A comparison of Australian firms and their use of continuous improvement tools

Abstract

Continuous improvement (CI) is a process used by manufacturing firms to improve quality, reduce lead times, reduce price, and improve delivery reliability. A survey of firms in Australia was conducted to determine the main motives for implementing CI and the focus of CI activities. This article will examine the responses of firms using CI. However, not all firms surveyed were at the same stage of development in their use of CI. While some firms were using CI across all aspects of their business and regarded CI as second nature most firms were in the early stages of development of CI using it primarily in the manufacturing function at the operator level. This article reports on the experiences of mature firms, so providing useful guidance for developing firms seeking to learn from the experience of mature CI.

Assessment and improvement of quality management capabilities for manufacturing industries in Australia

“…how the quality department initiates, plans and implements quality initiatives with various departments; facilitates and conducts quality enhancement efforts under the leadership of top management; provides training for quality and inspection; how organisations use team processes such as quality circles, quality problemsolving team (multi-departmental teams brought together to solve specific management-directed problems) and quality improvement team (multi-departmental teams that generate their own projects from broad management briefs) (Tan, 1997;Anderson & Sohal, 1999); . how supporting infrastructure for quality improvement is provided by a body of senior managers who regularly meet to steer CI activities (Cook & Dale, 1995); how CI processes are strengthened through training of personnel, monitoring of CI process, top management support for CI programmes, CI project leaders, suggestion schemes, application of PDCA, promotions through notice boards, internal media, face-to-face communication, use of ISO 9000, total productive maintenance regimes, formal policy deployment protocols and time studies (Hyland, Mellor, O'Mara, & Kondepudi, 2000); how the organisation must actively encourage best practice implementation (MSU, 2000); how CI processes are supported by incentive schemes and through competitions and awards (Hyland et al, 2000).…”

An interpretive structural modelling approach for modelling the practices of total quality management in service sector

“…It helps in eliminating lead times in delivery, reducing re-work, and unnecessary slack and variability in the processes thereby continuously improving the business performance and reducing all non-value adding activities at a minimum (Hyland et al, 2000). According to TQM philosophy the best way to improve organisational output is to continuously improve performance (Corbett and Rastrick, 2000).…”

Role of CI enablers for improving the performance of manufacturing industry of Northern India

“…In order to remain competitive there is a need for improved inter-organisational relations between organisations so as to improve the performance by CI approach. Continuous improvement (CI) is a process used by manufacturing firms to reduce lead times, reduce price, and improve delivery reliability (Hyland et al, 2000), improving performance, minimising organisational change and assessing performance within different work environments (Jha et al, 1996). CI is an integral part of the TQM, lean and Six Sigma philosophies and is a common approach to improve organisational performance.…”