One of the common questions we hear is 'how do we get started with improving our business, what are the tools to use?' The simple answer is that improvement is largely an attitude and a habit. The desire to find new and better ways of working is the most prominent factor, when you couple this with a habit then things get done regularly and continuously. Sporadic improvements don't always generate the gains that you would hope for. The tools that you can use to help facilitate change can make a real difference in specific situations, or if you need a framework to improve. If the desire and curiosity for change aren't present and aren't backed up with habitual actions then you will have an uphill struggle. You can use lean and six sigma tools (for example) to help encourage the starting of an improvement culture in your workplace, but this needs to be backed up with forming habits. Time table sessions and adhere to your own schedule if that helps. So

The end result of an improvement usually reflects the planning and decision making that takes place at the beginning, when the idea is being developed. If there is no planning and the improvement is a stab in the dark as to what needs to change then the final result may not be what was expected. The 'what are we doing this for?' question is a great place to start. Sometimes improvements are spotted mid thinking, so to speak, and if you work backwards just a little further you may uncover a more meaningful issue to resolve. This minor change can deliver a major difference in terms of business performance and is along the lines of root cause problem solving (solve the root cause and not a symptom). The fact that an opportunity is present does not always mean that it should be improved. With limited resources it may be prudent to widen the vistas and see what other opportunities are also available. Many continuous improvement approaches struggle due to an overload of less

When a problem arises in a business there is usually a fix put in place. This fix sometimes increases the complexity of the business by adding in additional rules at the operational end of the business. Sometimes it is worth stopping what you are doing and reviewing the basics of how your business operates. Sometimes the disciplines around the basics of operating a business have been forgotten. From a engineering perspective the challenges that we face are symptoms of a deeper system based problem. If you track back to the root of the problem you are usually faced with a basic issue that can be resolved easily (or at least in a straightforward manner) and will prevent a myriad of other symptoms appearing in due course. As people move around organisations there is the possibility that people move into roles and are trained in the current ways of working but aren't exposed to the fundamental principles of working that this particular job requires. Ensuring people understand

A datum is a reference point, something that you can look back to work out where you are. Business can move so quickly and by having some defined reference points you can make decisions quickly and consistently. Being able to step back and see where you are can sometimes be difficult and requires objectivity. If you can see your datum and see where you are then an appropriate decision can be made as to what you need to do next. The gap is the action required. A datum doesn't have to be a cold measurement (such as a KPI) it could be a principle that you use in the business to help guide thoughts and decisions. It could be something like 'take work seriously, but not each other' - reminding people on how to conduct their business and their interpersonal transactions. When the datum is communicated through the business then the way people behave changes. Clarity improves action and, by having some definitions about the way the business can be referred to, people c

When a business is undertaking changes to improve its performance the sequence of steps needs to be understood. Many businesses attempt to leap to the finish line in one fell swoop and this can create huge problems for the business, so much that they may decide that their overall plan is not suitable. If you have worked out your sequence then you will know that the first step is followed by the second step. You must do the first step. Being able to articulate this to the other people in your business becomes easier when you know the sequence. Advanced approaches need the basics to be right before you can attempt the big stuff. The desire and impatience to achieve the results without putting in the effort with the basics shows up time and time again when the new ways of working collapse. One of the common sights in manufacturing is when businesses try to implement slick pull production systems when none of the work required to achieve this result have been completed. Result -

Many improvement projects aim to improve the performance of a business in one fell swoop. Many times however the shift that the business undertakes needs to be backed up with new habits and discipline. By discipline I am referring to routines of working. If certain things need to happen every single day in order to maintain the new way of working then we need to ensure that we do what we say we are going to do. There is no magic bullet and we have all seen how quickly habits can be broken. Abdication is another aspect to consider. When new tasks are established in a business and responsibility is handed down to complete the tasks then it is essential that some form of inspection takes place. There are those people who will say that this is not only a waste of resources but that you shouldn't need to do this. The inspection however can be relaxed in its frequency and as long as you ask the right question(s) then it won't take long at all. Abdication of responsibility is

When our projects at work are taking a long time to come to fruition and our daily lives are complicated, it is a great time to ask ourselves how we can make things 'really simple'. When issues haven't been addressed properly we can end up with complicated solutions that take a lot of hard work and administration to keep on top of. When we ask how we can make it more simple we can usually find a better way to get the work done. If there are lots of people involved with a process in the workplace there is a natural tendency for everyone to do their little bit in their own way. Getting everyone together so that they can come up with a single simple way to perform the work can give your business an immediate boost in performance. Simpler usually becomes faster, and with this you have the opportunity to deliver better customer service. You may even end up winning more business as a result! Keeping it simple makes the overall management of the business easier. S