Driving Sustainability to Business Success: The DS FactorManagement System Integration and Automation

CHAPTER 14 Step Three: Improve

Your organization’s success is dependent on “Improve.”

W. Edward Deming was quoted as saying, “If you don’t know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing.” Throughout the book, we have encouraged you as a leader to ask the right questions so you can analyze with the right information or data. Through analysis, you turn this information into insights for actions to take place for improvement, and then you bring value to your leadership for sustainability to business success.

The process of analysis is in Step Three, “Improve.” We have reviewed the planning of the management of business operations in Step One, “Identify,” and the steps required in implementing a management system structure in Step Two, “Insure.” In the third step, you as a manager will look at opportunities for improvement and the systems in place that will help to direct your choices.

Senior management meets on an ongoing basis to cover key operations with a review of measureable objectives and targets, monitoring operational controls and variances and understanding nonconforming goods and services and overall improvement for the management system. Many tools have been outlined in Step One, Identify, for setting objectives to improve operations, such as Six Sigma, lean manufacturing, best management practices, reengineering, etc. Each tool can benefit your organization in serving your customer and improving the way you manage your business.

Performance Evaluation