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The Continuous Process Improvement Model

The document discusses continuous improvement, which refers to the ongoing improvement of processes through incremental or breakthrough changes. A widely used model is the plan-do-check-act cycle, which involves planning a change, implementing it on a small scale, analyzing the results, and implementing more widely if successful. Other common methods like Six Sigma, lean, and total quality management emphasize employee involvement, measuring processes, and reducing variation. While continuous and continual improvement are often used interchangeably, some see continuous improvement as focusing on incremental linear changes within a process, while continual improvement encompasses broader, discontinuous changes across different areas.

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Jonas Marvin Anaque
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168 views2 pages

The Continuous Process Improvement Model

The document discusses continuous improvement, which refers to the ongoing improvement of processes through incremental or breakthrough changes. A widely used model is the plan-do-check-act cycle, which involves planning a change, implementing it on a small scale, analyzing the results, and implementing more widely if successful. Other common methods like Six Sigma, lean, and total quality management emphasize employee involvement, measuring processes, and reducing variation. While continuous and continual improvement are often used interchangeably, some see continuous improvement as focusing on incremental linear changes within a process, while continual improvement encompasses broader, discontinuous changes across different areas.

Uploaded by

Jonas Marvin Anaque
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Quality Glossary Definition: Continuous improvement

Continuous improvement, sometimes called continual improvement, is the ongoing improvement of


products, services or processes through incremental and breakthrough improvements. These efforts
can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once.

THE CONTINUOUS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT MODEL

Among the most widely used tools for the continuous improvement model is a four-step quality
assurance method—the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle:

 Plan: Identify an opportunity and plan for change.


 Do: Implement the change on a small scale.
 Check: Use data to analyze the results of the change and determine whether it made a
difference.
 Act: If the change was successful, implement it on a wider scale and continuously assess
your results. If the change did not work, begin the cycle again.

Other widely used methods of continuous improvement, such as Six Sigma, lean, and total quality
management, emphasize employee involvement and teamwork, work to measure and systematize
processes, and reduce variation, defects, and cycle times.

CONTINUAL OR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT


The terms continuous improvement and continual improvement are frequently used
interchangeably, but the main difference between the terms is time:
Common Dictionary Definitions of Continual and Continuous

But some quality practitioners make the following distinction:

 Continual improvement: A broader term preferred by W. Edwards Deming to refer to


general processes of improvement and encompassing "discontinuous" improvements—that
is, many different approaches, covering different areas.
 Continuous improvement: A subset of continual improvement, with a more specific focus
on linear, incremental improvement within an existing process. Some practitioners also
associate continuous improvement more closely with techniques of statistical process
control.

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