hold a leadership role.
• Yellow Belt : They possess slightly advanced knowledge and can actively participate in projects as team members.
• Green Belt : These members have a deeper understanding of the Six Sigma tools and techniques and can lead small projects and collaborate closely with the Black Belts.
• Black Belt : These are highly trained and qualified project leaders. They are experts in Six Sigma and have the ability to lead complex improvement projects, apply advanced statistical tools, analyze data, and implement significant changes in processes.
• Master Black Belt : These seasoned experts lead in implementing and developing Six Sigma within the organization. They provide training, guidance, and support to Black Belts and Green Belts, ensuring the methodology is effectively applied throughout the organization.

Obtaining a certification in Lean Six Sigma typically involves completing formal training, knowledge examinations, and practical application of the skills learned.

The importance of training and certification in Lean Six Sigma

Lean Six Sigma training provides detailed knowledge of its underlying tools, methodologies, and principles. It empowers professionals to effectively identify problems, analyze data, and implement solutions, leading to measurable improvements.

Certification indicates that its holder possesses the necessary skills to apply Lean Six Sigma effectively. This ensures the right approaches are adopted to address complex issues and enhance processes.

On the other hand, Lean Six Sigma-certified professionals can spread a continuous improvement culture within their organizations. They can lead teams, foster collaboration, and guide implementing improvement initiatives.

How Kaizen Institute can help you become a Lean Six Sigma expert    

The Kaizen Institute offers training programs with various certification levels to meet clients’ needs. Here are some benefits of the Kaizen Institute’s training and certifications:

• Specialized Training and Belt Certification: The Kaizen Institute provides hands-on training and certification at various levels. These programs cover all aspects of Lean Six Sigma, from basic concepts to advanced techniques.
• Globally Recognized Certification: The certifications provided by the Kaizen Institute are widely recognized internationally. Earning a Lean Six Sigma “belt” validates skills and knowledge, enhancing credibility as an expert in the field.
• Practical Experience: Beyond theory, the Kaizen Institute’s courses include hands-on exercises and real-world case studies. This allows participants to apply theoretical knowledge in actual scenarios and gain confidence in their abilities.
• Continuous Learning : The Kaizen Institute offers an ongoing learning journey, allowing professionals to deepen their knowledge in Lean Six Sigma as they advance in their careers.

Still have questions about Lean Six Sigma?

What is the fishbone diagram in six sigma.

The fishbone diagram, also known as the “Ishikawa Diagram” or “Cause and Effect Diagram”, is a visual tool used within Six Sigma to identify and analyze potential causes of a specific problem. It is called the “fishbone” due to its appearance, which resembles a fish’s spine when drawn.

The basic structure of the fishbone diagram consists of a central line from which several diagonal lines branch out, each representing a potential cause category. These categories typically fit into the renowned “6 Ms”:

• Methods : Processes, procedures, policies.
• Manpower : Skills, training, workforce.
• Machines : Equipment, tools, technology.
• Materials : Raw materials, supplies, inputs.
• Measurement : Data collection methods, evaluation.
• Environment : Conditions, context, workplace setting.

Each category is further divided into specific potential causes related to the problem.

What is the meaning of Kaizen?

“KAIZEN™️” is a Japanese word that means “continuous improvement.” Within the context of Lean Six Sigma and continuous improvement, the term “KAIZEN™️” describes a systematic and ongoing approach to enhancement and problem-solving in every aspect of an organization, from processes and products to culture.

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A3 Thinking: A Structured Approach to Problem Solving

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Also known as A3 Problem Solving.

Variants include 8D and CAPA.

A significant part of a leader’s role involves addressing problems as they arise. Various approaches and tools are available to facilitate problem-solving which is the driving force behind continuous improvement. These methods range from the advanced and more complex methodologies like Six Sigma to the simpler and more straightforward A3 thinking approach.

The power of the A3 approach lies in its systematic and structured approach to problem-solving. Although it appears to be a step-by-step process, A3 is built around the PDCA philosophy. It relies on the principle that it is much better to address the real root-cause rather than trying to find a solution. Hence, it’s important not to jump to the solution when solving a problem as it is likely to be less effective.

A3 thinking provides an effective way to bring together many of the problem-solving tools into one place. For example, techniques such as the 5 Whys and fishbone analysis can be used during the ‘Analysis’ stage to help identifying the root causes. Additionally, visual aids and graphs are highly recommended in the A3 report, as they are more effective than text in communicating ideas and providing concise project updates.

A3 thinking involves the practice of consolidating the problem, analysis, countermeasures, and action plan onto a single sheet of paper, commonly an A3-sized sheet. This brief document serves as a summary of the project at hand and is regarded as a valuable storytelling tool for project communication. Utilizing the A3 approach doesn’t require any specialized software or advanced computer skills. You may however use readily available A3 templates , or rely on basic tools such as paper, pencil and an eraser as you will need to erase and rewrite several times.

One of the characteristics of the A3 approach is that it does not get into specific details. Detailed documents are usually attached to the A3 report to prevent overwhelming the reader with an excess of information.

The A3 process is typically structured in multiple stages based on the PDCA model. The primary focus is on developing understanding of the current situation and defining the desired outcome before thinking about the solution. While the exact number of stages may vary depending on the preference of the company, what truly matters is adhering to a structured approach to problem-solving.

A3 Seven Stages Model

An A3 process is often managed by an individual who should own and maintain the A3 report. This individual takes the lead in steering the process, facilitating team involvement, and preparing the A3 report with team input. One of the most common models for A3 thinking is the seven stages model which is described in the following.

1. Background – The first step is to identify the business reason for choosing this problem or opportunity. In this stage, you need to identify the gap in performance and the extent of the problem.

2. Current situation – The purpose of this stage is to document the current state of the problem. You may need to refer to the process map or go to the Gemba to truly understand the current situation.

