| Introduction The method described forms the basis for a scenario for improving an organization. We interpret ‘improve’ in the broadest sense of the word, namely starting from the vision of the organization up to and including continuous ongoing improvement: improvement is a never-ending process. It is a process that is primarily aimed at eliminating waste. A process that is directed both internally and externally (market, competition). What we aim for is an organization that delivers ‘World Class’ performance. Our approach starts with the introduction of result-oriented work practices. The aim is to start thinking and working in a process-oriented manner. Standards such as the well-known ISO 9000 (the international standard for managing production processes) form the basis. However, if we want to approach ‘World Class’ status, we need more. First of all, motivated, well-trained and well-educated team members, who are both customer- and market-oriented. Together with: a work environment that radiate order and tidiness, discipline and quality-consciousness among the workers, and an organization that is truly flexible. Furthermore, the people in the organization must consciously work at continuously improving their work process. They should not assume that the organization in its present form is good enough. The method described as a model is based on a mixture of the best features of so-called ‘lean thinking’, various Japanese methods and the INK model. These components are treated in detail in the subsequent chapters. In addition, ‘common sense’, based on our many years of practical experience, also forms an important ingredient of the method. Definitions and commonly used methods referred to: • TPM: Total Productive Maintenance; involvement of all departments, rather than only the Maintenance department, in reducing stoppages and reject production. • Kaizen: Japanese methods for continuous improvement in small steps. • TQM: Total Quality Management; quality is the responsibility of everyone in the organization. • Balanced Scorecard: an approach for achieving objectives in more areas than merely financial. • INK model: Dutch Quality Institute, a model for continuous improvement across the entire width of the organization. • Toyota Production System: a fixed system of methods making improvements in small steps throughout the entire company. • Lean thinking: a way of thinking that is intended to make and keep an organization lean, without frills and luxuries, and with low costs. The huge number of improvement methods on offer have proved difficult to implement by most of the staff of the companies with which we have been associated. Employees were unable to see the most effective methods. Efforts to repeatedly introduce new approaches often failed after a few months. From our Japanese colleagues in particular we learnt the importance of simplicity and clarity. Using a limited number of methods each time again, leads to uniformity in applications. It also produces unambiguous communications. We all know what we are talking about; the entire organization - from top to bottom - uses the same concepts and/or terminology. We strive for an approach that is accessible, easy to implement and produces fast direct results and an easy-to-implement approach. To this end, we have picked the ‘plums from the pudding’ for a number of improvement methods. They have been shaped into a model, which - with its different phases and its clear step-by-step procedure - has proved its worth in practice. The input and creativity of the entire organization, up to and including the people on the shop floor, are essential for making it a success. This way it possible to achieve 80 percent of the improvement potential with only 20% of the effort! This is the advantage of using the approach outlined in this model.
The unique aspects of our methodology summarized in key words: structured, pragmatic, concrete, manageable and result-oriented. The methodology provides a tool for breaking down a difficult and complex process into small steps. The examples and terminology used are derived from the processing and manufacturing industry, but can be applied directly to other types of organizations (such as the service sector for instance). After all, the processes in such organizations are also built up of a number of consecutive and parallel activities. These are carried out by persons or machines/computers, that require a processing time and in which mistakes can be made. In the past, the improvement methods have often been applied first, and most frequently, in the automobile industry. Today this industry is still leading the field by continuous improvements. For many industries, the automobile industry serves as the example for improving products across the entire range of activities; development, production and sales. The following figure shows how we arrived at the methodology for the lean manufacturing scenario.  Figure 1: How we arrived at our approach While learning and implementing methods developed by others in the nineteen eighties and nineties, it was found that 80 percent of the results could be achieved by using 20 percent of the methods. We used these 20 percent, the so-called ‘best bits’, to develop our approach, apply it in practice over an over again, and continuously improve it.
 Figure 2: The simultaneous collection of problems and solutions |