Course Description
On completion of this course, participants will have available a wide range of tools and techniques for the practical application of Continuous Improvement in their workplace. The material will cover the standard approaches in the quality movement; (e.g. 6-sigma, TQM), plus the shift to Lean Manufacturing and the ramifications to cost, inventory and scheduling. Project management will be introduced and the participants will undertake their own work-related project.
Module #1 – What is the Continuous Improvement Philosophy?
- Explain the nature of continuous improvement programs in industry today.
- Examine the recent history of North American businesses in terms of quality and productivity in a globally competitive world.
- Analyze the Continuous Improvement processes in an organization and compare it with others.
- Describe the manufacturing objectives including the stakeholders involved in meeting these objectives.
- Compare and contrast the basic quality positions taken by two Pioneers in the field, W.E. Deming and J.M. Juran.
Module #2 – The Continuous Improvement Cycle and the Cost of Quality
- Explain the importance of measurement of an operation or function in order to analyze performance and establish controls.
- Asses what can be measured, what currently is being measured and what might be measured to improve control within my department.
- Explain the basic principles of gathering useful data.
- Analyze the costs of implementing or not implementing a Continuous Improvement program.
- Explain the ‘Plan, Do’ Check, Act’ cycle and the 12 steps involved in the Continuous Improvement model.
Module #3 – What’s Required for Success?
- Explain the importance of Continuous Improvement (CI) and the impact CI can have on an organization.
- Describe the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) and the holistic approach to a successful TQM system.
- Assess the steps required for implementing CI driven changes to an organization.
Module #4 – What Tools do You Have?
- Explain the shift in global thinking that has taken place regarding the concept of “quality”; specifically the “revolution” brought about by the introduction of Statistical Process Control (SPC).
- Examine options for a wider application within a department based on a review of information on the use of statistical methods.
- Analyze specific applications for a department or organization based on an evaluation of a variety of tools and techniques used in CI programs.
Module #5 – Project Management
- Evaluate possible implementation of project management concepts within a continuous improvement initiative.
- Assess which concepts are applicable to various project types that exist in a manufacturing organization.
- Assess the opportunities for a project manager within an organization.
Module #6 – The World of ‘Lean’
- Describe the Lean Manufacturing methods available for minimizing the resources applied to output.
- Analyze which Lean Manufacturing methods might be implemented immediately to impact the business based on input from a team.
- Assess the opportunities for implementing Lean tools to establish a business advantage.
Module #7 – More Concepts for a ‘Lean’ World
- Describe the principles and best practices of Just-in-Time.
- Explain the following key elements including how they work together to create a holistic approach to managing a flow system:
- Benchmarking
- Push vs Pull
- Bottlenecks
- Kaizen
- Analyze how Just-In-Time best practices are employed in an organization.
Module #8 – Standards and Benchmarks
- Describe the criteria and processes for departments and organizations to determine which standards are most appropriate for them.
- As part of a team, evaluate standards and benchmarks used in organizations.
- Assess the opportunities that exist for an organization to determine how benchmarks and standards can increase productivity.
Module #9 – Case Studies
- Describe a project and the types of issues to consider before creating a plan.
- Evaluate a Continuous Improvement case study.
- Design a Continuous Improvement project including an overview presentation for the organization.
Module #10 – Project Reports and New Beginnings
- Prepare a report and presentation on a Continuous Improvement project.
- Plan a Continuous Improvement project including implementation steps and a timeline for completion.
- Evaluate the Continuous Improvement projects and presentations in order to provide feedback to the project team.