Continuous Improvement Conference, Manchester 14th May

Phrases such as transformation and Continuous Improvement (CI) are appearing more and more in the rhetoric of the government and the wider public sector. Driven by the need for efficiency and transparency, they are realising that things are not going to go back to the way they were. There is a change of culture going on, moving away from the old hierarchical organisations of the past to a new, agile, business-like public sector.

Really good work has been done in pockets across the public sector, but a lot is being replicated in different parts of the UK. The Continuous Improvement conference provided an excellent opportunity for organisations to share what they had done so far, as well as to learn from what others were doing. It must be remembered that each organisation is unique, and the unthinking transplant of a model from one to another is not the way forward. The service sector is a lot different to the manufacturing sector.

There is an awful lot of work still to be done to make CI un-noticed, i.e. so well embedded within an organisation that it is simply ‘the way things are done’. With an urgent need across the public sector to deliver efficiencies, the benefits of CI are clear, but success depends upon strong leadership and the engagement of staff at all levels.

Ran in association with the Institute for Continuous Improvement in the Public Sector (ICiPS), ‘Continuous Improvement: embedding the culture in the public sector’ supported the public sector in becoming self-sufficient in the implementation of continuous improvement, facilitating cross-cutting initiatives, encouraging skills development and supporting delivery.

To start on this long journey towards continuous improvement why not try our ‘Rapid Improvement Events (or Kaizen Events)’ to learn the skills and enjoy some early ‘quick wins’. They are short, sharp and action focussed interventions to engage staff in improving specific problem areas of the organisation from quality defects, to poor processes, to reducing major complaints. This is backed up with an ongoing coaching programme that leads to team-based continuous improvement using visual management and a simple problem solving cycle that ensures ongoing sustainable enhancements.

If you are interested in running a Rapid Improvement Event then please contact Mike Williams on 02380 464 153 or 07866 537 580. Alternatively see our website and blog for more information and case studies.