You might have seen a competitor’s business moving quickly towards excellence and the question you ask is how do they do it? In fact, is there any secret behind the big successes some organisations seem to be enjoying.
The factors may be diverse but one major factor would be that these companies have embedded continual improvement as a concept that is strategically pushed across the business. This article is designed to purposefully break down what continual improvement is, why it matters and how to embed it intentionally in your business.
“Practice the philosophy of continuous improvement. Get a little bit better every single day”. Brian Tracy. Improvement is the fifth principle of quality management and has the power of magnifying little improvements. It is like saying, small changes that make a big difference. This emphasises small, consistent daily gains over sudden, massive changes to achieve long-term success, and organic growth in an organisation.
In many instances business leaders are in a hurry to make big gains in a very short time and that could be judged from the footprints they leave behind often embedded in their business strategy. The fallout is that small details are skipped with only the end in mind. The path to a destination is as important as the destination itself. It is often said in business circles to leave the smaller things and focus on the big picture. There is no big picture without the pieces that make it big, and the earlier business leaders get this the better it will be for the organisations they lead.
There are several ways of defining continual improvement, but the most succinct definition refers to the ongoing, systematic effort to enhance products, processes, or systems over time. It is not a one-time activity, but a structured cycle of incremental (and sometimes breakthrough) improvements aimed at increasing efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance. Think of continual improvement being driven by the Deming cycle.
The first step is to plan, that is, identify what needs to be done through identifying opportunities and establishing objectives. This is followed by implementing the planned processes (Do). Whilst implementation proceeds, there should be monitoring and evaluation of results against expectations (Check). For any nonconformity or deviations, take corrective actions and standardize improvements (Act). The discipline to keep this cycle going separates great businesses from mediocre ones.
Continuous vs Continual Improvement
The broader term Improvement can include correction, corrective action, continual improvement of continuous improvement, breakthrough change, innovation, renovation and reorganization. Whichever one is applied propels the business from a less advantageous to a more advantageous one. The difference between continuous and continual improvement could be related to strategy. In quality management systems language continuous improvement has largely given way to continual improvement and the ISO 9001:2015 standard is awash with it.
Continual improvement refers to iterative, broken-up improvements, whereas continuous improvement is an uninterrupted, constant flow of enhancements. Continual improvements occur over time with pauses to assess results, while continuous improvement operates without breaks, focusing on steady, incremental improvements to quality. The pauses are essential for deep assessment of results and their impact, generating a better outlook for future interventions to similar nonconformities that birthed those results after implementation of corrective actions.
Key benefits of Improvement as a principle
It is easy to envisage that improvement as a principle has enormous potential to push a business to the limelight. Feeling something has benefits is different from putting effort into it. Business leaders must inject discipline into the organisation for any idea that is known to have a positive impact on their fortunes. The following are key benefits that may accrue to a business focused on improvement.
Investing in this principle generates improved process performance, organisational capabilities and customer satisfaction. It enhances focus on root-cause investigation and determination, followed by prevention and corrective actions. Furthermore, it improves the ability of the business to anticipate and react to internal and external risks and opportunities. The consideration for both incremental and breakthrough improvement is boosted. The organisation that is deep in improvement has an appetite for innovation and this propels the business’s offerings beyond the expectations of its consumers.
Key Recommendations
Your organisation can effectively embed this core quality management principle by deliberately driving improvement objectives across all levels. Each department should take responsibility for defining its own improvement targets, informed by audit findings and nonconformities raised internally by its quality department.
Equally important is building internal capacity. Staff at all levels must be trained in the practical tools and methods required to deliver these improvements. This should be complemented by deliberate investment in people, ensuring they have the competence and confidence to lead and execute improvement initiatives successfully.
In addition, processes should be designed and implemented to make improvement projects easy to roll out and sustain across the business. This includes creating clear structures, accountability, and support systems that enable consistent execution.
There must also be a strong focus on performance management. Improvement initiatives should be systematically tracked, reviewed, and audited from planning through to implementation and final outcomes.
Finally, improvement should not be treated as a standalone activity. It must be integrated into the design and development of new or modified products, services, and processes. Recognising and celebrating improvement efforts across the organisation is equally essential, as it reinforces a culture of continuous improvement.
Johnson Opoku-Boateng is the Founder & CEO, QA CONSULT AFRICA (Consultants and Trainers in Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Health & Safety, Environmental Management systems, Manufacturing, Regulatory Affairs and SME Development). He is also a consumer safety advocate. He can be reached on 0209996002;
email: [email protected]; [email protected]
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