3. Target – The purpose of this stage is to define the desired future state. Clearly identify the expected benefits from solving the problem, the scope, and the key metrics that will help measure the success of the project.

4. Analysis – The objective of this stage is to conduct an in-depth analysis of the problem and understand why it’s happening. It might involve tools like the 5 Whys and cause-and-effect analysis, as well as advanced statistical methods.

5. Countermeasures – Countermeasures are the actions to be taken to eliminate root causes or reduce their effects. The team should brainstorm and evaluate possible countermeasures based on the analysis conducted earlier.

6. Implementation Plan – To achieve the target, develop a workable plan to implement the countermeasures. Gantt charts are great ways to manage implementation plans very simply and easily. Once the action plan is finalized, the team should begin working on the activities needed to implement the countermeasures.

7. Follow-up – The final stage involves evaluating the implementation of the plan and the results achieved. Follow-up actions are important to ensure the benefits extend beyond the project’s completion.

A3 thinking is considered to be the practical form of the PDCA model.

There are many online templates that can be used to manage your problem-solving efforts. One of the simplest and most straightforward ways is to use this A3 problem solving template .

Wrapping Up

A3 thinking represents a logical and structured approach for problem solving and continuous improvement. This approach can be used for most kinds of problems and in any part of the business. Originating from the Toyota Production System (TPS), it has been adopted by many Lean organizations around the world.

A3 thinking not only provides a systematic approach for problem-solving. The development of a continuous improvement culture is at the core of A3 thinking. It has become one of the most popular Lean tools today where people and teams work together to solve problems, share results and learn from each other.

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8 Steps to Problem Solving: Implement Continuous Improvement in Your Organization

The 8 Steps to Problem Solving Method was developed by Toyota Motor Corporation as a practical, structured, and simple way to handle any problem from the smallest issue to the most complex roadblock. 

What is the 8 Step Problem Solving Method? 

This problem-solving method helps teams identify and solve problems in a clear and structured way, ensuring that there is consistency within an organization. 

This process is an expansion of the Plan, Do, Check, and Act (PDCA) cycle. Steps one through five are part of the planning process, step six is the doing process, step seven is the checking process, and step eight is the acting part of the cycle. 

Following this method ensures that your problem-solving technique can be repeated in a sustainable way with the least amount of impact on your customers. 

What are the benefits of the 8 Step Method? 

There are a few key benefits to using this method to solve your problems: 

You get to the root cause of the issue, ensuring the problem is not repeated in the future.

You can better identify and prevent any weak points in your process. 

 Long-term, effective solutions are generated.

Problems will be reduced over time, increasing your bottom line. 

What are the 8 Steps in this Methodology? 

Clarify Problem

Break Down Problem

Root Cause Analysis

Develop Countermeasures

See Countermeasures Through

Monitor Results and Processes

Standardize Successful Process

A Detailed look at the 8 Steps to Problem Solving Templates 

Step 1: Clarify The Problem

In this step, you need to identify and clarify the problem. Determine why it is a problem, what should be happening instead, and how it fits into the business as a whole.

The Stormboard Template for this step is divided into four sections: Clarify Ideal Situation, Clarify Current Situation, Visualize Gap Between Current and Ideal Situations, and Set Ultimate Goal.

Step 2: Break Down The Problem

For this next step, you need to start getting more detailed and specific. Break down the problem into manageable pieces, go see the problem in the process, analyze the issues, and start thinking about priorities.

The Stormboard Template for this step is divided into three sections: Get Your Boots On and Go See, Create a Process Flow, and Identify Point of Occurrence.

Step 3: Set Your Target

This step is where you set clear target dates to resolve the problem. Determine what is needed to reach the target and how long it will take. 

The Stormboard Template for this step is divided into three sections: Measurability, Target Point of Occurrence, and What, How Much, and When.

Step 4: Perform a Root Cause Analysis

In this step, you really dig into the factors that are causing the problem. Consider and address all of the causes of the issue — there will usually be more than one. 

The Stormboard Template for this step is divided into four sections: Create a Decision-Making Tree, Analyse and Discard Ideas, Ask Why, and Conduct “Why Analysis”.

Step 5: Develop Countermeasures

Use this step to brainstorm countermeasures that will help you remove the root causes of your problem. Come up with as many as possible, and then narrow the criteria matrix and create an implementation plan 

The Stormboard Template for this step is divided into three sections: List Root Cause, List Countermeasures, and Chart and Rate Countermeasures.

Step 6: See Countermeasures Through

In this step, you will implement your countermeasures using a clear plan and share the progress of each countermeasure that you implement with your team. 

The Stormboard Template for this step is divided into three sections: Implement Countermeasures, Share progress, and Next Steps.

Step 7: Monitor Results and Processes

Use this step to determine if your countermeasures were successful or if they need to be adjusted and reimplemented. 

The Stormboard Template for this step is divided into three sections: Evaluate Results, Report, and Lessons Learned.

Step 8: Standardize The Successful Process

In this step, you will integrate your successful countermeasure into your process, share your results with your team, reflect on what you have learned, and make sure there are no unaddressed issues.  

The Stormboard Template for this step is divided into three sections: Standardize, Share, and Start a new Kaizen.

See the template →

Are you interested in trying out Stormboard’s 8 Steps to Problem Solving Templates with your team? Sign up for a FREE trial now ! 

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8D Corrective Action: Mastering Problem-Solving for Continuous Improvement

May 13th, 2024

Businesses constantly refine products, services, and workflows to stay ahead. But issues can still pop up, angering customers and jacking costs while hurting a company’s image. This is where the 8D corrective action problem-solving method earns its stripes.

It was developed by Ford in the 80s and has since spread widely across manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace, and more.

