Introduction to Continuous Improvement

Are you sick and tired of low-quality results and poor productivity? Do you invest so much time and effort in processes, yet little comes out of it? Continuous improvement (CI) constantly assesses and evaluates processes to ensure maximum productivity and efficiency. Low productivity points to possible omissions, waste and errors within operations. CI therefore  seeks to alleviate waste and errors and enhance productivity. This course teaches you the fundamental concepts of continuous improvement used to perpetually examine processes to improve them for better productivity and efficiency. First, we introduce you to CI and then distinguish between CI and business improvement (BI). Next, we'll demonstrate the extensive toolkits that CI and BI have at their disposal. Following that, you'll learn about the purposes and benefits of CI in enhancing processes in businesses and projects.

When deploying CI in projects and businesses, there are several methodologies to employ, such as Six Sigma, Lean, Total Quality Management (TQM), the ‘Plan Do Check Act’ (PDCA), Theory of Constraint (TOC) and more. These methodologies have different approaches to reducing waste and errors and improving quality. You'll study the aim and practice of these methodologies. Do you observe constraints within your processes, such as an unskilled team member? We'll teach you how to employ the concept of TOC to eradicate such limitations within your team and in turn improve processes. You will explore the ‘Kaizen workshop’ and how to use it to quickly solve a problem, reduce spending, improve quality, shorten delivery time or improve customer satisfaction.

A ‘Gemba Walk’ is a workplace walkthrough in which you observe employees, ask questions about their tasks and identify productivity gains. You'll gain an in-depth understanding of the Gemba Walk methodology and how to conduct it to ensure the CI of a process. You'll learn how to use the skills matrix document to help your team members improve their skills, what a process owner is and their responsibilities. You'll explore the importance of communication within a process, the three key traits required for excellent communication and the value of tools in deploying CI. You don't need any prior knowledge to take this course. It is for everyone, especially business managers. If you want to utilise CI to improve your organisation's operations, enrol and start this course today.