Continuous operational improvement should be at the top of every company’s list of priorities, whether that company is a start-up or a multinational giant. In Finland, a veil of mystery hangs around continuous improvement, and its essence is often misunderstood. People often think of continuous improvement as just a list of different “tools”, such as the Plan Do Check Act cycle, the Twelve-Step Kaizen Team and the Single-Minute Exchange of Die. However, continuous improvement, whether you call it Lean Manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance, the Toyota Production System or World Class Manufacturing, is much more than just a set of tools. It’s an organization-wide idea that nothing is perfect: you can always improve gradually, one small piece at a time, and it’s your people, not tools, that are at the heart of continuous improvement.
A company must have a long-term strategy for fulfilling its purpose. That strategy defines the company’s priorities and thus which objectives it works to achieve. Clearly defined objectives allow a company to focus on the areas where continuous improvement tools can be utilized and to put those tools in the hands of the experts in the processes that generate losses. Improvement efforts yield better results and the culture of continuous improvement grows in a company’s everyday operations when process experts are placed at the centre of those efforts.
Aurelia Turbines fulfils its purpose by providing its customers with world-class gas turbines. To achieve its goals, Aurelia applies World Class Manufacturing methodologies for continuous improvement. The road to World Class is long, but Aurelia has already taken the first steps.
Stay tuned. Our story continues in the coming month.
The author has extensive experience in practical implementation of continuous improvement in operations.