The 8D approach is a methodical process combining pros from different parts of the company, analytical tools, and fact-based decision-making.

By following its eight systematic steps, organizations can expertly handle thorny problems. They uncover root causes and implement lasting fixes addressing immediate concerns while fueling constant upgrades to prevent repeat issues.

Key Highlights

• Understanding the origins and history of the 8D corrective action methodology, its benefits, and when to apply it for optimal results.
• Exploring the eight disciplined steps of the 8D corrective action process.
• Integrating the 8D methodology with quality management systems, leveraging Enterprise Quality Management Software (EQMS) to streamline workflows.
• Examining case studies and examples from various industries, including manufacturing, service, healthcare, and the automotive sector.

Understanding the 8D Corrective Action Problem-Solving Methodology

The Eight Disciplines (8D) methodology is a structured, team-based approach to problem-solving that aims to identify the root causes of issues and implement effective corrective actions. 

It is a comprehensive framework that combines analytical tools, cross-functional collaboration, and a disciplined mindset to tackle complex problems systematically.

The 8D process establishes a step-by-step approach that guides organizations through eight distinct disciplines, each building upon the previous one. 

Origins and History of 8D Corrective Action

The origins of the 8D methodology can be traced back to the 1980s when it was developed and pioneered by Ford Motor Company. 

Initially referred to as “ Team Oriented Problem Solving ” (TOPS), this approach was designed to address the recurring quality issues that plagued the automotive industry at the time.

Recognizing the limitations of traditional problem-solving techniques, Ford sought to establish a more robust and effective framework that would not only resolve immediate concerns but also drive continuous improvement and prevent future issues. 

The 8D methodology quickly gained traction within Ford and was subsequently adopted as the company’s primary approach for documenting and addressing problem-solving efforts.

As the benefits of the 8D corrective action process became evident, it rapidly gained popularity among other manufacturers and industries, transcending its automotive roots. 

Today, the 8D methodology is widely employed across various sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace, and service industries, among others.

Benefits of Using 8D Corrective Action

Implementing the 8D problem-solving methodology offers numerous benefits to organizations, including:

1. Systematic Approach : The structured nature of the 8D process ensures a consistent and comprehensive approach to problem-solving, reducing the risk of overlooking critical factors or jumping to premature conclusions.

2. Root Cause Identification : By emphasizing root cause analysis , the 8D methodology goes beyond addressing surface-level symptoms and focuses on identifying and eliminating the underlying causes of problems.

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration : The team-based approach fosters cross-functional collaboration, leveraging diverse perspectives and expertise from various departments, leading to more robust and well-rounded solutions.

4. Preventive Measures : The 8D corrective action process incorporates preventive actions to mitigate the recurrence of similar issues, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and proactive problem-solving.

5. Improved Quality and Reliability : By addressing root causes and implementing corrective actions, organizations can enhance the quality and reliability of their products, services, and processes, leading to increased customer satisfaction and cost savings.

6. Knowledge Sharing and Organizational Learning : The documentation and archiving of 8D processes facilitate knowledge sharing and organizational learning, enabling teams to build upon past experiences and lessons learned.

When to Apply 8D Corrective Action

The 8D problem-solving methodology is particularly valuable in situations where:

• Root Cause Analysis is Required: When issues persist despite initial troubleshooting efforts, or when the underlying causes are not immediately apparent, the 8D process can provide a structured approach to root cause analysis.
• Recurring Problems: If an organization experiences recurring problems or quality issues, the 8D methodology can help identify and eliminate the root causes, preventing future occurrences.
• Quality Issues with Significant Impact: When quality issues have a substantial impact on customer satisfaction, safety, regulatory compliance, or financial performance, the rigorous 8D approach can be employed to address the problem comprehensively.
• Complex Problems: For intricate problems involving multiple factors, processes, or departments, the cross-functional nature of the 8D team and the systematic approach can facilitate a thorough investigation and effective solution development.

By understanding the core principles, benefits, and appropriate application scenarios of the 8D problem-solving methodology, organizations can leverage this powerful framework to drive continuous improvement , enhance quality, and maintain a competitive edge in their respective industries.

The Eight Disciplines (8D) Process

At the heart of the 8D corrective action methodology lies a structured, step-by-step approach that guides organizations through eight distinct disciplines. 

Each discipline builds upon the previous one, ensuring a thorough investigation, analysis, and resolution of the problem at hand.

The eight disciplines of the 8D process are designed to facilitate a systematic and disciplined approach to problem-solving, leveraging cross-functional collaboration, analytical tools, and data-driven decision-making. 

D0: Planning and Preparation

Before embarking on the 8D corrective action journey, proper planning and preparation are crucial. This initial step, often referred to as Discipline Zero (D0), lays the foundation for a successful problem-solving effort.

During D0, the team gathers relevant information about the problem, assesses the need for interim containment actions, and establishes the prerequisites for forming an effective cross-functional team. 

This stage involves collecting data on symptoms, identifying potential risks, and ensuring that the necessary resources and support are in place to execute the 8D process effectively.

D1: Team Formation

The first formal discipline of the 8D process focuses on assembling a cross-functional team with the collective knowledge, skills, and expertise required to tackle the problem at hand. 

Effective team formation is critical to the success of the 8D corrective action effort, as it ensures diverse perspectives and a comprehensive understanding of the issue.

During D1, team members are carefully selected from various departments or functions, such as product engineering, process engineering, quality assurance, and data analysis.

Best practices in team formation involve considering factors such as technical expertise, problem-solving skills, interpersonal abilities, and the availability and commitment of potential team members. 

Establishing ground rules, communication protocols, and team-building exercises can further enhance collaboration and effective teamwork.

D2: Problem Description

In Discipline 2, the team focuses on accurately describing the problem, utilizing quantitative data and evidence-based approaches. 

