1st Edition
Always Making Progress The Fundamentals of Continuous Improvement for the Process Industry
This book guides process-industry professionals from the implementation of the basic foundations of Continuous Improvement (CI) through to an organization where CI is a “way of life” and a defining feature of the culture of the organization.
The readers of this book are seeking solutions to such pressing issues as:
• Eliminating accidents and near misses.
• Reducing customer complaints.
• Improving customer delivery performance.
• Elimination of accidents and near misses.
• Reducing customer complaints.
• Improving customer delivery performance.
• Introducing new products.
• Improving staff productivity.
• Removing costs to meet the budget.
• Dealing with absence and poor morale.
• Improving staff retention.
This book provides them with guidance on how to address issues in these areas in a way that enables improvements to be realized quickly but not at the expense of a long-term goal of a sustainable Continuous Improvement culture.
In addition, this book presents the implementation of CI as a cyclical journey with no endpoint. The stages are ordered in a sequence that enables the reader to get started in their area of the company and build up the elements without the need for an overall organizational strategy at the beginning.
Continuous Improvement is a vast subject with many takes on principles, approaches, and tools. This book is about how all the fundamentals of these areas fit together and, as such, covers only some of them. However, within the bibliography, I have signposted the books that have guided me during my career and which go into the principles, approaches, and tools further.
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Author Biography
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: How this Manual is Structured
Chapter 3: Business Analysis
- Scoping Review
- Prepare Proposal
- Final Pre-Analysis Activities
- Developing the Analysis Plan
- Historical Performance Data Review
- Activity Studies
- Organisation Review
- Final Proposal Report
- Project Handover
Chapter 4: Operational Management Facilitation
- Determine the KPI Structure
- Identify the Review Structure
- Create Terms of Reference
- Build Visual Management
- Train and Coach Teams
- Ensure Sustainability
Chapter 5: Fundamental Continuous Improvement Tools
- Data Capture Systems
- The Continuous Improvement Plan
- Brainstorming
- Data and Facts: Identifying Top Losses and Opportunities
- Detailed Process Mapping
- Line of Site and 3C Thinking
- 5 Whys and Fishbone Diagram
- 7+1 Wastes Review
- Voice of the Customer
- Prioritisation Using Impact and Effort Analysis
- Problem Solving Levels
- Basic Problem Solving
- Standard Routines
- 5S
Chapter 6: Strategy Deployment Facilitation
- Gather the Information
- Identify Business Priorities
- Identify Objectives
- Consult and Enhance
- Identify Prioritise Assign
- Review and Manage
Chapter 7: Improvement Activities and Projects
- Value Stream Mapping
- CI Project Management
- DMAIC
- Kaizen Event
- A3 Thinking
- Set Up Time Reduction
- Levelling the Schedule
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
- Line Balancing
- Total Productive Maintenance
Chapter 8: Skills and Culture Development
- Managing Behaviour
- How to check if the organisation is ready?
- What if Continuous Improvement has failed a few times?
- How do I know if I am keeping to the right direction?
- How do I hook in all of the departments?
- Creating the right environment
- Barriers
- Application of Psychology
- Use of Consultants
- How to sell Lean to the Food Industry?
Bibliography
Index
Biography
Ian Madden has a passion for all things to do with Continuous Improvement driven by the significant benefits it can bring to people and the organizations they work for. His interest in helping teams achieve sustainable behavioral changes to improve operational effectiveness.
Graduating in 1985 with a degree in Chemical Engineering, he has spent over 35 years in process engineering, project engineering, operations management up to Operations Director level and Continuous Improvement. The last 20 years have been spent as a Continuous Improvement Practitioner both as a consultant and in-house Continuous Improvement Manager. In 2015, Ian set up Torrs Consulting Ltd (www.torrsconsulting.com), a Continuous Improvement consulting company providing services to industrial and service organizations.
During his career, he has worked for or provided services to over 130 organizations in both the UK and overseas in FMCG, Pharmaceuticals, Automotive, Health Care, Farming, Retail and General Manufacturing including Mondelez (Cadbury), Nestlé, Akzo Nobel, Hain Daniels, Greene King, Rolls Royce, Produce World, New Covent Garden Soup Company, NHS, Riverford Organic Farmers, Greencore, and Irish Distillers.
He has a deep knowledge of Continuous Improvement tools and techniques developed from achieving Master Black Belt level and his extensive experience. His projects have covered many functional areas including manufacturing, maintenance, project engineering, warehousing and distribution, planning, procurement, new product introduction, laboratory processes, farming, health and safety, and hospital and GP operations.
