In order for an organization to be successful, everyone knows that continuous improvement is critical. But what does that mean, specifically? How do we ensure that our organizations are designed to drive continuous improvement?
I think in terms of Input, Process, Output. I’m a quality geek, a process guy, it’s how we think. So in talking about continuous improvement, I think first about the inputs that are necessary to drive the continuous improvement process. Since most of my professional experience has come as a quality management professional, I also place a high value on an organization’s quality group and its ability to supply critical inputs to the continuous improvement process. The quality group, if it’s been engineered properly, is uniquely positioned to feed the continuous improvement beast.
I call it a beast because its hunger never abates. To be healthy, the beast must be fed constantly. A good quality group is in the business of collecting information on the organization’s defects – exactly the kind of food the continuous improvement beast thrives on.
The key question to ask about your organization in this context thus becomes centered on the quality function. Is it positioned to cast its net over the entire organization, or is it too narrowly focused to provide any substantive insight? Does the data that it collects reside in a centrally located database? Is that data readily accessible? Does the continuous improvement beast know how to get into the database/feeding pen?
The quality function should be looked at as the most critical supplier of continuous improvement nutrition. If that’s not the case in your organization, make re-engineering the quality group job one, and your continuous improvement beast will be strong and healthy.