This step is crucial, as it establishes a shared understanding of the issue and guides the subsequent steps of the 8D process.

The problem description involves defining the problem statement in specific, measurable terms, identifying the affected product or process, and quantifying the impact on operations, quality, customer satisfaction, and costs. 

Tools such as the “ 5 Whys ” technique, Ishikawa (fishbone) diagrams , and “ Is/Is Not ” analysis can aid in this process, helping to capture relevant details and categorize information.

D3: Interim Containment Actions

While the team works towards identifying and implementing permanent solutions, Discipline 3 focuses on implementing interim containment actions to mitigate the immediate impact of the problem and protect customers from further exposure.

Interim containment actions are temporary measures designed to isolate the problem and prevent it from causing further harm or spreading to other areas, processes, or products. 

These actions may include segregating defective products, implementing additional inspections or checks, or introducing manual oversight until permanent corrective actions are in place.

It is essential to verify the effectiveness of interim containment actions and monitor their implementation to ensure that they are successful in containing the problem and minimizing its impact on operations and customers.

D4: Root Cause Analysis

At the core of the 8D corrective action process lies Discipline 4, which focuses on identifying the root causes of the problem through rigorous analysis and data-driven investigation. 

This step is crucial, as it lays the foundation for developing effective and sustainable corrective actions.

During root cause analysis, the team employs various analytical tools and techniques, such as comparative analysis , fault tree analysis , and root cause verification experiments. 

These methods help to isolate and verify the underlying causes of the problem, separating symptoms from true root causes.

Thorough documentation and verification of root causes are essential in this discipline, ensuring that the team has a solid foundation for developing effective corrective actions.

D5: Permanent Corrective Actions (PCAs)

Building upon the insights gained from root cause analysis , Discipline 5 focuses on selecting and verifying permanent corrective actions (PCAs) that address the identified root causes and mitigate the risk of future occurrences.

During this stage, the team evaluates potential corrective actions based on their effectiveness in addressing the root causes, as well as their feasibility, cost, and potential impact on other processes or systems. 

Risk assessment tools, such as Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), can aid in this evaluation process.

Once the most appropriate corrective actions have been selected, the team verifies their effectiveness through pilot testing , simulations, or other validation methods. 

This step ensures that the proposed solutions will indeed resolve the problem and prevent its recurrence without introducing unintended consequences.

Detailed planning and documentation of the corrective actions, including acceptance criteria, implementation timelines, and responsibilities, are critical components of Discipline 5.

D6: Implementation and Validation

In Discipline 6, the team focuses on implementing the selected permanent corrective actions and validating their effectiveness in resolving the problem and preventing future occurrences.

This stage involves developing a comprehensive project plan that outlines the steps, timelines, and resources required for successful implementation. 

Effective communication and coordination with all relevant stakeholders, including cross-functional teams and management, are essential to ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruptions.

During implementation, the team closely monitors the progress and performance of the corrective actions, gathering data and feedback to validate their effectiveness. 

This validation process may involve conducting simulations, inspections, or collecting performance metrics to assess the impact of the implemented solutions.

If the validation process reveals any shortcomings or unintended consequences, the team may need to revisit the corrective actions, make adjustments, or conduct further root cause analysis to address any remaining issues.

D7: Preventive Actions

Discipline 7 of the 8D process focuses on taking preventive measures to ensure that the lessons learned and improvements made during the problem-solving journey are embedded into the organization’s processes, systems, and culture.

In this stage, the team reviews similar products, processes, or areas that could be affected by the same or similar root causes, identifying opportunities to apply preventive actions more broadly. 

This proactive approach helps to mitigate the risk of future occurrences and promotes a culture of continuous improvement .

Effective implementation of preventive actions requires cross-functional collaboration, clear communication, and ongoing monitoring to ensure their sustained effectiveness.

D8: Closure and Celebration

The final discipline of the 8D process, D8, serves as a critical step in recognizing the team’s efforts, sharing lessons learned, and celebrating the successful resolution of the problem.

During this stage, the team conducts a final review of the problem-solving journey, documenting key lessons and insights that can be applied to future projects. 

This documentation not only preserves institutional knowledge but also facilitates continuous improvement by enabling the organization to build upon past experiences.

Equally important is the recognition and celebration of the team’s achievements. By acknowledging the collective efforts, dedication, and collaboration of team members, organizations can foster a positive and supportive culture that values problem-solving and continuous improvement.

Formal recognition events, such as team presentations or awards ceremonies, can be organized to showcase the team’s accomplishments and highlight the impact of their work on the organization’s quality, customer satisfaction, and overall performance.

By completing the eight disciplines of the 8D process, organizations can effectively navigate complex problems, identify root causes, implement sustainable solutions, and establish a foundation for continuous improvement and organizational learning.

Integrating 8D Corrective Action with Quality Management Systems

While the 8D problem-solving methodology offers a robust framework for addressing quality issues and driving continuous improvement, its effectiveness can be further amplified by integrating it with an organization’s quality management systems . 

Leveraging enterprise-level software solutions can streamline the 8D process, enhance collaboration, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

The Role of EQMS in 8D Corrective Action

Enterprise Quality Management Software (EQMS) plays a pivotal role in supporting the successful implementation of the 8D corrective action methodology. 

By utilizing an EQMS, teams can benefit from features such as:

• Standardized 8D Workflows: Pre-configured 8D workflows and templates ensure consistency and adherence to best practices, guiding teams through each discipline with clearly defined tasks, responsibilities, and timelines.
• Collaboration and Communication: EQMS platforms facilitate cross-functional collaboration by providing secure document sharing, real-time updates, and centralized communication channels, ensuring that all stakeholders remain informed and engaged throughout the 8D process.
• Data Management and Reporting: Comprehensive data management capabilities within an EQMS enable teams to easily capture, analyze, and report on quality data, facilitating data-driven decision-making and root cause analysis during the 8D process.
• Integration with Quality Systems: EQMS solutions often integrate with other quality management systems, such as corrective and preventive action (CAPA) systems, enabling seamless information sharing and ensuring that the insights gained from the 8D process are incorporated into broader quality improvement initiatives.

