Continous Improvement Project

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Continuous improvement in an organization 1

Continuous improvement in an organization

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Continuous improvement encompasses initiatives that are bound to increase success

while minimizing failures. It is a new approach to achieving competitive excellence in the

market, and the process involves individuals at all levels of any organizational structure. In a

move aimed at fostering a culture of improvement in organizations, continuous improvement

advocates the eradication of waste in the systems and processes of any organization (SSA &

Company, 2013). All workers are expected to work in harmony for the success of continuous

improvements.

Organizations are bound to witness change as a result of continuous improvements, and

management of such change is of the essence. Changes in organizations mainly focus on the

development and strengthening of the organization, performance, and future sustainment.

Organizational change involves the alteration of activities in an organization, and these activities

may involve changes in the organizational structure, modification of undertakings and

incorporation of new technology. The attitude of employees may change in the process and these

change need to be handled with caution. There are two different forms of organizational change;

reactive and proactive change. Reactive changes are necessitated by external factors in the

surrounding environment unlike dynamic changes that are necessitated by the internal needs o

the organization.

The external forces that stand to necessitate the need for change and continuous

improvements in the organization include competition, legislation, and the prevailing economic

environment. Technological advancements and the social-cultural environment are other external

factors that may dictate the need for change. Internal factors that may arise a need for change

include the financial capability and constraints facing the organization and the need for change in


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the systems of the organization. Changes in the organization structure may also be necessary i

the existing structure is not streamlined with the objectives of the organization (Hajec, 2014)

The evolution of continuous improvement

The aspect of continuous improvements traces its roots to the 19th century, and they

focused a number of principles that are bound to result in improvements. Management during

these years focused on improvements brought about by employees and incentive programs were

set up to reward employees who strive to bring about positive change in organizations (Baghel,

n.d.). In the modern time, continuous improvement emphasizes on methodologies that are not

only comprehensive but also organized.

Methodologies in continuous improvement

A number of methodologies for continuous improvement have emerged over the years

because of the need for change in organizations. Continuous improvement methodologies are

premised on the concept of improving quality and processes; this stands to improve quality,

reduce waste and simplify the line of production. Conventional continuous improvement

methodologies include:

Lean manufacturing

Six sigma

Balanced scorecard

Lean sigma six


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Elements of continuous improvement infrastructure

Continuous improvements are expected to focus on motivating the workforce in place,

and equipping them with relevant skills is bound to enhance the competitiveness of any

organization. In respect to continuous improvements, the decisions of management revolve

around three categories:


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Purpose


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Organizations are expected to align their overall strategic directions with the goals o

operations and this is bound to enable organizations achieve their dynamic capabilities; the

presence of flexibility allows organizations to adjust to environmental changes in their

operational areas. Continuous improvements enable organizations to formulate multilevel

organizational goals; these include devising vision statement, and departmental objectives and

goals. The top-level management in the organization's structure is expected to formulate the

vision of an organization and this is bound to act as a blueprint for the other intermediate levels

of management assisting them in the developments of their goals and objectives. The

intermediate levels of management are responsible for effecting process enhancements, and they

are probable to recommend changes in the undertaking of the organization to the top

management and administration. (Gopesh, 2009).

It is essential for organizations to incorporate effective communication at all levels of the

organization-vertical and horizontal communication; this is bound to enable every employee in

the organization to participate in the formulation of the organizational goals and strategies. The

presence of ideas that seek to improve the process of various undertakings of the organization is

a prerequisite for the success of continuous improvements. The framework for such continuous

improvement is expected to incorporate mechanisms that would enable an organization to select

and prioritize projects, and the effectiveness of the improvements stands to be monitored. The

goals of any improvement project ought to be consistent with the organizational goals and the

teams involved are accountable for the actualization of the improvement efforts.

The importance of the dynamic capabilities of any organization is to effect any alteration

and sudden change. The sustainability of such continuous improvements depends on the

punctuation of periods for the use of standardized and disciplined methods in the process o


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operation. The sustainment of continuous improvements depends on a number of factors.

Organizations are expected to retain their ability of creating new operational capabilities, and the

existing processes are bound to be implemented in a harmonious way.

