I have recently published a new free guide, with the title: Six Quick Tips to Help Continuous Improvement Deliver Results Faster In the guide I share how to: Use the continuous improvement cycle properly. Get projects moving, if they are slow to start or have stalled. Identify the 'biggest bang for your buck' when reviewing opportunities. Determine the level of change you need to achieve through your improvements. Flip staff grumbles and concerns into positive improvement actions. Increase the overall rate of progress on your projects. All of the tips are highly practical and are no-cost strategies. To get your copy, just click on the button below and access the guide in just a few moments from now. Enjoy reading, Giles About the author Giles Johnston is a Chartered Engineer who specialises in helping businesses to grow and improve through better business processes. Giles is also the author of Business Process Re-Engineering and creator of the ' Ma...

I sit in a lot of meetings where people talk about their continuous improvement projects. Sitting and talking doesn’t always equate to getting the changes put into effect and that’s what we need; the results count for everything. So, is there a simple way to help move projects from being stuck, delayed and appearing to wait for a perfect plan (or time)? The short answer is yes, and it revolves around our old friend the ‘80/20’ rule. Can you remember the 80/20 rule? This is the simple principle that states that a small number of inputs leads to a disproportionately large amount of rules. A little bit can go a long way, if you choose the right things to focus on. The opposite of this is also true; a lot of things can take a lot of time / effort / resources and yield very little in terms of overall results. The 80/20 rule (or Pareto principle) - a little bit of the right stuff can produce a lot of results! Phase 1 – quick wins and focus on the 20% that gives the 80% of resul...

Many businesses have heard of 5S; it is a simple workplace organisation system that is designed to make workplaces more effective and more efficient, as well as safer. Many businesses also try and fail at implementing 5S . It might be simple, but as you will know, anything that involves changing the behaviours of your staff isn’t always straightforward. If you haven’t heard of 5S before there are five basic steps, all beginning with ‘S’. They are: Sort – clearing out the clutter and re-distributing other people’s belongings. Set in order – optimising the workplace so that everything you need frequently is close at hand. Shine – cleaning the workplace to an appropriate level. Standards – defining what good looks like and how you will keep it that way. Sustain – forming the habits to retain the benefits of an organised and disciplined workplace. So, how does 5S improve the performance of your business? From a safety perspective, fewer accidents means less downtime. ...