Quality at all levels: How to foster a culture of continuous improvement in the organization

Author: Ing. Euclides Quiñonez, September 8, 2023

The constant search for operational excellence and quality at all organizational levels must be one of the main objectives for companies that aspire to stand out in an increasingly competitive market. To achieve this objective, it is necessary to promote a culture of continuous improvement for the optimization of business processes. In this article, we will explore how this culture can be fostered and analyze its impact on the quality of the organization and its competitiveness.

Continuous improvement culture

The culture of continuous improvement is an approach that drives an organization to constantly seek opportunities to improve its processes, products and services. This culture is based on the fact that there is always room for improvement and that, through innovation and efficiency, an organization can raise its quality standards and achieve operational excellence and where employees experience constant motivation to identify areas that They need improvement and devise effective solutions in collaboration.

Strategies to foster a culture of continuous improvement

• Committed leadership

Leadership plays a very important role in promoting a culture of continuous improvement. Leaders must exemplify a commitment to constant improvement and set clear expectations for all levels of the organization. Some effective strategies include:

• Communicate the importance of continuous improvement.
• Actively participate in improvement initiatives.
• Recognize and reward effort and creativity in the search for improvements.

• Establishing clear goals

Clear goals and objectives are essential to guide improvement efforts. Setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound) goals helps the organization focus on critical areas and measure progress effectively.

• Continuous feedback processes

Constant feedback is essential to evaluate performance and quality at all levels of the organization. Feedback systems should be implemented that allow employees, customers and suppliers to provide feedback and suggestions for improvement on a regular basis.

• Formation and development

Training and skills development are key components to foster continuous improvement. Ongoing training allows employees to gain new skills and knowledge that they can apply in their daily work to improve quality and efficiency.

• Support cultural change

Fostering a culture of continuous improvement within an organization requires a lot of time and the right support. Overall, change can be overwhelming for many people. Consequently, it is up to leaders to make this cultural shift as seamless as possible. To do this, leaders and employees must be trained in the use of relevant tools, helping them not to become discouraged by the lack of knowledge.

ISO 9001 – 2015 and continuous improvements

Clause 10 of ISO 9001-2015 : This clause requires organizations to determine and identify opportunities to continually improve the Quality Management System (QMS). One of the requirements is to actively seek opportunities to improve processes, products or services, focused on the customer. The standard says: The organization must continually improve the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the quality management system, consider the results of the analysis and evaluation, and the outputs of the management review, to determine if there are needs or opportunities that They should be considered as part of continuous improvement.

Improvement is a requirement so we must look for opportunities for improvement. Even if our system is very good, we should try to make it excellent.

Tools and methodologies

There are multiple tools that can be used to maintain or implement a continuous improvement process. The use of one or more tools will depend on each case or needs of the organization.

Below are some of the best-known ones that improve processes and their approaches:

• The PHVA Cycle: The PHVA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle is a method for making gradual changes that lead to long-term success. It can be used by companies of all sizes and is based on the philosophy that there is always room for improvement. The goal of the cycle is to improve quality and effectiveness through continuous improvement, where making small changes can lead to big results. The following 4 stages are used:

• Plan: The planning stage involves mapping out what needs to be done to try to solve a problem or change a process. During this step, the problem or opportunity for change is identified and analyzed, hypotheses are developed about what the underlying problems or causes are, and it is decided which hypothesis to test first.
• Do: The next step is to test the hypotheses. The cycle focuses on smaller, incremental changes that will help you improve processes with minimal disruption.

Initial hypothesis testing is done on small-scale projects, preferably in a controlled environment, so you can evaluate the results without disrupting the rest of the operation.

• Verify: Once the test is completed, the results are reviewed and analyzed. This stage is important because it allows you to evaluate the solution and correct the plans if necessary. Ask yourself the following questions: Did the plan really work? If so, were there any problems with the process? What steps can be improved or need to be eliminated in future iterations? The evaluation at this stage will guide decisions for the next step.

• Act: If everything went according to plan, your tried-and-true plan can now be implemented. This new process will now become the starting point for future PHVA cycles. The following questions should be considered before acting:

Six Sigma: Data-driven approach to reducing defects to improve an organization’s performance. Six Sigma relies on data and statistics to make decisions more than other methodologies. By using DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) its main objective is to identify and eliminate waste in a process. This can be done through the application of tools and techniques and DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design and Verify) that is used when companies need to design or redesign products and processes seeking to achieve a Six Sigma level28.

• Lean Manufacturing: It is a systematic process to minimize waste without sacrificing productivity. With this method the value flow of a process is evaluated. The value stream consists of value-added activities (the actions a customer would pay for) or non-value-added activities in the process that carries out a concept or completes an order. Any action that does not add value or is not required as part of a policy or regulation is waste.
• Total Quality Management (TQM): It is the effort of the entire organization focused on continuous improvement to optimize quality. The success of this system depends on customer satisfaction. They must follow a strategic and systematic approach to achieve their objectives, customers determine the level of quality and all employees work towards common objectives. Effective communication and training ensures that everyone understands the definition of quality and strives to achieve it. Organizations must define the necessary steps in any process and monitor performance to detect any deviations and continually look for ways to be more effective and more competitive.
• Theory of constraints (TOC): Systematic process focused on finding and eliminating constraints. Identify the biggest factor preventing you from achieving a goal and use a systematic process to improve the constraint until it is no longer a limitation.

According to TOC, organizations will always face at least one constraint, which means there will always be something to improve.

Impact on quality

Promoting a culture of continuous improvement has a significant impact on quality at all levels of the organization. Some of the most notable benefits include:

• Greater customer satisfaction: When an organization is committed to continuous improvement, it is more likely to meet the needs and expectations of its customers. Higher quality products and services lead to greater customer loyalty and the acquisition of new customers through positive recommendations.
• Operational efficiency: Continuous improvement translates into more efficient and optimized processes. This means reduced costs, shorter delivery times and greater responsiveness to market demands.
• Reduction of Errors and Defects: Constant attention to quality and process improvement leads to a significant reduction in errors and defects. This not only saves resources and reduces costs, but also improves the reputation of the organization.
• Drive for Innovation: The culture of continuous improvement encourages innovation. Employees are more motivated to come up with new ideas and solutions when they know that their contribution is valued and that the organization is open to change.

Reinforced competitiveness

Continuous improvement not only positively affects the internal quality of an organization, but also reinforces its competitiveness in the market. An organization that constantly strives for operational excellence is more agile, adaptable, and able to respond to changing market demands. This puts it in a stronger position against the competition.

Conclusion

Fostering a culture of continuous improvement is essential to ensuring quality at all levels of an organization and achieving operational excellence. The strategies we have explored, from engaged leadership to the use of specific tools and methodologies, are essential to promoting this culture. The impact on quality, competitiveness, customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, error reduction and greater innovation capacity are just some of the benefits obtained. Ultimately, an organization committed to continuous improvement is better positioned to thrive in an ever-evolving business environment.