Automating 8D Corrective Action Workflows

One of the key advantages of leveraging an EQMS is the ability to automate 8D workflows, streamlining the process and reducing the administrative burden on teams. 

Automated workflows also facilitate consistent documentation and record-keeping, which is essential for maintaining compliance with industry regulations and standards, as well as enabling knowledge sharing and organizational learning.

Data-Driven Decision-making

The 8D corrective action methodology heavily relies on data-driven decision-making, particularly during the root cause analysis and corrective action selection phases. 

An EQMS provides teams with powerful data analysis and reporting capabilities, enabling them to quickly identify trends, patterns, and correlations that can inform their decision-making process.

Continuous Improvement Culture

Ultimately, the integration of the 8D methodology with an EQMS fosters a culture of continuous improvement within an organization. 

The insights gained from the 8D process, coupled with the robust reporting and analytics capabilities of an EQMS, provide organizations with a wealth of data and knowledge that can be leveraged to drive ongoing process optimization and quality enhancement initiatives.

Case Studies and Examples of 8D Corrective Action

To illustrate the practical application and impact of the 8D problem-solving methodology, let us explore a few real-world case studies and examples from various industries. 

These examples will showcase how organizations have successfully leveraged the 8D approach to address quality issues, resolve complex problems, and drive continuous improvement.

Manufacturing Quality Issues

In the manufacturing sector, where quality and reliability are paramount, the 8D methodology has proven invaluable in addressing a wide range of issues. 

One notable example is a leading automotive parts manufacturer that faced recurring quality issues with a critical component, resulting in costly rework and customer dissatisfaction.

By implementing the 8D process, a cross-functional team was assembled to investigate the problem. Through root cause analysis , they identified a flaw in the supplier’s raw material handling processes, leading to inconsistencies in the component’s material properties.

The team implemented interim containment actions to segregate and inspect incoming materials, while also working with the supplier to implement permanent corrective actions, such as upgrading their material handling equipment and revising their quality control procedures.

Service Industry Applications of 8D Corrective Action

While the 8D corrective action approach is often associated with manufacturing, it has also proven valuable in the service industry, where quality and process excellence are equally critical. 

A prominent financial institution faced challenges with excessive customer complaints related to billing errors and account discrepancies.

By implementing the 8D methodology, a cross-functional team analyzed the problem, identifying root causes such as outdated software systems, inadequate training for customer service representatives, and inefficient data entry processes.

The team implemented interim containment actions, including manual account audits and increased customer communication, while also developing permanent corrective actions, such as upgrading their billing software, revising training programs, and streamlining data entry procedures.

Healthcare and Life Sciences

In the healthcare and life sciences industries, where patient safety and regulatory compliance are paramount, the 8D methodology has proven invaluable in addressing quality issues and mitigating risks.

A prominent pharmaceutical company faced a recurring issue with contamination in one of its drug products, posing potential health risks and regulatory concerns.

By implementing the 8D corrective action process, a cross-functional team investigated the issue, identifying root causes related to inadequate environmental controls in the manufacturing facility and inconsistencies in the cleaning and sterilization procedures.

Interim containment actions included quarantining and recalling affected product batches, while permanent corrective actions focused on upgrading the facility’s HVAC systems, revising cleaning and sterilization protocols, and implementing enhanced environmental monitoring.

Automotive Industry (origin of 8D Corrective Action)

It is fitting to revisit the automotive industry, where the 8D methodology originated. In a recent case study, a major automaker faced recurring issues with engine failures in one of their popular vehicle models, leading to costly warranty claims and customer dissatisfaction.

By implementing the 8D process, a cross-functional team investigated the issue, identifying root causes related to a design flaw in the engine’s cooling system and inadequate testing procedures during the product development phase.

Interim containment actions included issuing technical service bulletins and providing temporary cooling system modifications for affected vehicles.

Permanent corrective actions focused on redesigning the engine’s cooling system, implementing more rigorous testing protocols, and enhancing communication between the engineering and manufacturing teams.

Through the 8D process and integration with their quality management practices, the automaker successfully resolved the engine failure issue, regained customer trust, and enhanced their overall product quality and reliability.

The 8D corrective action problem-solving method has proven extremely useful for handling thorny quality issues, continuously upgrading workflows, and cultivating an excellence culture in businesses.

By pairing its structured team approach with analytical tools and fact-based choices, the 8D process empowers companies to uncover root causes. It also helps implement lasting fixes and prevent repeating mistakes through establishing protective measures.

As the case studies and examples show, it’s been put to great use across many industries from manufacturing to healthcare where it originated in automotive.

Its flexibility and power have made 8D valued for boosting quality, improving customer satisfaction and staying ahead competitively no matter the market.

The Eight Disciplines methodology remains a strong tool for companies serious about excellence, innovation, and customer focus.

By wholeheartedly embracing this robust framework and blending it with modern quality practices, businesses can expertly handle complex problems. They can also unlock fresh opportunities and build the foundation for sustainable success.

In other words, don’t sleep on 8D corrective action problem-solving. Its fact-based, team-centric transformation approach strengthens any organization now and into the future.

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Kaizen is about changing the way things are. If you assume that things are all right the way they are, you can’t do kaizen. So change something! —Taiichi Ohno

Inspect and Adapt

Inspect & adapt: overview.

The Inspect and Adapt (I&A) is a significant event held at the end of each PI, where the current state of the Solution is demonstrated and evaluated. Teams then reflect and identify improvement backlog items via a structured problem-solving workshop.

