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No / This paper presents a practical methodology for developing a process-based knowledge management system (KMS) for supporting continuous improvement (CI) and asset management. An action research methodology was used to develop a KMS to support CI in a manufacturing company. The KMS is evaluated through application in the case study company. This methodology ensures a consistent approach to carrying out all improvement initiatives. The final part of the methodology addresses the construction of an intranet-based knowledge warehouse. This contains several searchable areas such as existing information on assets, new knowledge generated from projects, details of expertise in the business and links to the key business drivers through the corporate intranet. The KMS is shown to support CI initiatives through the utilization of available data already held within the company's management databases (production, quality and maintenance) including consideration of corporate strategic plans. Process models trigger the application of improvement tools and projects in a true CI environment. This methodology acknowledges both tacit and explicit knowledge within the company, and it represents an appropriate environment to promote and develop a true learning organization. The system developed is shown to be flexible and has been implemented in a manufacturing environment. Financial benefits are presented.

For over 30 years, authors have documented continuous improvement techniques that can help to improve the performance of the manufacturing sector. However, recent research has found that the uptake of these available techniques for the purpose of improving business performance is comparatively low as a result of barriers preventing their adoption by manufacturing SMEs. The aim and focus of this research is to develop a user-friendly framework which would guide both industry practitioners and other researchers to achieve business process improvements in an SME manufacturing environment. The framework developed in this study consists of four stages: 1) review of the current process to be improved; 2) identification of possible improvement in terms of prompts; 3) knowledge know-how to support transfer of proven continuous improvement techniques; and 4) continual review of the process to quantify the improvements. The framework uses a combination of three continuous improvement techniques: histograms, brainstorming and Five Whys to identify actions for management implementation. Such techniques have been merged to speed up and simplify the process of root cause analysis, thus encouraging SMEs to document their successes. This will enable other SMEs to learn from their experiences as well as from the knowledge gained by being part of the communities of practice. The methodology used in this research is mixed methodology and involves a combination of literature review, pilot study, a postal questionnaire with 50 respondents and two case studies. These case studies were then used to validate the framework, based on five structured interviews. Case studies involving two manufacturing SMEs include manufacturers of high-volume, low-cost components and low-volume, high-cost components. It was concluded that the root cause of a problem can be found by using: brainstorming, histograms and Five Whys. Sometimes, it was also possible to merge these techniques as one, thus reducing the analysis time. The case studies generated substantial savings, £27,500 and £1,366,055 for SME 1 and 2 respectively. Overall the benefits of the framework to SMEs include: using the developed user-friendly framework for improved business performance, knowledge transfer of learning continuous improvement techniques, learning about other SME successes and potential cost savings that could accrue for SMEs when they apply it. The framework developed in this research, therefore, has reduced some of the barriers which have prevented uptake of innovative techniques over the last 30 years.

Although most organisations want to improve quality and reduce costs, the deployment and implementation of continuous improvement methodologies is commonly viewed as a daunting journey. Many organisations fail to properly structure and/or support continuous improvement initiatives, which ultimately doom them to failure. South African Banks are not adopting Lean and/or Six-sigma to the point where it is going to make any sort of significant difference to the bottom line over a significantly meaningful period of time. So where are they going wrong? Often it comes down to key issues that are not addressed effectively as part of the deployment. The research objectives are: • The primary objective is to establish what the mission critical success factors for Lean and/or Six-sigma implementation in South African Banking are. • The secondary objective is to define a list of the sources of benefits for Lean and/or Six-sigma implementations in South African Banking. The research questions/problems to be addressed are: • What are the mission critical success factors for Lean and/or Six-sigma implementations in South African Banking? • How do South African Banks prioritise these critical success factors? • How do South African Banks that are already on the Lean and/or Six-sigma journey perform against these critical success factors? • What are the gaps between the importance’s of the critical success factors versus the banks actual performance against these, and how is this gap impacting on the benefits that the banks are experiencing? • What sources of benefits are South African Banks experiencing? • Can generic guidelines be provided to the South African Banks for successful Lean and/or Six-sigma implementation?