Organizations can achieve these through the implementation of checks and control

mechanisms and providing employees with opportunities for learning and experimenting coupled

with the necessary motivation is of the essence. Organizations should draw a distinction between

projects that seek enhance the capabilities of the existing process and those that strive to design a

new process. Infrastructure for continuous improvement can guarantee the uniform

implementation of processes of operations with the presence of checks and other control

measures.

Process

Decisions in this category focus on the achievement of the goals of the continuous

improvements to be undertaken by an organization and employees are expected to participate in

the implementation of change. Organizations are expected to maintain a culture of constant

change. It is imperative for any business organization to scrutinize all the underlying variables

and undertake an environmental scanning to ensure that errors do not arise in the pursuit o

organizational improvements. Organizations are bound to implement corrective action upon the

identification of errors, and employees are bound to challenge the existing methods of process

execution and opine on ways of improving the execution process. It is important for any

organization to devise ways of fostering a culture of continuous change in the organization

without overlooking the input of the employees and their importance in the organization.

Employees are bound to embrace the aspect of fostering change in the organization and


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involving them in the process of effecting these changes is an aspect of great importance;

employees are less likely to resist change if they are involved in the formulation of change.

Organization should involve their employees in continued scanning of the environment in

a move aimed at identifying the underlying opportunities and threats surrounding the existing

processes. These help organizations in fostering a culture of change in the organization;

environmental scanning enhances the ability of an organization in reacting to changes in the

surrounding environment. Organizations and their surrounding environment interact at different

levels and scanning of these levels is facilitated through mechanisms of continuous improvement

infrastructure; these facilitate the cascading of the goals of the organization into subunit goals.

Employees who have a clear understanding of organizational goals can clearly infer the effects o

changes in the environment to the organization and the absence of such an understanding would

make scanning of the surrounding environment to be cumbersome to the employees.

Organizations are expected to have the ability of incorporating change swiftly while

focusing on the objectives of the organization. Parallel participation enables organizations to

incorporate change with more pace, and this offers a platform for integrating knowledge with the

undertakings of the organization. It is significant for a business organization to endorse that

mechanisms are in place, and this is to ensure that continuous improvements add value to the

organization. Changes discovered while undertaking continuous improvements ought to be

routinized in a standardized manner across the organization; standardization offers a valid

baseline for further pursuit of improvements and it further provides the organization with a

platform for analyzing root causes facilitating the need for continuous improvements.

Organizations are expected to use standardized improvement and these enhance the


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understanding of the changes that ought to be affected. Standardized progress also makes sure

that all employees utilize the knowledge created while implementing change in an organization.

People

The learning capability of employees is significant to the dynamic capabilities of any

organization; employees have the ability of determining where change ought to be effected by

the organization in response to changes necessitated by the surrounding environment. It is

necessary for employees bestowed with the authority to have specialized roles, and this is

essential for learning and development. Employees require training and exposure to the

application of scientific methods for solving structured problems, and this is bound to encourage

them in pursuing continuous improvements in the organization (LeanCor, n.d.). Incentives

motivate employees to participate in continuous improvement initiatives, and employees end up

feeling safe while contributing to improvement ideas.

Steps in the change process

Lewin-Schein model

Lewin & Schein identified three steps for undertaking the process of change. The first

step of the process is unfreezing; employees find it hard to adjust the attitudes and behavior that

have long been prevailing in the organization. It is important for employees to be sensitized to

the importance of change to avoid the presence of any form of resistance to change. The second

step is the process of changing, and this occurs when individuals embrace and internalize

changes in behavior and attitude that are deemed necessary. The final step of the change process


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as identified by Lewin & Schein is refreezing; this occurs when change in attitude and behavior

is streamlined with the overall objectives of an organization.

Richard Daft

Daft identified the steps that organizations ought to follow for the success of continuous

improvements. The first step is the identification of the needs of the organization, and this is

necessitated by dissatisfaction existing activities and undertakings. Organizations may fail to

meet their goals, compromise the quality of their output or even witness a loss of their valuable

market share, and frustration in these unblocks the acceptance of managers for the apparent need

to implement change.