The Agile Manifesto emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement through the following principle: “At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.”

In addition, SAFe includes ‘relentless improvement’ as one of the four SAFe Core Values as well as a dimension of the Continuous Learning Culture core competency. While opportunities to improve can and should occur continuously throughout the PI (e.g., Iteration Retrospectives ), applying some structure, cadence, and synchronization helps ensure that there is also time set aside to identify improvements across multiple teams and Agile Release Trains .

All ART stakeholders participate along with the Agile Teams in the I&A event. The result is a set of improvement backlog items that go into the ART Backlog for the next PI Planning event. In this way, every ART improves every PI. A similar I&A event is held by Solution Trains .

The I&A event consists of three parts:

PI System Demo

• Quantitative and qualitative measurement
• Retrospective and problem-solving workshop

Participants in the I&A should be, wherever possible, all the people involved in building the solution. For an ART, this includes:

• The Agile teams
• Release Train Engineer (RTE)
• System and Solution Architects
• Product Management ,  Business Owners , and other stakeholders

Additionally, Solution Train stakeholders may also attend this event.

The PI System Demo is the first part of the I&A, and it’s a little different from the regular system demos after every iteration. This demo shows all the Features the ART has developed during the PI. Typically the audience is broader; for example, Customers or Portfolio representatives are more likely to attend this demo. Therefore, the PI system demo tends to be a little more formal, and extra preparation and setup are usually required. But like any other system demo, it should be timeboxed to an hour or less, with the level of abstraction high enough to keep stakeholders actively engaged and providing feedback.

Before or as part of the PI system demo, Business Owners collaborate with each Agile Team to score the actual business value achieved for each of their Team PI Objectives , as illustrated in Figure 1.

The achievement score is calculated by separately totaling the business value for the plan and actual columns. The uncommitted objectives are not included in the total plan. However, they are part of the total actual. Then divide the actual total by the planned total to calculate the achievement score illustrated in Figure 1.

Quantitative and Qualitative Measurement

In the second part of the I&A event, teams collectively review any quantitative and qualitative metrics they have agreed to collect, then discuss the data and trends. In preparation for this, the RTE and the Solution Train Engineer are often responsible for gathering the information, analyzing it to identify potential issues, and facilitating the presentation of the findings to the ART.

Each team’s planned vs. actual business value is rolled up to create the ART predictability measure, as shown in Figure 2.

Reliable trains should operate in the 80–100 percent range; this allows the business and its external stakeholders to plan effectively. (Note: Uncommitted objectives are excluded from the planned commitment. However, they are included in the actual business value achievement, as can also be seen in Figure 1.)

Retrospective

The teams then run a brief (30 minutes or less) retrospective to identify a few significant issues they would like to address during the problem-solving workshop . There is no one way to do this; several different Agile retrospective formats can be used [3].

Based on the retrospective and the nature of the problems identified, the facilitator helps the group decide which issues they want to tackle. Each team may work on a problem, or, more typically, new groups are formed from individuals across different teams who wish to work on the same issue. This self-selection helps provide cross-functional and differing views of the problem and brings together those impacted and those best motivated to address the issue.

Key ART stakeholders—including Business Owners, customers, and management—join the retrospective and problem-solving workshop teams. The Business Owners can often unblock the impediments outside the team’s control.

Problem-Solving Workshop

The ART holds a structured, root-cause problem-solving workshop to address systemic problems. Root cause analysis provides a set of problem-solving tools used to identify the actual causes of a problem rather than just fixing the symptoms. The RTE typically facilitates the session in a timebox of two hours or less.

Figure 3 illustrates the steps in the problem-solving workshop.

The following sections describe each step of the process.

Agree on the Problem(s) to Solve

American inventor Charles Kettering is credited with saying that “a problem well stated is a problem half solved.” At this point, the teams have self-selected the problem they want to address. But do they agree on the details of the problem, or is it more likely that they have differing perspectives? To this end, the teams should spend a few minutes clearly stating the problem, highlighting the ‘what,’ ‘where,’ ‘when,’ and ‘impact’ as concisely as possible. Figure 4 illustrates a well-written problem statement.

Perform Root Cause Analysis

Effective problem-solving tools include the fishbone diagram and the ‘5 Whys.’ Also known as an Ishikawa Diagram , a fishbone diagram is a visual tool to explore the causes of specific events or sources of variation in a process. Figure 5 illustrates the fishbone diagram with a summary of the previous problem statement written at the head of the ‘fish.’

For our problem-solving workshop, the main bones often start with the default categories of people, processes, tools, program, and environment. However, these categories should be adapted as appropriate.

Team members then brainstorm causes that they think contribute to solving the problem and group them into these categories. Once a potential cause is identified, its root cause is explored with the 5 Whys technique. By asking ‘why’ five times, the cause of the previous cause is uncovered and added to the diagram. The process stops once a suitable root cause has been identified, and the same process is then applied to the next cause.

Identify the Biggest Root Cause

Pareto Analysis, also known as the 80/20 rule, is used to narrow down the number of actions that produce the most significant overall effect. It uses the principle that 20 percent of the causes are responsible for 80 percent of the problem. It’s beneficial when many possible courses of action compete for attention, which is almost always the case with complex, systemic issues.

Once all the possible causes-of-causes are identified, team members then cumulatively vote on the item they think is the most significant factor contributing to the original problem. They can do this by dot voting. For example, each person gets five votes to choose one or more causes they think are most problematic. The team then summarizes the votes in a Pareto chart, such as the example in Figure 6, which illustrates their collective consensus on the most significant root cause.

Restate the New Problem

The next step is to pick the cause with the most votes and restate it clearly as a problem. Restating it should take only a few minutes, as the teams clearly understand the root cause.