Although most organisations want to improve quality and reduce costs, the deployment and implementation of continuous improvement methodologies is commonly viewed as a daunting journey. Many organisations fail to properly structure and/or support continuous improvement initiatives, which ultimately doom them to failure. South African Banks are not adopting Lean and/or Six-sigma to the point where it is going to make any sort of significant difference to the bottom line over a significantly meaningful period of time. So where are they going wrong? Often it comes down to key issues that are not addressed effectively as part of the deployment. The research objectives are: • The primary objective is to establish what the mission critical success factors for Lean and/or Six-sigma implementation in South African Banking are. • The secondary objective is to define a list of the sources of benefits for Lean and/or Six-sigma implementations in South African Banking. The research questions/problems to be addressed are: • What are the mission critical success factors for Lean and/or Six-sigma implementations in South African Banking? • How do South African Banks prioritise these critical success factors? • How do South African Banks that are already on the Lean and/or Six-sigma journey perform against these critical success factors? • What are the gaps between the importance’s of the critical success factors versus the banks actual performance against these, and how is this gap impacting on the benefits that the banks are experiencing? • What sources of benefits are South African Banks experiencing? • Can generic guidelines be provided to the South African Banks for successful Lean and/or Six-sigma implementation?

Organisational change has proven to be a major challenge for many businesses worldwide with the pharmaceutical environment being no exception. The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly pressurised by stakeholders who seek reduced cost, higher value and quality. This has resulted in many pharmaceutical businesses attempting to launch various continuous improvement methodologies, which ultimately fail. Whereas failure of continuous improvement undertakings within the pharmaceutical environment is well documented, this study aimed to understand the factors that influence the successful sustainability of such endeavours. The purpose of this study was therefore to identify and create an understanding of the factors that influence a culture of continuous improvement within the pharmaceutical environment. The literature review revealed that factors such as leadership, teamwork, communication, continuous improvement capability and a continuous improvement mind-set contributed to the successful implementation of a culture that embraces continuous improvement. It was recognised that building a culture of continuous improvement is not instantaneous and that it requires all stakeholders to be committed and to acknowledge that changing culture requires time. An empirical study with a questionnaire as data collecting instrument was conducted to assess respondents’ perceptions of the levels of continuous improvement, leadership, teamwork, communication, continuous improvement capability and a continuous improvement mind-set within a selected pharmaceutical manufacturing business. The study revealed that all these factors were related and influenced a culture of continuous improvement. Furthermore, leadership and a continuous improvement mind-set proved to have the most significant relationship with a culture of continuous improvement. Recommendations were provided for the creation of a culture of continuous improvement in pharmaceutical businesses.

Lean techniques are tools that reduce waste in the process and create value for the end-customer. Initially, the concept of lean thinking started in manufacturing, but with the tremendous advantages it offers in terms of value creation for the customer, defect reduction, increase of profits for corporations, it has been recognized as an important tool across a wide spectrum of industries. Although Healthcare industry has started applying these techniques, there is very little work published on how to apply these techniques to this particular industry. In this study, a framework for applying lean thinking to healthcare industries is presented. The framework depicts a systematic methodology for identifying value streams. The framework was developed specifically for the healthcare industry, but it can be applied to service industry in general. A case study is presented on how to apply this framework. Value stream mapping has been conducted at a clinic to identify areas of improvement. The components of the developed framework have been used to define a future state of process based on input from process owners, nurses, physicians, and patient surveys. The study has identified factors that influence the success of implementation of lean techniques in healthcare. Also the potential for future work has been identified.

El proyecto se basa en la mejora de los procesos de empresa Industrias John’s, dedicada al soplado, etiquetado y embalado de botellas de Pereftalato de Polietileno, dentro de la Planta de Perú Cola en Ucayali. El problema de la empresa es el número elevado de mermas de la empresa, que traducido en términos monetarios representa un importante porcentaje de pérdidas respecto a los ingresos anuales. Como primer paso se realizará el análisis de los procesos para identificar las principales causas de este problema. Además, se realizarán propuestas que ayudarán a la mejora de los procesos, las que se basan en conceptos de las técnicas de la ingeniería industrial que servirán para atacar y hacer frente el problema central. Las propuestas planteadas y desarrolladas serán evaluadas a fin de determinar los diferentes impactos dentro de la organización. Estas propuestas tienen el fin de reducir las mermas en los dos procesos anteriores. Se trabajan los siguientes puntos: Económico: De acuerdo con la medida que se opte se pueda disminuir el impacto económico que tienen las mermas relacionadas a los ingresos. Estratégico: Se desarrollará una alternativa de solución que le permita a la empresa poder competir con las principales empresas dentro del rubro y pueda estar a la par con la competencia. Además de ello, crear modelos de Mejora Continua. Por último, se optará por la mejor alternativa que aseguren el avance de la empresa, el desarrollo de sus ventajas competitivas a fin de mejorar la situación actual de la empresa, empleando menos recursos y por supuesto con mayores ganancias. / The project is based on the improvement of Industrias John's company processes, dedicated to the blowing, labeling and packaging of polyethylene perethalate bottles, within the Peru Cola Plant in Ucayali. The problem of the company is the high number of losses of the company, which translated into monetary terms represents a significant percentage of losses with respect to annual revenues. The first step will be the analysis of the processes to identify the main causes of this problem. In addition, proposals will be made that will help to improve processes, which are based on concepts of industrial engineering techniques that will serve to attack and address the central problem. The proposals proposed and developed will be evaluated in order to determine the different impacts within the organization. These proposals are aimed at reducing the merchandise in the two previous processes. The following points are worked: Economic: According to the measure chosen, the economic impact of the losses related to income can be reduced. Strategic: A solution alternative will be developed that allows the company to compete with the main companies within the field and can be on par with the competition. In addition to this, create models of Continuous Improvement. Finally, we will choose the best alternative to ensure the progress of the company, the development of its competitive advantages in order to improve the current situation of the company, using fewer resources and of course with higher profits. / Tesis

