Continuous improvement

Continuous improvement indicates an approach with great power. Simple and straight to the goal: improving results.

What is more normal than in regular work regularly discussing the question ‘What could be better’. There’s great potential here. Sometimes it is possible to make full use of this power. The core is that all teams in the organization take responsibility for results.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t speak for itself. For many years, numerous instruments and models have been mobilised to make this possible. Kaizen, Kanban, Six Sigma and Lean testify to this. Recently, Agile, Scrum and Solution Oriented Working also provide tools. However, the experience of the past decades shows that it is above all about the underlying mentality and philosophy. Moreover, there are a few preconditions that deserve serious attention in order to give continuous improvement a chance.

Continuous improvement of preconditions

Role of line management

Time after time it appears that without an active role of the line, the improvement process is difficult. After the consultants and trainers left, things collapsed. If, on the other hand, the line has a clear stimulating and facilitating role, we soon see results. The beginning is that the teams in the organization are addressed on their responsibility for customer and result.

In the following way, for example:

Every part of the organisation, up to and including the teams on the shop floor, will start with three questions. 

• Who are your customers?
• Do you know where you can score with your customers?
• What actions are you going to take to achieve this?

Progress is actively monitored and supported by the top team. Regular progress and exchange meetings with the team leaders keep everyone up to date. The line remains at the helm; no separate project or change trajectory; it concerns regular work. The customer can also be ‘the next in line’ or the internal customer.

The organizational form

A second factor of importance is the structure of the organisation.

• Do the teams have their own product or service or is the work fragmented and bureaucratised?
• Is there a view of the customer: ‘the next in line’ or target group and market?
• Are there forms of feedback on the team’s performance, for example in the form of performance indicators or direct signals from the customer or target group?
• Improving the processes up to and including the customer in the form of a more integral process is sometimes also a necessity.

If several conditions are met then customers are satisfied (2). They notice the difference. Employees in particular then become very enthusiastic (3). Nothing is nicer than that everything ‘runs smoothly’ and you have influence on improving processes yourself; especially when this is done together with partners.