Brainstorm Solutions

At this point, the restated problem will start to imply some potential solutions. The team brainstorms as many possible corrective actions as possible within a fixed timebox (about 15–30 minutes). The rules of brainstorming apply here:

• Generate as many ideas as possible
• Do not allow criticism or debate
• Let the imagination soar
• Explore and combine ideas

Create Improvement Backlog Items

The team then cumulatively votes on up to three most viable solutions. These potential solutions are written as improvement stories and features, planned in the following PI Planning event. During that event, the RTE helps ensure that the relevant work needed to deliver the identified improvements is planned. This approach closes the loop, thus ensuring that action will be taken and that people and resources are dedicated as necessary to improve the current state.

Following this practice, problem-solving becomes routine and systematic, and team members and ART stakeholders can ensure that the train is solidly on its journey of relentless improvement.

Inspect and Adapt for Solution Trains

The above describes a rigorous approach to problem-solving in the context of a single ART. If the ART is part of a Solution Train, the I&A event will often include key stakeholders from the Solution Train. In larger value streams, however, an additional Solution Train I&A event may be required, following the same format.

Due to the number of people in a Solution Train, attendees at the large solution I&A event cannot include everyone, so stakeholders are selected that are best suited to address the problems. This subset of people consists of the Solution Train’s primary stakeholders and representatives from the various ARTs and Suppliers .

Last update: 22 January 2023

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The Lean Post / Articles / Problem Solving For Lean Continuous Improvement

Problem Solving

Problem Solving For Lean Continuous Improvement

By David Verble

March 14, 2011

What does real lean problem-solving look like? In this column, David Verble shares his experience at Toyota, revealing how the company culture bases its problem-solving approach on facts; and how problem solving really begins rather than ends when implementation starts.

If a problem solving culture is the means to continuous improvement as a way of doing business it may be helpful to “unpack” the term and consider what it implies.  At first glance neither part of the term seems anything special.  All companies have a culture and all companies solve problems to some degree.  The question, then, is what is different about this problem solving culture that many continuous improvement leaders want to have?  In this column I will consider the nature of the problem solving required for Lean continuous improvement.  In a later column I want to explore the “culture” side of the Lean problem solving culture equation.

Since Toyota is the model most often held up as a problem solving culture it seems logical to see what can be learned from what they do. In my last column I shared some facts about the breadth and depth of Toyota’s problem solving culture. It is an environment in which don’t just have ideas for improvement but take the initiative to get agreement to try them out and if they are proven effective then submit dozens of them as suggestions annually for recognition and reward.  The key question for others wanting such a problem solving culture is what does the problem solving involved look like?

First, problem solving as it is carried out in Toyota has two distinguishing features. One is the requirement that everything described or claimed in the problem solving process (the problem itself; the target condition, the direct cause, the root cause) be based on confirmed facts and not assumption and interpretation. 

The burden of proof on the problem solver is emphasized through questions and expectations such as, “What’s the real problem?”, “Go to the gemba and grasp the actual condition first hand.”, “What is purpose?”, “How do you know that?”, “Keep asking Why, at least 5 times.”, “How do you know you have an agreement to your plan?”  All of these reinforce the expectation that the person claiming to have the solution to a problem or an effective improvement be able to demonstrate with observed facts and data and not just assumptions and opinions why he or she believes a proposed countermeasure to a problem is the right one and will work . 

Is this different from most problem solving practice and if so, how?  Situations observed in two companies are typical of much problem solving practice.  In the first example the managers of production, maintenance, planning, materials handling, quality and safety in a machining operation were in their weekly production meeting. They were discussing being behind schedule on deliveries and how they would make up the shortfalls. Someone mentioned the impact on run time of grinding machines leaking oil.  For 30 minutes the group discussed when the machines could be shut down to fix the leaks, who was to blame for the leaks and issues with the design of the equipment. Finally someone asked exactly which machines are leaking. No one knew.

The second observation was in a center processing credit applications.  A team of specialists had been working for six weeks collecting and analyzing data to determine why the operators were running an average of seventy-five seconds over cycle time for initial review of the applications. In spite of their in-depth analyses and experiments the specialists were unable to find the cause of the delay.  Finally a session with a group of operators to ask their ideas for fixing the problem was proposed.  The group suggested giving the operators a second monitor to have the review guidelines displayed all the time.  Since the guidelines had been revised they were finding they frequently had to get out of an application and bring the new guidelines up on their screens to confirm instructions. During six weeks of studying the operation none of the specialists had thought to ask the operators what they knew about the delays.

These two situations illustrate an all too common pattern.  In many companies problem solving consists of a discussion in a conference room away from the problem.  Problem solving proceeds based on partial knowledge and assumption.  Seldom is there an effort to go to the site of a problem to observe what is actually happening and ask for the input of those doing the work at the site. There is a leap from problem recognition to solution without taking time to determine the real problem or its cause.  This is not the kind of fact-based problem solving that Toyota demands for deciding countermeasures and prosing improvements.

There is a second key distinguishing feature of problem solving at Toyota and it has few parallels in problem solving in North American settings.  It is the recognition that problem solving really begins rather than ends when implementation starts.  Expressions like “Planning is essential; things never go according to plan” indicate the perspective on implementation.  A plan is a theory of both what will address the problem of a cause and what it will take to implement a countermeasure to that cause.  The implementation process is a learning process to find out what actually will be required to put countermeasures in place and eliminate a problem. 

In the Toyota perspective implementation or “DO” is part of the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle but there are also many smaller PDCA cycles in the DO phase.  It is recognized that a plan is no guarantee of implementation according to plan and that constant checking and grasping the situation are necessary to have things go according to plan. Two key practices during DO in Toyota’s approach to implementation are “managing performance to plan” and checking “Plan versus Actual.”  The emphasis is on picking up gaps between what was planned and what is actually happening during implementation, identifying their causes and making countermeasures to close the gaps.  Another way of looking at implementation as practiced in Toyota is that you are likely to need to solve a lot of problems to actually solve a problem or make an improvement. This approach might be better described as problem resolution rather than problem solving.

