QUALITY MANAGEMENT

What is Continuous Improvement?

In the continuous improvement process, your organization strives to be ever-improved by reducing waste. Improvement could take the form of improved processes, products, or services.

It is possible to break down continuous improvement into incremental improvements and breakthrough improvements, which affect your organization in different ways.

Incremental Improvements:

These will slowly enhance your organisation through small, more subtle changes that can take longer to be fully implemented into your organisation. Continuous improvement can be achieved by making small steps that have a significant impact on your organization, without disrupting the entire process.

As a result of incremental improvements, employees at all levels have the opportunity to offer ideas, and these ideas are actually considered. If the change is not urgent, this type of continuous improvement will help to reduce any anxieties an employee may have about the change as the change itself will be smaller.

A breakthrough improvement:

When implemented, these will be larger and more radical improvements that may shake up your company. Whenever your organisation is experiencing a crisis or a catastrophe, you will need to take action quickly.

It’s likely that top management will drive this type of improvement.

It is going to be much more expensive to implement breakthrough improvements at first, as the change happens all at once rather than in segments.

Benefits of Continuous Improvement:

• Improved quality and productivity.
• A lower rate of turnover is a result of increased employee satisfaction.
• Demonstrates your ability to keep up with the ever-changing world outside of the organization.
• Decreased costs because of defects or mistakes in products or processes.

Best Practice for Continuous Improvement:

The type of improvement any organization wants to introduce should be carefully weighed up.

In cases where the changes are not urgent and won’t cause too much disruption to employees, it might be preferable to use an incremental approach. If, however, the change is being implemented due to a crisis, especially one involving customers or society as a whole, a breakthrough improvement is likely to be necessary.