Yes / Purpose – This paper establishes a comprehensive basis for understanding the roles and competences of midlevel management and their influence on the effectiveness of continuous improvement (CI) capability within an organisation. Design/methodology/approach – This research builds upon the hypothesis that methods alone do not lead to successful CI capability development. It focuses on the role of mid-level management in driving a CI environment that underpins the effectiveness of CI capability. A reference model for the CI environment is synthesised based on critical literature review, integrating CI culture, CI enablers and CI leadership elements.A comprehensive framework is introduced to define CI leadership roles and competence indicators. A quantitative benchmarking study involving structured interviews with 15 UK organisations was undertaken to collect evidence for a causal relationship between CI leadership competences and CI capability. Findings – Analysis of the benchmarking data provides clear evidence of the causal relationship between the CI leadership competences of mid-level management and CI capability of the organisation. Given that the empirical study was structured on the basis of the CI leadership roles and competences framework introduced in this paper, this also provides validation for the proposed framework and the CI environment model. Practical implications – The evidence-based knowledge of the positive relationship between the midmanagement CI leadership competences and the effectiveness of the CI capability informs strategic organisational development interventions towards enhancing CI capability and effectiveness, ultimately underpinning productivity enhancement and sustainability. The framework for mid-level management CI leadership roles, responsibilities and competences introduced in this paper and grounded in underpinning work undertaken within a large automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), can be adapted by any organisation. The CI environment reference model should provide a comprehensive support for strategists to communicate the framework for CI capability improvement within an organisation, to enhance acceptability and adherence to improvement actions. Originality/value – This research proves for the first time the significance of the causal relationship between the CI leadership competences and the effectiveness of the CI capability within an organisation, thus filling an important gap between established previous work, focussing on the role of mid-level management on one side and practitioner and team level roles, methodologies and tools. The proposed CI environment model is a theoretical contribution with reference value for both practice and further studies. The comprehensive framework for mid-level management CI leadership roles, responsibilities and competences introduced in this paper provides sound foundation to deliver CI leadership in the workplace. / Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

This research presents results of innovation management practices and sustainability of continuous improvement. Innovation is recognized as a growth tool for economies in general however not all economy sectors have innovation as a strategy. This research served as a case study to analyze how innovation is managed within innovative firms to help less innovative sectors, such as the wood products industry, to become profitable. Among the observed innovation management practices, this study was able to identify the use of continuous improvement to support incremental innovation. Although, continuous improvement is well known and accepted, there are still challenges to reach a sustainable state of continuous improvement. This research also addresses the difficulty in sustaining continuous improvement through a longitudinal case study. A literature review was conducted to identify factors influencing the sustainability of the continuous improvement. These factors were gathered within a research framework which functioned as the main source to establish the questionnaire used as the research tool. Utilizing this tool, the study evaluated the hypotheses relating to the effects of time, location and company type on the behavior of the enabling and inhibiting factors, and the relationships among them. Results demonstrated that time has no effect on factors affecting the sustainability of the continuous improvement, although changes affect how the factors are perceived as success factors in sustaining continuous improvement. The study also concluded that type of company and location impact how the inhibiting and enabling factors are perceived as supporters of the sustainability of the continuous improvement. Finally, the study revealed that these factors are correlated among them, thus sustainability is the result of a dynamic multifactor process rather that an unique factor. In addition to this new framework, the study also developed a self-assessment tool to be used for continuous improvement practitioners. With this tool, the new developed framework can be continuously monitored and proper and informed action can be taken by managers to address any observed gap in sustaining continuous improvement. Finally, the study also brings an example of interdisciplinary research which gathers quantitative methods from the statistics field, and qualitative methods from the business and social science fields. / Ph. D.