Continuous Improvement is a Management Philosophy That Seeks Continual Improvement of Machinery
In my college days, one of my professors used to describe the Quality management jargon quite diligently but then I didn't get the point behind all that effort. Now I see how people make use of some popular interchangeable words so loosely; 'Continual & continuous improvement' is one of their victims!
I quickly did a google search and found this funny yet apt explanation:
The wordscontinualandcontinuous are like twins: they both come fromcontinue, but they get mad if you get them confused.Continual means start and stop, while continuous means never-ending.
Though when we talk with respect to improvement…
The adjectivecontinual describes something that's recurring, that happens again and again.
The adjective continuous describes something that occurs over space or time without interruption.
Continual Improvement
A major premise of a quality management environment is based on continual improvement. Plan-do-study-act cycle, or the PDSA cycle, is an iterative approach to do the continual improvement. Let me quickly explain what this cycle is all about.
The PDSA Cycle
Dr W. E. Deming proposed the PDSA cycle. This is based on Walter A. Shewhart's model of plan, do and see. There are various variations of PDSA cycle. Deming took strong exception in calling PDSA as PDCA (the third step being Check and not Study).
We can see this in the following quote from The Deming Institute:
Dr Deming emphasized the PDSA Cycle, not the PDCA Cycle, with a third step emphasis on Study (S), not Check (C). Dr Deming found that the focus on Check is more about the implementation of a change, with success or failure. His focus was on predicting the results of an improvement effort, studying the actual results, and comparing them to possibly revise the theory. He stressed that the need to develop new knowledge, from learning, is always guided by a theory. By comparison, the Check phase of the PDCA cycle focuses on the success or failure of a Plan, followed by needed corrections to the Plan in the event of failure.
https://deming.org/explore/p-d-s-a
1. Plan
In the Plan phase-
- Assess the situation
- Figure out how it can be improved
- Formulate a theory
- Identify the outcomes
- Set measurables goals which define success
Setting measurable goals in the planning phase helps in setting the expectations in the beginning. Later on, we can evaluate and study whether the expectations are being met or not.
2. Do
Then comes the actual execution phase, the Do phase. In this step execution of planned activities happen.
3. Study
The third phase is the Study phase. In this phase, we monitor the outcomes and test the validity of the plan. We identify the signs of progress and areas of improvement.
4. Act
Then comes the Act phase, this closes one PDSA cycle. In this step, we implement the recommended changes, maintain the performance and track it for its sustainability. Later on, the recommendations can be implemented across the organization.
Continual Improvement with PDSA
Now, comes continual improvement in the picture. We don't stop here. Once we maintain and sustain the improvements, we start to look forward to the next improvement milestone.
This leads to a new PDSA iteration….and this way the PDSA goes on and on…that is why it is a way of continually improving.
Meaning, improve, set better standards, do PDSA, improve again, set further better standards…and so on so forth.
Continuous improvement
We can comfortably say that continuous improvement is a subset of continual improvement. The term 'Continual improvement' also includes room fordiscontinuous improvements (innovative or radical improvements, such as in the lean manufacturing movement). Continuous improvements are linear, incremental improvements to an existing process.
Let's take the example of Lean six sigma. It is a way of continuous improvement. We identify a problem area, apply Lean six sigma, make improvements and conclude the project.
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Source: https://learninhub.com/difference-between-continual-and-continuous-improvement/
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