The Taste of Perfection

Organisations can always improve. Processes can always be better. In whatever organisation we come across, we have never come across anyone who is against improving processes on principle. Of course, there is not always the energy, time, space or knowledge to work on the organisation and processes. And more often, we see organisations stuck in old patterns or ways of thinking, failing to achieve the results the organisation has in mind. However, the principle of continuous improvement is always embraced. Put another way, it's hard to say: 'I'm against continuous improvement!'

But how? We see many people in organisations struggling with the question of which philosophy, methodology or technique is best for the organisation. One year it's Lean, the next year 'the whole organisation needs to be Agile'. Until the director has heard something about Design Thinking and this becomes the new buzzword. Over-agreements with all these methods: there are always people who can work with them and people who cannot.

And that makes sense. Not every challenge is the same. A carpenter cannot solve every problem with a hammer. Sometimes you need other tools and techniques to tackle a problem. For example, if the sink is clogged, a carpenter is not even useful at all. So is the case with challenges in orga-nisations.

In addition, not every problem deserves the same approach. It is quite different whether you are a carpenter hanging a bookshelf or building a shed. One you do without much preparation and planning, the other does require a plan of action.

Cookbook for improvers

In this book, we, as improvement practitioners, explain how we look at continuous improvement. It is suitable for anyone interested in improving processes and organisations and looking for a pragmatic approach. We try to explain all the steps and techniques in such a way that no special prior knowledge is required.

Tools and Techniques

The book explains various techniques from methods such as Lean, Six Sigma and so on. Each technique is described in a set structure, viz:

Description: name of the relevant technique and a short description of the content.

 When: at what stage can the technique be applied?

 Goals: why do you use this technique?

 Steps: what steps do you go through in this to perform this technique?

Examples: an example of technology in practice.

Tips: useful facts and tips as you get started with this technique.

Click on the name of a 'recipe' for an explanation and it will open in a new window

Part I of this book covers the theory of continuous improvement. We explain:

  • Why continuous improvement is important and why a book about it;
  • Why most improvement methods and techniques, such as Lean, Six Sigma and others can be used well together;
  • How to make continuous improvement routine;
  • Which three forms of approach to dealing with obstacles or problems in an organisation we distinguish;
  • How project-based improvements can be made.
In Part II, we focus on a blueprint approach to improvements. As in a cookbook, we describe for each course the possible dishes that can be used. The choice of which dishes to use is up to the cook and, for example
depending on the company and the desired tastes. We describe the various stages in an improvement project. Here, we consciously describe all steps in an improvement project where, depending on the situation or challenge (companionship), steps (courses) may not be performed or may be performed to a limited extent. In addition, the content of the steps (the techniques to be applied) depends on the content of the problem (the desired flavour).

Part III sets out various tools and techniques by describing them, when they are applied, for what purpose and what steps they consist of, and with an example if necessary.

About the authors

The authors of this book are André van Hofwegen and Willem-Jan Vos. They work within the Improven consultancy firm and are (in)directly involved in improvement projects and training courses. In addition, many (former) colleagues and clients have thought along with them and worked with them, for which they express their great thanks! In addition, they are of course indebted to the many thinkers and doers in the field. In the back of this book you will find a reading list of books and websites that have inspired them.

On behalf of the authors, we therefore wish you much continuous improvement fun!