In my June blog Achieving Improvement, I discussed what makes a project goal achievable and emphasized that it should not be set based solely on the desirability to improve performance. We must identify a specific opportunity that can be reliably and effectively converted into results using a proven, systematic approach. Unfortunately, most continuous improvement (CI) projects I have observed do not meet this criterion.
Understandably, many CI projects are chartered because there is a need to improve business performance. But if the opportunity or path to improvement is not clear, the project has a high risk of failure1. Even if the goal was somehow achieved, it likely took far more time and effort than necessary, as evidenced by many 6-12 month long Green Belt (GB) projects.
While CI professionals are often trained to not assume a solution or even a root cause in Lean Six Sigma projects, the approach to the problem should be well defined for the specific problem. DMAIC or similar one-size-fits-all frameworks are too generic to be helpful. Because most project leaders do not have enough experience to identify the right opportunity for a CI project and follow a proven path to improvement, it is essential that the organization implements an effective system to differentiate opportunities into categories suited for distinct approaches. For example, the categories can include
- Routine improvement by the operators
- Kaizen events
- Lean Six Sigma or DMAIC projects
- Technical projects that require Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
- Management
The system will vary by the organization. In a manufacturing or transactional environment where CI methodologies are applied, I recommend process management as a basic component of the system. Specifically, process management should include, but is not limited to
- Process mapping to understand how things are being done
- Standardization to implement the best knowledge currently available
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) up to date
- Employees trained and qualified to perform the jobs
- All preventative maintenance followed
- Measurement system analysis to ensure reliable data
- Statistical Process Control (SPC) to monitor and stabilize processes
These foundational activities are prerequisites for any process to perform at its optimal level that is achievable by design. If these activities are not consistently followed, even an initially high-performing process will deteriorate.
Any organization striving to improve their processes should start by incorporating these activities into the responsibilities of various roles. Following these activities will regularly uncover many improvement opportunities, most of which can be accomplished by those who are closest to the process. If needed, Quality and CI professionals can train and coach others proper methods and tools.
Ideally, process management should be implemented before initiating CI projects in the area. Routine improvement as a result of process management eliminates countless potential root causes for poor process performance, reducing the need for project-based improvement effort. Any CI projects, if needed, will have a clearer focus, less encumbered by confounding factors.
When organizations fail to build process management in their operations, CI projects are often initiated as a reaction to emergent problems, which are likely due to years of neglect. They hope, with the aid of some magic methodology and heroic efforts, that the projects alone will solve the problems. What they encounter, however, are numerous causes that compound the problem, making a “perfect” situation for inexperienced project leaders in a low CI maturity organization.
Thus projects are a tool of continuous improvement. They are not a substitute for it.2
1. See my blog Six Sigma Project Management for suggestions to reduce project risks.
2. I borrowed a statement by Peter Drucker when he discussed merger & acquisition — “Thus financial transactions are a tool of business policy. They are not a substitute for it.”