fact_sheet_continuous_improvement.docx

SustainableManufacturingToolboxFactsheet:ContinuousimprovementPlan-do-check-act(PDCAcycle)Onemethodforimplementingandsustainingcontinuousimprovementinvolvesausefultoolcalledthe,plan-do-check-act'cycleorPDCA.ThePDCAcyclemaybeusedtoimplementimprovementsandtoensurethatimprovementsaresustainedinallcriticalareasofthebusinesssuchassafetyandenvironment,quality,morale,deliveryandst.TheenvironmentalmanagementsystemdetailedintheISO14004:2004InternationalStandardfollowsaPDCAmanagementmodel.PDCAisanongoing,iterativeprocessthatenablesabusinesstoestablish,implementandmaintainandcontinuallyimproveitsenvironmentalpolicy.ThePDCAcycleisachecklistoffourstagesyoumustgothrough,fromidentifyingtheareaforimprovementthroughtotheimprovedworkarea.Itemphasisesanddemonstratesthatimprovementprogramsmustdothefollowing:1. Startwithcarefulplanning.2. Resultineffectiveaction.3. Checktheresults.4. Moveonagaintocarefulplanninginacontinuouscycle.ThefourstagesareillustratedinFigure1.Figure1:ThePDCAcyclePage1of5©CommonwealthofAustralia20101.icensedunderAEShareNetShareandReturnlicenceTheplanstageisperformedthroughouttheplanningandimplementationofimprovementsolutions.Duringthecheckstagetheteamcollectsdataandcheckswhetherthesolutionsareproducingtheexpectedimprovements.Duringtheactstagetheteammonitorstheprocesstoidentifyfurtherimprovementopportunitiesandtakesactiontointroducethem.However,theimprovementprocessdoesnotstophere.Ascontinuousimprovementisnever-ending,thePDCAcyclecontinues.PDCAiswhatdrivescontinuousimprovement.Hereisaguidelinetotheplan-do-check-actcycles.Plan Establishanongoingplanningprocess. Describetheresultsyouwanttoachieve. Identifyandmonitorapplicablelegalrequirements,policyobjectivesandothercommitments. Setinternalperformancecriteriawhereappropriate(operatingstandards,timeframes,qualitycontrol,costconsiderations). Clarifythestandards(time,quality,costetc). 1.istallactivitiesrequiredtoachievetheresults. Prioritisetheactivities. Determinethetiminganddurationofeach. Prepareadiagramtoillustratetheactivitysequence. Allocatepeopleandresources. Setobjectivesandtargetsonwhatshouldbemeasured,whereandwhenitshouldbemeasuredandwhatmethodsshouldbeused. Developanduseperformanceindicators.Do Aftertheplanningstage,theplanneedstobeimplemented. Assignrolesandresponsibilities. Maintainoperationalcontrolandemergencyresponse. Providealladequateresourcesincludingtheimplementationofdocumentcontrol. Providetrainingtorelevantstaff. Establishprocessesforinternalcommunication.Check Youneedtoevaluateandmeasuretheresults. Completeasystematicapproachtomonitoringandmeasurementactivitiesthatensurecompliancebyidentifyingthekeycharacteristicsthroughaprocessapproach. Progressiscomparedagainstkeyperformanceindicatorsandsettargetsfromtheplanningstage. Identifynonconformityandtakecorrectiveandpreventiveactions. Managerecords.Act Reviewandtakeactiontoimprovethempany'soperations.Identifyareasforimprovementandmakerecommendations. Hereyouneedtoimprovetheprocessfurther.Forexample,ifresultsachievedareasplannedagainstthetargetsset,thecurrentmethodiscapturedinaneworrevisedstandardoperatingprocedure(SOP)toensurefuturesuccess. Whenresultsarenotasplanned,thePDCAcycleisrepeatedonthesamebusinessactivitywithrecommendationsonwhatwentwrongdetailedforpartofthenextplanningcycle. Anessentialelementofcontinuousimprovementisaiminghighernexttimesothatthereviewstagesetshighertargetsthanpreviouslyrecognised. WhenresultsaresuccessfulthePDCAcycleiscompletedonanotherareaofthecompanyforcontinualimprovement.ContinuousimprovementThePDCAisanexampleofcontinuousimprovement,howeverthereareotherimplementationsofthisidea.ForexampleKaizenisanotherapproachadoptedbyJapanesemanufacturers.Oneofthesignificantaspectsofcontinuousimprovementsystemsisaiminghighernexttimesothatatthereviewstagehighertargetsaresetsothatthebusinesscontinuestoimprove.ThisisanessentialpartofthestandardISO14000anditiswhatdifferentiatesenvironmentalmanagementsystemsfromqualitysystems.SourcesofinformationforcontinuousimprovementTorealisecontinualimprovements,abusinessshouldnotonlyknowwhatdeficienciesexist,butunderstandwhytheyexist.Thiscanbeachievedisbyanalysingtherootcase(三)ofenvironmentalmanagementsystemdeficiencies.Someusefulsourcesofinformationforcontinuousimprovementcouldinclude: experiencegainedfromcorrectiveandpreventiveactions externalbenchmarkingagainstbestpractices intendedorproposedchangesapplicabletolegalrequirementsandotherrequirementstowhichthebusinesssubscribes resultsofenvironmentalmanagementsystemandcomplianceaudits resultsofmonitoringofkeycharacteristicsofoperations resultsofprogresstowardsachievingobjectivesandtargets,and viewsofinterestedparties,includingemployees,customersandsuppliers.ExamplesofcontinuousimprovementImprovementscanbemadeeitherwithinoroutsidetheprocessofsettingandreviewingenvironmentalobjectivesandtargets.Someexamplesofimprovementinclude: establishingaprocessforevaluatingnewmaterialstopromotetheuseoflessharmfulmaterials improvingabusiness'sprocessforidentifyingapplicablelegalrequirementssothatnewcompliancerequirementsareidentifiedinamoretimelyfashion introducingwastewatertreatmentprocessestoallowwaterreuse redesigningdeliveryroutestoreducefossilfuelconsumptionbytransportationcompanies settingobjectivesandtargetstoimplementfuelsubstitutioninoperationsandreduceparticulateemissions.