Continuous Improvement

1
Continuous Improvement
Check Do Act Plan
Quality level
Time
2
Learning Objectives

• Lead a Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) process
  improvement initiative.
• Use quality tools for analysis and problem
  solving.
• Compare and contrast the corporate programs for
  quality improvement.

3
Quality and Productivity Improvement Process

• Foundations of Continuous Improvement -
  Customer Satisfaction - Management by Facts -
  Respect for People
• Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle
• Problem Solving (10 steps)

4
Quality Tools

• Check Sheet
• Run Chart
• Histogram
• Pareto Chart
• Flowchart
• Cause-and-Effect Diagram
• Scatter Diagram
• Control Chart

5
Check Sheet

• Month Lost Departure
  Mechanical Overbooked Other
• Luggage Delay
• January 1 2 3 3 1
• February 3 3 0 1 0
• March 2 5 3 2 3
• April 5 4 4 0 2
• May 4 7 2 3 0
• June 3 8 1 1 1
• July 6 6 3 0 2
• August 7 9 0 3 0
• September 4 7 3 0 2
• October 3 11 2 3 0
• November 2 10 1 0 0
• December 4 12 2 0 1
• Total 44 84 24 16 12

6
Run Chart
7
Histogram of Lost Luggage
8
Cause-and-Effect Chart for Flight Departure Delay
(Fishbone Chart)
Equipment
Personnel

Gate agents cannot process passengers quickly
enough
Too few agents
Aircraft late to gate
Agents undertrained
Late arrival
Agents undermotivated
Gate occupied
Agents arrive at gate late
Other
Mechanical failures
Late cabin cleaners
Late pushback tug
Weather
Late or unavailable cabin crews
Air traffic
Late or unavailable cockpit crews
Delayed Flight Departure
Poor announcement of departures
Weight and balance sheet late
Delayed checkin procedure
Late baggage to aircraft
Confused seat selection
Late fuel
Passengers bypass checkin counter
Late food service
Checking oversize baggage
Issuance of boarding pass
Acceptance of late passengers
Cutoff too close to departure time
Desire to protect late passengers
Material
Desire to help companys income
Poor gate locations
Procedure
9
Pareto Analysis of Flight Departure Delay Causes
10
Flowchart
11
Scatter Diagram
12
Control Chart of Departure Delays
expected
Lower Control Limit
1998
1999
13
Corporate Programs for Quality Improvement

• Marriott Personnel Programs
• Zero Defects (Crosby)
• Demings 14 Point Program
• Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award
• ISO 9000
• Six-Sigma

14
Mega Bytes Restaurant

1. How is the Seven-Step Method (SSM) different from
   Demings PDCA cycle?
2. Prepare a cause-and-effect or fishbone diagram
   for a problem such as Why customers have long
   waits for coffee. Use Figure 6.30 as a guide.
3. How would you resolve the difficulties that study
   teams have experienced when applying the SSM?

15
The Seven-Step Method

• Step 1 Define the project
• Step 2 Study the current situation
• Step 3 Analyze the potential causes
• Step 4 Implement a solution
• Step 5 Check the results
• Step 6 Standardize the improvement
• Step 7 Establish future plans