Page 254 - The Handbook for Quality Management a Complete Guide to Operational Excellence

PART IV

Continuous

Improvement ChAPTeR 12
Effective Change
Management
ChAPTeR 13
Define Stage
ChAPTeR 14
here are two acceptable methods for implementing Measure Stage
quality improvements: improve performance given
Tthe current system, or improve the system itself. Per- ChAPTeR 15
Analyze Stage
formance improvements within a current system can often
be accomplished by individuals working alone. For exam- ChAPTeR 16
ple: an operator might make certain adjustments to one or Improve/Design Stage
more machine settings, then inform the local supervision ChAPTeR 17
of the superior results; an order processing clerk may Control/Verify Stage
notice that orders can be more quickly completed under
certain conditions, and she works with the supervisor to standardize on this
method. Studies indicate that this sort of action will be responsible for about 5 to
15 percent of the improvements. The remaining 85 to 95 percent of all improve-
ments will require changing the system itself. This is seldom accomplished by
individuals working alone. It requires group action. Thus, the vast majority of
quality improvement activity will take place in a group setting.
While continuous improvement should be a part of everyone’s routine, con-
ditions do not always encourage this behavior. Operating precedents and for-
mal procedures are designed to maintain the status quo. Systems are estab lished
to detect negative departures from the status quo and react to them. Continu-
ous improvement implies that we constantly attempt to change the status quo
for the better. Doing this wisely requires an understanding of the nature of
cause systems. Systems will always exhibit variable levels of perform ance, but
the nature of the variation provides the key to what type of action is appropri-
ate. If a system is “in control” in a statistical sense, then all of the observed vari-
ability is from common causes of variation that are inherent in the system itself.
Improving performance of this stable process calls for fundamental changes to
the system. Other times, systems will exhibit nonrandom variability, detected
as “spe cial causes” of variation on a statistical control chart (see Chap. 9). When
special causes of variation are present, the spe cial cause should be identified
and addressed. It is unwise to take action on the system itself in this case. Like-
wise, looking for “the problem” when the variability is due to common causes

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