How to Manage Continuous Quality Improvement

Continuous quality improvement is a methodology used to implement incremental adjustments in business processes with the long term goal of improving key business metrics. Managers must commit to continuous quality improvement in order for it to be successful. Here are some steps for successfully managing the implementation and usage of this methodology.

Instructions

1. Make it a priority. Employees must understand that other responsibilities must be set aside in order to use continuous quality improvement. All levels of management from the top down need to buy into this goal.

2. Set goals. Determine what type of quality you want your company to improve. You can improve, for example, the number of defects per million or the amount of time it takes human resources to respond to a request.

3. Involve employees at all levels in quality improvements. The employees who use a process every day are experts. They can use their expertise to identify problem areas and suggest solutions.

4. Document your processes. An efficient organization runs its processes according to a standardized procedure unique to that process. You can create documentation in phases or as you attempt to improve processes.

5. Measure the effectiveness of your processes. Once you have collected enough data for a baseline, you can evaluate the success of your improvement efforts.

6. Analyze your business and encourage your employees to do the same. Think of creative ways to improve.

7. Review your efforts and their progress. Make sure that the results are coming into line with the efforts and costs. Although it requires time to achieve these goals, you may need to provide guidance or make structural changes to achieve them.