Implementing continuous improvement program to increase organizational effectiveness and performance

Continuous Improvement (CI), or Kaizen, is a company culture of identifying opportunities, streamlining work and reducing waste. It’s an ongoing effort to enhance processes, goods or services, through small and incremental steps. The methodology considers that no process is complete, and there is always room for improvement. Continuous improvement programs (CIP) include implementing new opportunities for improvement, measuring their impact, and sharing knowledge. The purpose of CIP is to improve the performance, efficiency, and effectiveness of an organization over time.

Kaizen approach to CI emphasizes simple-to-implement adjustments as even small improvements can have a big impact on other parts of an organization. On the other hand, Kanban is a visual management system which emphasizes optimizing workflows and minimizing waste. Using Kanban in tier continuous improvement programs, teams can visualize work, identify bottlenecks, and optimize the flow of tasks through the system. While both Kaizen and Kanban can go hand-in-hand, Group50 consulting firm focuses on the below 5 elements to successfully implementing continuous improvement program.

Align continuous improvement with strategic objectives: This will help in making an impact quickly for credibility and momentum. For this, Grou50 recommends using Business Hierarchy of Needs® as a test for determining what all needs to be done, and how.

Don’t overdo process excellence at the outset: After aligning the Continuous Improvement program, the company needs to start small and gain some momentum by working on projects that deal with strategic and operating gaps. Projects addressing gaps will have high visibility and high impact. Also, remember Plan-Do-Check-Adjust (PDCA) on your continuous improvement roadmap. PDCA cycle involves planning a change, implementing it, observing the results, and then taking corrective actions based on these observations.

Integrate continuous improvement into a culture of strategic execution: High- performance cultures require a clear strategy. Clarify your vision, mission and values, and set objectives throughout the organization. Organization is a very important consideration for continuous improvement programs. They need to have the right direction, the right tools and the right support for sustaining the program.

Blend the best practices from the different methodologies: Focusing on one methodology for continuous improvement program can limit progress, diminish innovation and restrain the organization’s ability to realize its full potential. Use the best tool for the activity picking from Six Sigma, Lean, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Business Process Re-engineering, and other techniques to deliver results.

Focus on data, not emotions: Embrace the discipline of the process and the rigor of data-driven decisions. Emphasize measures and metrics. Hold people accountable. This will become your new culture. Remember that the company’s strategy and data are the only things used to justify projects and measure their success.

The first step to institute any change is to determine where you stand in terms of gaps: strategic, operational and organizational. A good benchmark framework to identify those gaps is Group50’s Business Hierarchy of Needs®. Its first level focuses on fully developing strategic plans defined by the organization’s most important goals (MIG) that address strategic and operational gaps. Level 2 of Business Hierarchy of Needs® focuses on winning behaviors and critical thinking and rewarding those who routinely achieve their stated objectives. Level 3 is the implementation phase that creates an environment of continuous improvement based on global best practices and process re-engineering, utilizing technology, automation, and cobotics.

Group50.com is a top US based Global management consulting firm that helps businesses develop performance. Our Strategy Execution Consulting Services and Business Process Management Services quickly automate business growths & profitability.