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…)

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…)

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…)

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…)

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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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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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.

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“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…)

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…)

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…)