A Practical Guide to Performance Improvement: Tools and Tips to Sustain and Control Project Improvements

Abstract

This article discusses some of the tools and tips to sustain performance improvement (PI) and explores some of the reasons why PI projects may fail. Although some PI projects seem simple and easy to implement, PI team members sometimes find it difficult to keep momentum going, maintain gains, and sustain the changes when the project is nearing completion and afterward. Team member and leader discipline, including use of multidisciplinary communication and standard work processes, can facilitate ongoing improvement. Communication may include visual displays of information and routine huddles. After reviewing this article, the reader should have a better understanding of sustaining change and promoting continuous PI. This is the fifth article of a six-part series about PI.Key words: performance improvement, process management plan, quality control, standard work, visual management board.Editor's note: This bimonthly article series is designed to provide a practical guide regarding the fundamentals of performance improvement (PI) and will focus on the specific steps and components of the PI process. The purpose of this series is to help readers who have not had experience learning or using PI techniques and those who need a refresher on the fundamentals of PI. The series will address the following topics: starting a PI process, including creating a charter, purpose, and business case; reviewing the tools (ie, data collection and analysis, process mapping, cause and effect or fishbone diagrams, 5 Whys, run charts, Pareto charts, check sheets); and using various methodologies (ie, Plan-Do-Study-Act, Six Sigma, Lean management, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, root cause analysis). This article series was exempt from peer review.

The influence of project management on the performance of projects to implement procedural improvements: A multiple case study.

“…According to authors Aleu and Aken (2016) are examples of common types of projects of continuous improvement kaizen events, Six Sigma projects and Lean Six Sigma projects. During the implementation of quality improvement projects, dedicated team participants need to be specialists in quality and process improvement methodologies, thus focusing on reducing oscillations, standardizing processes and improving results (DAWSON, 2019). By strengthening the applicability of traditional project management in improvement projects within organizations, it is possible to affirm that process improvement initiatives (such as Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma) usually have common characteristics that are carried out in projects .…”

“…A Practical Guide to Performance Improvement: Tools and Tips to Sustain and Control Project Improvements 2019 This article discusses some of the tools and tips for sustaining performance improvement and explores some of the reasons PI projects may fail (DAWSON, 2019).…”