by Robert Bullard

Created on: March 05, 2009

Managers and business owners (if they want to be successful) should be concerned with constantly improving their company. Whether you need to overhaul your production process, or make a simple adjustment to your purchase costs - a steady, constant improvement process will get the job done.

In its simplest form, it can be described by the "Deming Wheel" - a continuous cycle of Planning, Doing, Checking and Acting.

But a more detailed description would encompass the 7-step Continuous Improvement Cycle:

* SELECT - Select a problem for improvement, and describe it clearly.

* STUDY - Study the problem as it exists right now.

* IDENTIFY - Identify the sources of the problem.

* PLAN - Plan and implement the changes.

* EVALUATE - Evaluate the effects.

* STANDARDIZE - Standardize any worthwhile changes or solutions.

* RE-EVALUATE - Follow-up, re-evaluate and monitor.

What will this cycle do for us? By faithfully and continuously executing this cycle, you are able to systematically eliminate (or at the very least improve) every problem that your company might have. Upon eliminating problem after problem, you would theoretically be left with a near-perfect product, service or company.

There are certain utilities at your disposal for improving your business.

One thing you can do is BENCHMARK. This is the process of looking at an outside company whose products or processes are on the level that your company wants to be. By setting the goals of your organization to be that of the benchmarked one, you have a goal which should be attainable, and will also keep you focused on improvement.

You can also use a SWOT analysis. This is a process by which you rank your own company's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. After analyzing these factors, your company will be better prepared to fend off any competition in your particular market.

SIX SIGMA is another tool which allows you to measure the effectiveness of your continuous improvement efforts. It not only measures the quality of your processes, but also brings to light areas for improvement.

Japanese companies tend to use the KAIZEN improvement philosophy. This is a daily activity which teaches you to concentrate more on how something can be done, not why it cannot. Employees who use this technique not only improve production, but improve their own lives as well.

If the problem is beyond repair, you might want to consider RE-ENGINEERING the product or process.

When improving your business you should always remember - that every problem should be viewed as an opportunity to improve.

Of course there can be problems involved with implementing new procedures, after all change is always hard. But if your company truly wants to improve its product or service (or profit for that matter), then the time spent focusing on these areas will definitely pay off.

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