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Root Cause Analysis is the Foundation of Corrective Action

Monday, May 18th, 2009

You have identified a problem, and you have made an immediate correction to fix it for now.  How do you make sure the same problem doesn’t happen again?

That is the role of corrective action in continual improvement of an organization.  In a reactive organization, we constantly react to problems in a corrective mode.  We make the short term fixes – over and over and over again.  (more…)

Addressing a Nonconformance with Correction and Corrective Action

Monday, May 11th, 2009

We know that it is important to collect information and feedback from external and internal sources in order to identify problems and non-conformances.  But once you have found a problem, what steps do you take to resolve it? (more…)

Customer Feedback for Corrective Action is More Than Complaints

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Corrective action is the theme for this month.  To start the series, let’s talk about where it all begins – inputs to the corrective action process. (more…)

Helping Customers Find Their Voice

Monday, April 13th, 2009

This month our theme is voice of the customer.  This is very coincidental because this is also the month we have undergone our ISO 9001 Certification audit (as anyone following our blog surely knows…).

The connection between these two items is the customer-centric nature of ISO 9001.  In fact, you could say that there are two overarching aims of the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Requirements: (more…)

Is Your Management System Maturity Delivering Improvement?

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

Last week we identified another common process maturity level in many organizations, Phase Two — Documentation.  Frequently, this is where organizations get stuck, and are not able to advance in their management system maturity.  We also covered Phase three – Process Stability.  This week we will describe the next two levels in our process maturity model that we use to describe the phases of an improving effective management system.  We call the third level Corrective Action Phase and the fourth level Preventive Action Phase, and we will see why they are so difficult to reach.

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Which Maturity Level is Your Management System?

Monday, February 9th, 2009

Last week we identified the most common process maturity level in many organizations, phase one — Reactive.  Few organizations are able to advance much farther up in management system maturity.  This week we will look at the next two levels in our process maturity model that describe the phases in which an effective management system comes to life.  The Documentation and Stability Phases.

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Scaling the Maturity Levels of Quality Process Management

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

Your management system consists of business processes that interact with each other through documents and records.  Yet in many companies the system appears to be functioning whether anything is documented or recorded.  Can this be an effective management system?  It depends on the process management maturity of your organization.

(more…)

Are you Looking Forward to Your Next Audit?

Tuesday, September 4th, 2007

“I am here to audit you.”  That phrase can strike fear in most of us, thanks in part to our good friends at the IRS.  In the business world as well, those five words can send a chill down the spine of everyone from the Finance VP to the shipping department clerk.  But it shouldn’t.  (more…)

Making Small Improvements Using a Kaizen System

Monday, August 13th, 2007

Last week we covered the positive results of using lean tools to reorganize a production area.   The Bizmanualz manual and CD production area achieved a 75% reduction in finished product inventory, a 50% reduction in production time, as well as improved machine capabilities and reduced errors. (more…)

Implementing Lean Production

Monday, August 6th, 2007

Improvement Journey at Bizmanualz

At Bizmanualz, our mission is to help businesses and organizations improve through helping them implement innovative techniques and proven best practices. That philosophy carries through our manuals, our training classes, and our consulting efforts. (more…)


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