Continuous improvement is a lean improvement technique that helps to streamline workflows, resulting in saved time and money for organizations. There is increased attention being paid to optimizing maintenance efficiency as a way to improve asset reliability and availability.
There are three primary areas in which continuous improvement can further extend maintenance productivity. These include:
There is always room for improvement when it comes to maximizing service levels and reducing maintenance costs. Continuous improvement can be achieved by using specific technologies and strategies based on your organization’s objectives. Commonly used continuous improvement techniques include Kaizen, Six Sigma, and Gemba.
Kaizen’s approach to continuous improvement is based on the idea that small, ongoing positive changes can reap significant improvements. It uses cooperation and commitment as foundational pillars, which contrasts drastically against approaches that use radical or top-down changes to achieve transformation.
Kaizen is core to lean manufacturing and the Toyota Way. It was developed in the manufacturing sector to lower defects, eliminate waste, boost productivity, encourage worker purpose and accountability, and promote innovation. Kaizen is essentially used to improve the whole business versus being product and quality-focused, like in the case of Six Sigma.
Six Sigma’s continuous improvement model focuses on eliminating variability and improving predictability in organizations. Six Sigma aims to achieve stable and predictable process results through clearly defined, measurable processes and focuses on creating sustainable improvements to product quality.
Six Sigma’s approach to continuous improvement is disciplined and data-driven. It uses a set of quality management methods rooted in statistical analysis that requires specialized training and certification to see them through.
Gemba is the Japanese word meaning “the real place.” It refers to being on the factory floor and seeing what’s happening in real time. The Gemba technique involves walking around where operations are taking place in order to spot opportunities for waste reduction and process improvements. A Gemba Walk is a proactive problem-solving practice of operational control and improvement in factories.
To measure the success of whichever continuous improvement techniques you decide to implement, you must first define which maintenance metrics you want to use to evaluate your work. Common metrics used include:
Leverage the cloud to work together, better in the new connected age of maintenance and asset management.