Quality Improvement Essentials

Plan:

  1. Define the process: its start, end, and what it does
  2. Describe the process: list key tasks performed and sequence of steps, people involved, equipment used, environmental conditions, work methods, and materials used.
  3. Describe the players: external and internal clients and suppliers, and process operators
  4. Define the client experience: what the client wants, when, and where, for both internal and external clients
  5. Determine what historical data is available on process performance, or what data needs to be collected to better understand the process
  6. Describe the perceived problems associated with the process; for instance, failure to meet client expectation, excessive variation, long cycle times, etc.
  7. Identify the primary causes of the problems and their impacts on process performance
  8. Develop potential changes or solutions to the process problems, and evaluate how these changes or solutions will address the primary causes
  9. Select the most promising solution(s)

Do:

  1. Conduct a pilot study or experiment to test the impact of the potential solution(s)
  2. Identify measures to understand how any changes or solutions are successful in addressing the perceived problems

Study:

  1. Examine the results of the pilot study/experiment
  2. Determine whether the process performance has improved
  3. Identify further experimentation that may be necessary

Act:

  1. Select the best change or solution
  2. Develop an implementation plan: what needs to be done, who should be involved, and when the plan should be accomplished
  3. Standardize the solution, for example, by writing new standard operating procedures
  4. Establish a process to monitor and control process performance

Evans, James R., and Lindsay, William M. The Management and Control of Quality. Mason, Ohio: Thomson Publishing, 2005.