Approaches to Continuous Improvement

Continuous Improvement has many different approaches and all of them result
in process improvement and consequently in cost reduction. The following
approaches are used in continuous improvement.

Waste identification, reduction, and elimination

Types of waste:
• Overproduction
• Waiting
• Unjustified inventory
• Unnecessary processing
• Transportation
• Defects
• Unnecessary motion

Sometimes waste is very obvious and it just has to be removed by changing the
way things are done - Just Do it Approach.

Sometimes we need to analyze the process to and reengineer it into a new

process with less waste – Process analysis through process mapping –

Identify and Prevent Recurring Problems

This requires problem-solving and root cause analysis.

Problems can be in quality, supply chain, safety, and maintenance.

A problem-solving story for each problem is to be documented on an A3 for

documentation and sharing the information.

Statistical Process Control

The objective is to stabilize a process and control variability. Less variability

means less defective products and higher efficiencies.

Apply process behavior charts to any measurements on the production lines.

Collect data and plot the behavior process chart.

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Machine Capability Analysis

Conduct periodic capability analysis on all machines to assure that a process

variability lies within the product specifications (Upper and Lower Specification
Limits).

Process Improvement

Use process behavior charts to assure that a process has been improved due to
an intervention in the process and not due to chance variability. This is useful in
any process improvement to increase productivity, efficiency or to reduce
material waste.

Any operational metric should be controlled via a process behavior chart.

Design of Experiments

Learn and use the Design of Experiments techniques to study the impact of input
variables on a response variable in a process. This is very useful to experiment
on a new process especially in the R&D.