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A Guide to Continuous Improvement Transformation

Concepts, Processes, Implementation

Authors: Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Book Series : Management for Professionals

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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About this book

This book enables enterprise business leaders - from CEOs to supervisors - to understand what "Continuous Improvement" is, why it is probably the best answer to improved business performance in years, and how to put it to work in the unique environment of a specific organization. The book examines what is at the core of "Continuous Improvement" and delves deeper into the elements and constituents necessary to take an organization to the next level to ensure its continued, long-term existence. It provides guidance to enterprise management and to professionals engaged in the implementation of a "Continuous Improvement" initiative and enables them to structure and manage its implementation successfully. It also provides tools to quickly assess where an enterprise business stands in terms of strategic management and "Continuous Improvement".

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Table of Contents

Frontmatter

1. Introduction

Abstract

An enterprise business exists for one purpose: to create value and generate revenues in order to continue to exist in today’s ever changing business landscape. These revenues must cover the expenses of the enterprise business, provide working capital for future operations, and provide the profits expected by the shareholders.

Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

2. Defining ‘Continuous Improvement’

Abstract

This chapter is concerned with the core of the art of “Continuous Improvement” transformation and delves into the key characteristics and constituents necessary to take the enterprise business to the next level to continue to exist in the long term. Subsequent chapters provide guidance to enterprises management and to professionals engaged in the “Continuous Improvement” initiative implementation and enable them to structure and manage its implementation successfully.

Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

3. Understanding Leadership Dimension

Abstract

A reality accepted by most professionals engage in any “Continuous Improvement” program implementation, but rarely understood enough to be described accurately is “leadership.”

Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

4. Culture and Values Dimension

Abstract

There have been many definitions of an enterprise business or organization culture in recent years and most of these definitions refer to behaviors, shared values, beliefs, assumptions, and patterns of relationships (Alvesson, 2002; Ashkanasy, Wilderom, & Peterson, 2010; Brenton & Driskill, 2010; Cameron & Quinn, 2011; Deal & Kennedy, 2000; Kotter & Heskett, 1992; Mann, 2005; Martin, 2002; Parker, 1999; Pheysey, 1993; Schein, 2009, 2010; Witte & Muijen, 2000).

Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

5. Strategic Planning and Management

Abstract

The term “strategy” comes from the Greek word “strategos,” deriving etymologically from stratos (the army) and agein (to lead). Thus, in this original sense, “strategy” is “the art of leading the army.” While it has originated in the military sphere, the term “strategy” has risen into prominence in the business world since the 1960s to become a cornerstone of high-performing enterprises nowadays.

Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

6. Performance Measurement

Abstract

Within the context of this book, the word “performance” refers to how well a person, a group of individuals, a machine, a system, etc. does a piece of work or an activity. In the previous chapter, we have illustrated that an enterprise intended strategy determines the intended purpose of the enterprise and provides the framework for decisions about people, leadership, customers or clients, risk, finance, resources, products, systems, technologies, location, competition, and time.

Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

7. Performance Management

Abstract

Performance management is the comprehensive set of activities followed to establish, implement and improve an enterprise business performance. It includes defining expectations and accountabilities, setting performance standards and performance measures, and assessing results. It is the centralized and coordinated management of performance measures to: obtain the benefits and control not available from managing them individually and, achieve the enterprise intended strategic objectives and benefits.

Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

8. Alignment and Commitment

Abstract

The attainment of intended strategic goals is the lifeblood of any enterprise business. Ideally, every employee should be acting in concert with the enterprise business intended strategy. The larger the enterprise business is, the more important the synergy that diverse resources and capabilities provide within the enterprise business. No matter how clear and valid an enterprise business intended strategy and its alignment are, if employees at different organizational levels within the enterprise business are not genuinely on the same page, working with each other, rather than against or independent of each other, the enterprise business will not achieve the success that it want. There are three key dimensions to achieving this: the alignment process, the commitment of employees on the resulting alignment, and the development and management of teams to execute the aligned activities.

Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

9. Team Development and Management

Abstract

Executing the activities resulting from an enterprise business alignment requires a diverse mix of individuals who must be integrated into effective sets: groups and teams (for example: project teams, workgroups). These sets are formed to ease the work pressure on the individual and achieve the alignment activities within the desired time frame. An effective set often outperforms individuals within in an enterprise, because high performance within an enterprise business requires multiple skills, judgments, and experiences. Of course, there are certain tasks at which individuals will always outperform a group or a team; for instance, where talent or experience is the critical performance factor required to achieve an activity. Our purpose in this chapter is to provide guidelines for building a cohesive team.

Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

10. Process Improvement and Management

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter on “Process Improvement and Management” is not about performing the systematic methodology for process improvement; it is about creating an optimal environment for effective implementation of process improvement and management within an enterprise business.

Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

11. Sustainability

Abstract

Sustainability relates to the degree to which an enterprise business incrementally and in an ongoing basis creates value to its customers and shareholders, captures value from its diverse assets (tangible and intangible), and attracts investors. Enterprise businesses that do not create value, by definition, destroy it; and unprofitable enterprise businesses are wasting both the money of their shareholders and the enterprise resources and assets.

Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

12. Conclusion

Abstract

This book is intended to provide guidance to enterprises management and to professionals engaged in the “Continuous Improvement” initiative or program implementation and enable them to structure and manage its strategic implementation successfully. As you have realized, this is not a traditional book on Kaizen philosophy or practices that focus upon continuous improvement of processes in manufacturing, and engineering!

Aristide van Aartsengel, Selahattin Kurtoglu

Backmatter

Title: A Guide to Continuous Improvement Transformation
Authors: Aristide van Aartsengel
Selahattin Kurtoglu
Copyright Year: 2013
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-642-35904-0
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-35903-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35904-0