You have set up a company organization, defined processes, educated employees, invested in technology, but nevertheless you feel you can do better and be more profitable. One of the methodologies that can help you with this is the concept of Continuous Improvement.

Concept of Continuous Improvement

This methodology is based on small regular changes and improvements which bring significant results. It comes from the Japanese word KAIZEN which means improvement to the better. It is based on the best eastern practice in business management and is focused on improving productivity, efficiency, quality and achieving business excellence in general.

Improving business and manufacturing processes is based on the introduction of Continuous Improvement (CI) tools and methods. The continuous improvement methodology is based on identifying opportunities to improve and eliminate interference in processes. It was initially linked to the automotive industry, but it can be implemented in all branches of the economy, financial institutions, health, tourism and public administration.

The goal of continuous improvement is to identify parts of the process that accumulate losses and are ineffective, remove them and configure excellent processes where resources are spent in the optimum way. The ultimate goal is to ensure a high level of customer/client satisfaction.

Companies that decide to implement a continuous improvement system achieve the following:

• eliminating all kinds of losses,
• costs and risks are reduced,
• employee productivity and process speed increase,
• transparency in business,
• increased motivation of the employees and high customer satisfaction.

“But we are specific …” – this is a very often heard from our potential clients. And they are right. Every organization, every activity is different and has its specifics. But everyone’s goal is the same – to meet customer needs and achieve profitable business.

Introducting the concept of continuous tools and techniques (5S, lean, six sigma, …) is not easy. It requires good and quality preparation, but also the awareness about what this concept implies. The organizational culture must accepts all principles of continuous improvements. Once the company decides to implement continuous improvements, that becomes a part of everyday work, a lifestyle, and soon experiences expected results.

Certified Expert for Continuous Improvements

For more information on continuous improvements implementation, please feel free to contact Nataša Cikač, a certified expert for continuous improvements with practical experience.