The second step of Daft's change process is the development of a proposal suggesting the

need for adopting a new idea and the third step includes the implementation of these proposals

following the consent of the top management in an organization.

The final step of the change process involves gathering of all the necessary factors of

production and resources essential to effect change.

Resistance to change

Continuous improvements encompass change. Employees dont frequently greet any

alteration in organizations, and mostly results in confrontation, further by those who are be

affected mostly by the change. Organizational leaders should devise ways of determining the

causes of resistance and devise ways of overcoming such resistance.


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A common cause of resistance to change by the employees in an organization is self-

interest, and this is common in many organizations whenever change their self-interests; some o

the self-interests that employees are keen on securing are job security, power, status, and

economic gain among other interests. Another cause of resistance is uncertainty; change is highly

correlated with uncertainties and employees are bound to reject the change if the resulting

outcome is not certain due to the heightened levels of pessimism. The lack of trust and

understanding on the intended change is another cause of resistance to changes in an

organization. The perceptions of the employees significantly determine their acceptance o

changes in an organization.

Organizational leaders can address resistance to continuous improvements in a number o

ways. It is important for managers and people with authority communicate and educate their

employees on the importance of any intended change in the organization to enhance their

understanding and reduce the level of resistance to change. It is important for leaders in an

organization to involve their employees in planning for change; this is bound to make them

embrace the initiatives of change and continuous improvement. Leaders can also embark on

negotiating with potential resistors in a move aimed avoiding disruption of the process o

change, and they can advocate change in compelling situations.

Organizational development

Organizations are faced with environmental forces that necessitate the need for

continuous improvements in an organization. A systematic way of managing improvements in an

organization is through organizational development. Organizational development acknowledges

the need for change in the structure of the organization, technology and the mode of interaction


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among employees. It recognizes that change is an important aspect of historical revolution; the

nature of organizations is bound to change with time.

With the help of a renewal process, organizational leaders stand to adopt their problem-

solving skills to address changes in the environment surrounding an organization. Organizational

development focuses on improving interactions among employees with the help of a change

agent and this facilitates change. It is an attempt to change systems and restructure them with the

needs of individuals in the system in mind. Organizational development seeks to alter the nature

of an organization and these compliments continuous improvement initiatives since focus is on

the organization as a whole. It also gives focus on how to make the operations of an organization

effective and efficient, and it emphasizes on the effective integration of the organizational units.

Organizational development gives focus to the relation of the organization with other

organizations in the contiguous environment, and the upper management is accountable for its

victory. The move towards organizational growth is premised on humanistic values, and it gives

focus to improving the quality of the employees' life and the competence of the organization.

The assumptions in organizational development are that organizational leaders have the

will to integrate individual goals and the objectives of the organization to avail a mutually

reinforcing relationship that recognizes the needs and objectives of the organization. Individuals

are expected to the desire to achieve, and they have unsatisfied needs. Organizational

development recognizes that individuals and organizations can be changed in order to fulfill their

desires.

Technique used for organizational progress & development

a. Sensitivity training


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are analyzed to figure out the underlying causes. This is followed by propositions of alternative

solutions followed by the selection of the best alternative. These results to the enhancement o

trust and interpersonal support and these stand to complements efforts for sustaining a culture o

continuous improvement.

h. Job enrichment

This technique for organizational development seeks to provide employees in an organization

with an opportunity for personal growth. Job enrichment increases the freedom and

independence of employees, and it offers them a platform for undertaking corrective action.

These stand to enhance the level of employee satisfaction.

Conclusion

Continuous improvement is essential to the success of any organization and every

organization is bound to ensure that any forthcoming obstacle does not hinder the

implementation of continuous improvements organizations are bound to focus on implementing

change that they deem necessary and the needs of the employer ought to be safeguarded.

Continuous improvements can be achieved in a number of ways and this stand to see the success

of organizations in achieving their goals and objectives. Organizations ought to be keen while

effecting continuous improvement to avoid opposition to change, and it is essential for

employees to be included in the formulation of continuous improvements. Continuous

improvement is inevitable in the modern times and organizations are expected to foster a culture

of change in their organizations.


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Continous Improvement Project

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