Operational Excellence: Journey to Creating Sustainable Value

CHAPTER 19IMPROVE—INSTITUTIONALIZE AND SUSTAIN GAINS

The Improve process follows Check and is of continuous duration in an Operational Excellence program. The Improve phase assures results and the processes, practices, and technology that produced the results are continuously improved and sustained. Improve is a continuous process to measure performance and institutionalize improvements that contribute to enterprise and program business/mission objectives. Improve demands a mindset that the status quo is never sufficient, and continuous improvement must be the norm. The Improve process ratchets to assure gains are sustained.

The Check process identifies the unexpected. Improve includes adjustments, refinements, and activities to firmly embed gains into the institutional cultural fabric and feedback information into the Identify phase of Operational Excellence for continuous improvement.

IMPROVE AND SUSTAIN

Improve and Sustain is the second of two continuous processes in an Operational Excellence program. It requires a mindset in the work culture that maintaining gains while continuing to improve is essential; status quo and restoration are unacceptable.

The Improve and Sustain phase of the Operational Excellence program continues from the Check stage and is not unlike the Plan stage. Results are reviewed and activities adjusted as necessary to maintain momentum, improve results, sustain gains, and assure all elements that have produced success are institutionalized.

As improvements ...