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Student Learning Objective 8

Manage continuous improvement and benchmarking activities.

Learning Objective A

Create plans to implement continuous improvement activities in a total quality management environment.

Content

Your textbook provides an excellent coverage of different methodologies to achieve continuous improvement. One item that is noticeably missing is a discussion and graphic for Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle.

Plan-Do-Study-Act Plan in 7 Phases

A more complicated version of the PDCA cycle is shown above that includes seven steps or phases. A new topic in the sixth edition of the textbook is the inclusion of six sigma. I have not added this topic to the handouts and the learning module. The Six Sigma approach is based upon the DMAIC approach. A figure from the Six Sigma Institute (http://www.sixsigmainstitute.com/images/lean%20six%20sigma%20DMAIC%20integration.png) is shown below.

Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control Cycle

Notice the similarities between the PDCA approach and the DMAIC approach.

Slide 2: Continual Improvement

  • Fundamental principle of TQM (review Deming's 14 points and Key Elements of TQM)

  • Solving problems is not continual improvement (the underlying causes still exits and will reoccur)

  • Reading Deming's quote about putting out fires

  • Authors' activities are shown in Figure 19-1 on page 327

Slide 3: Figure19-1

Figure 19.1: Essential Improvement Activities

  • Essential Improvement Activities
  • Communicate
  • Correct Obvious Problems
  • Look Upstream
  • Document and Progress and Problems
  • Monitor Changes

Figure 19.1: Essential Improvement Activities

Slide 4: Scientific Approach

  • "Making decisions based on data, looking for root causes of problems, and seeking permanent solutions instead of relying on quick fixes"

  • A strategy

  • Collect meaningful data

  • Identify root causes of problems

  • Develop appropriate solutions

  • Plan and make changes

Slide 5: Kaizen

  • Japanese approach to continual improvement

  • Value System

  • "Continual improvement of all things, at all levels, all the time, forever"

  • Elements of Kaizen are present in Figure 19-3 on page 333

Slide 6: Figure19-3

Figure 19.3: Elements of Kaizen

  • Elements of Kaizen
  • Customer Focus
  • Teamwork
  • Just-in-Time
  • Quality Circles
  • Automation
  • Labor/Management Cooperation
  • Total Productive Maintenance

Figure 19.3: Elements of Kaizen

Slide 7: Kaizen Five-Step Plan

Often called the 5 S's

  • Seiri--straighten up

  • Seiton--put things in order

  • Seiso--clean up

  • Seiketsu--personal cleanliness

  • Shitsuke--discipline

Slide 8: Besterfield's Comments on Kaizen

Focuses on

  • Value-added and non-value-added work activities

  • Muda, seven classes of waste (over-production, delay, transportation, processing, inventory, wasted motion and defective parts)

  • Principles of motion study

  • Principles of materials handling

  • Documentation of standard operating procedures

  • Five S's

  • Visual management

  • Just-in-time

  • Poka-yoke

  • Team dynamics

Slide 9: What is missing?

I found it interesting that the authors did not include

  • Plan-Do-Check-Act

  • Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control