Page 108 - DMGT524_TOTAL_QUALITY_MANAGEMENT

Unit 8: Continuous Process Improvement

desired results, implementing the process so one can later figure out why it produced the results Notes
it did, and then feeding this insight back to improve the process next time it is used.

8.1 Continuous Process Improvement

Organizations should strive to achieve perfection by continuously improving the business and
production processes. The Goal is to achieve perfection and must continually strive for its
attainment.
Improvement is made by:

Viewing all works as a process, whether it is associated with production or business
activities.
Making all process effective, efficient, and adaptable.
Anticipating changing customer needs.
Controlling in-process performance using measures such as scrap reduction, cycle time,
control charts, and so forth.
Maintaining constructive dissatisfaction with the present level of performance.
Eliminating waste and rework wherever it occurs.
Investigating activities that do not add value to the product or service, with the aim of
eliminating those activities.
Eliminating nonconformities in all phases of everyone’s work, even if the increment of
improvement is small.
Using benchmarking to improve competitive advantage.

Innovating to achieve breakthroughs.
Incorporating lessons learned into future activities.
Using technical tools such as Statistical Process Control (SPC), experimental design,
benchmarking, Quality Function Deployment (QFD), and so forth.

Process

Process refers to business and production activities of an organization. Business processes such
as purchasing, engineering, accounting, and marketing are areas where non-conformance can
present an opportunity for substantial improvement.
There are five basic ways to improve:
1. Reduce resources
2. Reduce errors
3. Meet or exceed expectations of downstream customers
4. Make the process safer
5. Make the process more satisfying to the person doing it

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:

1. …………………… is a very important component of Total Quality Management.
2. …………………… refers to business and production activities of an organization.

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