These practices are in contrast to the typical approaches to implementation in North America.  In North American companies many admit the approach is often more P-D than P-D-C-A.  Implementation in North America seems characterized by two extremes.  On one hand is what appears to be the assumption that once the solution to a problem is identified that the hard work is over and everything will fall into place because now the solution is known.  This may be a reflection of the nature of problem solving as experienced in math and science classes in school and college. Students are taught if they take the data given, plug it into a formula in the right places and perform the operation correctly they will get the answer. Problem solved. The difference is textbook problems are structured problems.  Most of the problems encountered in business, technical operations and human systems are unstructured.  The desired outcome is not know; the data is not given; there is not formula to use, and there are often many, not just one answer.

At the other extreme is the detailed project planning and management approach that breaks implementation down into a series of numbered tasks.  The breakdown of goals and actions to identify those tasks is often done by specialists and the tasks are assigned by project managers who are removed from the work processes that will be used or changed.  There are checks at phase gates or major milestones but progress is often evaluated with codes such as green, yellow and red.  What is frequently missing is consideration of the nature and causes of the red and green gaps and whether what has actually been achieved by “green” progress is the outcome that is needed.

Fact-based problem solving, project management following the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and Plan-versus-Actual problem solving to drive implementation of countermeasures are key features of the Toyota Way of problem solving.  So is Respect for People as people with problem solving capability?  This column has looked at the technical side of a problem solving culture based on the Toyota example. In a later column I will explore the social system side of problem solving culture.

Written by:

About David Verble

A performance improvement consultant and leadership coach since 2000, David has been an LEI faculty member for 17 years. Recognized as one of the first Toyota-trained managers to bring A3 thinking from Japan to the United States, he has conducted A3 problem-solving and leadership programs for 30 years. Overall, his…

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Continuous Improvement Tools Every Business Should Know

The Silicon Review 20 May, 2024

Companies must consistently refine their methods and procedures to stay competitive in today's evolving business environment. Constant improvement involves maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste by evaluating processes, pinpointing areas for enhancement, and making changes to boost productivity and foster innovation. Businesses can utilize effective tools to support this journey of progress. Let's delve into some of the tools for continuous improvement that every company should be familiar with.

1. Gemba Walks: Engaging with Frontline Operations

Gemba walks are an impactful approach to gaining real-time insights into operational tasks. During a Gemba walk, managers visit the work area to observe how tasks are carried out closely. This direct engagement with frontline staff allows managers to spot bottlenecks or inefficiencies in processes and collect input from those directly involved to optimize with continuous improvement resources .

2. Pareto Analysis: Prioritizing Impactful Actions

Pareto analysis is rooted in the 80/20 principle, which suggests that 80% of outcomes stem from 20% of causes. By employing analysis, businesses can concentrate on key elements that significantly influence their operational effectiveness. This prioritization is essential for teams to effectively manage resources and address issues before dealing with significant ones.

3. Visualizing Process Steps through Value Stream Mapping

Value stream mapping offers a representation of a business's process from beginning to end. By outlining each step and decision made throughout the process, companies can identify areas for improvement or unnecessary activities that do not contribute value to the outcome. This approach enables organizations to streamline processes by removing value-added steps or adjusting workflows for optimal efficiency.

4. Delving Deeper with Root Cause Analysis

Conducting a root cause analysis can help companies uncover the causes of recurring problems or unexpected challenges. Root cause analysis involves looking beyond surface-level symptoms and tracing them back to their origin. It empowers organizations to address the root cause rather than just treating symptoms, thereby preventing issues.

5. Challenging Assumptions with the 5 Whys Technique

The 5 Whys technique is a tool for identifying the causes of problems or breakdowns. By asking "why" five times, teams can delve deeper into each response and unveil underlying factors that contribute to an issue. This method promotes thinking by challenging assumptions and uncovering connections between seemingly unrelated occurrences.

6. SWOT Analysis: Assessing External Factors

The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis is a planning technique used to assess an organization's internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats in its market environment. By conducting a SWOT analysis, companies can pinpoint their areas of excellence areas requiring enhancement, potential opportunities for pursuit, and looming threats that necessitate proactive measures.

7. DMAIC: The Six Sigma Strategy

DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) is a data-focused approach commonly employed in the Six Sigma methodology. It offers a framework for process enhancement initiatives to produce outcomes and minimize defects or mistakes. DMAIC encompasses all phases of improvement—from setting project objectives to data analysis and enhancement implementation to establishing control measures for sustaining performance improvements.

8. Kaizen: Cultivating a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Kaizen, a Japanese term meaning "change for better," embodies the philosophy of continuous improvement through small, incremental changes. This approach encourages all employees, from top management to frontline workers, to suggest and implement improvements within their areas. By fostering a culture where everyone is involved in enhancing processes and systems, Kaizen helps businesses stay agile, innovative , and responsive to changes. Regularly conducting Kaizen events or workshops can identify and resolve inefficiencies, ultimately leading to sustained operational excellence and increased employee engagement.

Integrating these tools for improvement within your organization will boost overall effectiveness, foster innovation, and nurture a culture of learning and development among employees. Continuous improvement should be seen as a voyage rather than a one-off endeavor—a mentality embraced by all members of the organization.

It's important to keep in mind that although integrating these tools is vital, consistently assessing your progress and customizing them to fit your business requirements is just as essential for achieving success. Establishing a framework of enhancement through the adoption of these tools positions companies toward long-term growth, heightened customer contentment, and a competitive edge.

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