Preface

Continual Improvement Process (CIP) is intended for the use of students, managers and practitioners of quality in every field of activity—education, research, manufacturing, health and medical care services.

In a wholistic manner we have dealt with the subject of CIP spanning over 34 chapters classified into eight sections as under.

Section A: An overview

This section comprises of four chapters, highlighting the meaning and manner of understanding improvement as a key result area for any institution in the present context of severe competition where no institution in spite of it having had an excellent track record can be safe and secure unless it maintains a strong competitive edge. At the operations level, improvement as deeds related to improving consistently in performance through reduction in variation is highlighted.

Section B: Scanning methodology to clean-up and sanitise a process—First step to continual improvement

Seven different methodologies to scan a process to detect and identify the defect and their sources are dealt with in this section. The scanning methodologies help to discover the process deficiency through

1. process audit checklist
2. flow chart analysis
3. factors interfering with the process
4. gaps in three key areas—defect prevention measures, specification, and practices related to establish customer relations, and
5. FMEA analysis.

Detecting the deficiencies through these methodologies and eliminating them is termed as ‘sanitisation’ and this is the first step of CIP.

Section C: Measurement of process defect level and process cycle efficiency

First one of the two chapters of this section introduces the reader to the concepts of Six Sigma, sigma-level-of-process, FTY and measurement of process quality level in terms of sigma level of the process, based on defects per opportunity. The second one highlights the importance of speed and avoidance of delay in a process as a means to avoid defects and explains the associated metric called process cycle efficiency. Characteristics of value adding jobs are explained in order to minimise non-value adding jobs in a process. The concept of Lean Six Sigma is explained with its associated metrices—sigma value of the process and process cycle efficiency with their target values as a defect rate of 3.4 parts per million and PCE as 25%.

Section D: Continual Improvement Process framework

This section comprising seven chapters follows a structured path to introduce the reader to a bigger picture of CIP; anchor points of the thought process which every practitioner of CIP must be aware of and practise; task of involving people in CIP through teamwork and making them adept in skills like (a) communication including conducting group discussion; (b) quantitative as well as qualitative tools of logical thinking and analysis; (c) understanding the value and importance of proper data in problem solving and (d) avoiding pit-falls in the interpretation of data.

Section E: Statistical techniques for investigation and improvement

Two chapters of this section deal with measuring system, outlining all the issues related to quality of measuring system as a whole. Three other chapters of the section cover the concept and techniques of evaluation of results of the analysis of data for their statistical significance. Simple statistical techniques of analysis of frequencies; analysis of averages; correlation and regression are discussed with illustrative examples. One chapter is devoted to design of experiments based on orthogonal array design.

Section F: Continual Improvement—Managerial aspects

Four chapters constitute this section. The first one sets out the scheme for planning, execution, coordination, evaluation and assessment of the CIP tasks as a whole in a company; The next chapter sets out the route map for handling a project termed as DMAIC route; and the other one deals with the peculiarities to be handled in service industry. The last chapter of the section brings in the animal world for one, to reflect upon to get motivated and improve oneself.

Section G: Continual Improvement—larger vital issues

Of the two chapters covered in this section, the first one deals with the task of building a culture of innovation and improvement in a knowledge institution. This task is explained through the case example of Indian Statistical Institute under Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis. The second chapter of the section deals with different managerial practices an institution has to adopt to build a healthy, invigorating environment for CIP.

Section H: Continual improvement—starting off and practical hints

This is a section of only three chapters of which the first one explains that the area to start off CIP is housekeeping and gives the details of how to go about the task. The next one highlights the value of CIP for an individual. The last chapter of this book titled ‘Epilogue’ concludes with a marvelous case example that brings out brilliantly all the elements of a CIP study.

All these eight sections together succeed in bringing about a total transformation as under in the very perception and consideration of the subject of CIP and this is also facilitated through a number of diverse examples and illustrations drawn from our experience.

• CIP as a key result area of management function that has to be planned for, organised, coordinated and controlled.
• CIP as an exercise in building a culture of creativity and innovation in the institution/ organisation which allows on one hand the growth of individuals to their full potential and on the other maintain the competitive edge ever sharp and alert.
• CIP as a technology package for prevention and elimination of defects/errors/non-conformance to the near-zero level of 3.4 ppm through (a) the application of seven different tools of scanning a process for defect elimination (b) Six Sigma and lean process techniques to assess the sigma level of the process as well as its cycle efficiency (c) use of qualitative and quantitative tools and techniques of investigation including design of experiments to continually refine a process through the structured route termed as DMAIC.
• Measures to arrest certain undesirable aberrations that have entered in recent years in the practice of continual improvement.
• Understanding the peculiarities of service industry.

In our modest view, this book may be the first one of its type to be published in the country on the subject of continual improvement process, covering comprehensively all the diverse aspects of the subject as stated above.

In this context, we recall with a deep sense of gratitude the rich learning, knowledge and experience we have received from the SQC and OR division of the Indian Statistical Institute; and also to every institution and organisation with whom we have had our professional association. In addition, we remember with gratitude the inspiration we got from the works of Peter Drucker, Alvin Toffler, Tom Peters, W. E. Deming and J. M. Juran to complete this task.

We earnestly hope that the students of management, practicing managers, institutions and organisations receive this book with enthusiasm, benefit from it and take forward the process of continual improvement to newer and higher levels of performance and achievement.

N. S. Sreenivasan
V. Narayana