FICCI

C on tin uo us im pr

ov em en t

CE

FICCI

Continuous improvement

CE

The ongoing improvement of products, services or processes through incremental and breakthrough improvements

FICCI

CE

Steps to continuous improvementAccording to ISO, the application of this principle involves:I. Employing a consistent organizationwide approach to continual improvement of the organizations performance. II. Making continual improvement of products, processes and systems an objective for every individual in the organization.

FICCI

CE

Steps to continuous improvementcontd.III. Establishing goals to guide, and measures to track, continual improvement. IV. Providing people with training in the methods and tools of continual improvement. V. Recognizing improvements. and acknowledging

FICCI

CE

Guidelines for institutionalizing continuous improvement Find out your strengths and weaknesses through an organizational assessment. Focus on weak areas. ( You must have done this in the preceding section ) Keep doing regular PDCAs ( Plan Do Check Act ). Make continuous improvement process a team effort and ensure that everyone involved has the opportunity to take ownership of the process.

FICCI

CE

Guidelines for institutionalizing continuous improvement It is critical to build partnerships with key customers, suppliers and stakeholders for effective and better results. Instead of focussing your attention on too many issues, it is important to set priorities and focus on vital few issues.

FICCI

CE

Guidelines... To get early results, it is good to work with enthusiasts and those who are fully supportive of the continuous improvement process. Strive for some small tangible early successes and make the most of these through recognition and publicity.

FICCI

CE

Guidelines... Make sure to provide the relevant information and resources to every one who needs them for continuous improvement. Celebrate achievements and make it fun.

FICCI

CE

Focus on top priority issuesThe initial assessment will help you to determine the priorities based upon the current status of the organization. Your plan should address only those high priority issues which you can tackle now with the time and resources available. All the other unimportant improvement activities can be set aside to enable your efforts to be focused on vital few.

FICCI

CE

Top priority issues Customer relationship and focus Employee relationships and involvement Process improvement Information systems Measurement and tracking Awareness raising and education Supplier relationships Creation of support infrastructure

FICCI

CE

Dealing with setbacks and failuresWhenever the continuous improvement process has failed or falls much short of the targets, it is often due to something very important missing from your plan. It could be due to the following reasons : Lack of top management involvement and support Lack of tangible goals Complacency due to past success Incorrect assessment Lack of prioritization Non application of tools