Always Making Progress: The Fundamentals of Continuous Improvement for the Process Industry

This book provides process-industry professionals with guidance on implementing Continuous Improvement (CI) from the basic foundations to a "way of life" and defining feature of the organization's culture. It addresses issues such as eliminating accidents and near misses, reducing customer complaints, improving customer delivery performance, introducing new products, improving staff productivity, removing costs to meet the budget, dealing with absence and poor morale, and improving staff retention. The implementation of CI is presented as a cyclical journey with no endpoint, and the stages are ordered in a sequence that enables the reader to get started in their area of the company and build up the elements without an overall organizational strategy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 230 pages
Publication date: 18 April 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive guide is designed to empower process-industry professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement Continuous Improvement (CI) effectively within their organizations. It takes readers on a journey from the initial stages of CI implementation to a culture where CI becomes an integral part of the organization's DNA, shaping its values, practices, and outcomes.

The book addresses a range of critical challenges faced by process-industry professionals, including the reduction of accidents and near misses, the improvement of customer satisfaction, and the enhancement of customer delivery performance. By employing proven CI methodologies and strategies, readers can achieve sustainable and long-term improvements in these areas while also fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.

One of the key strengths of this guide is its practical and actionable approach. It provides step-by-step instructions and examples that can be easily applied to real-world situations, making it accessible to professionals from various industries and backgrounds. The book also emphasizes the importance of collaboration and teamwork in implementing CI, highlighting the role of leadership in driving change and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Furthermore, the book recognizes that Continuous Improvement is a journey that never ends, and it presents CI as a cyclical process with no predefined endpoint. Readers are guided through a structured sequence of stages, each building upon the previous one, allowing them to start implementing CI in their specific areas of the organization and gradually expand its reach throughout the entire organization.

In addition to its practical guidance, the book also provides a comprehensive bibliography that serves as a valuable resource for further exploration of the principles, approaches, and tools of Continuous Improvement. It includes references to books, articles, and other resources that can deepen readers' understanding of CI and help them develop their skills and expertise in this field.

Overall, this guide is an essential tool for process-industry professionals seeking to transform their organizations into high-performing, customer-centric, and continuously improving entities. It provides a roadmap for implementing CI effectively, fosters a culture of continuous improvement, and empowers professionals to achieve their goals and aspirations in a rapidly changing business environment.

Eliminating accidents and near misses.
Reducing customer complaints.
Improving customer delivery performance.
Introducing new products.
Improving staff productivity.
Removing costs to meet the budget.
Dealing with absence and poor morale.
Improving staff retention.

This book provides them with guidance on how to address issues in these areas in a way that enables improvements to be realized quickly but not at the expense of a long-term goal of a sustainable Continuous Improvement culture.

In addition, this book presents the implementation of CI as a cyclical journey with no endpoint. The stages are ordered in a sequence that enables the reader to get started in their area of the company and build up the elements without the need for an overall organizational strategy at the beginning.

Continuous Improvement is a vast subject with many takes on principles, approaches, and tools. This book is about how all the fundamentals of these areas fit together and, as such, covers only some of them. However, within the bibliography, I have signposted the books that have guided me during my career and which go into the principles, approaches, and tools further.

This comprehensive guide is designed to empower process-industry professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement Continuous Improvement (CI) effectively within their organizations. It takes readers on a journey from the initial stages of CI implementation to a culture where CI becomes an integral part of the organization's DNA, shaping its values, practices, and outcomes.

The book addresses a range of critical challenges faced by process-industry professionals, including the reduction of accidents and near misses, the improvement of customer satisfaction, and the enhancement of customer delivery performance. By employing proven CI methodologies and strategies, readers can achieve sustainable and long-term improvements in these areas while also fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.

One of the key strengths of this guide is its practical and actionable approach. It provides step-by-step instructions and examples that can be easily applied to real-world situations, making it accessible to professionals from various industries and backgrounds. The book also emphasizes the importance of collaboration and teamwork in implementing CI, highlighting the role of leadership in driving change and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Furthermore, the book recognizes that Continuous Improvement is a journey that never ends, and it presents CI as a cyclical process with no predefined endpoint. Readers are guided through a structured sequence of stages, each building upon the previous one, allowing them to start implementing CI in their specific areas of the organization and gradually expand its reach throughout the entire organization.

In addition to its practical guidance, the book also provides a comprehensive bibliography that serves as a valuable resource for further exploration of the principles, approaches, and tools of Continuous Improvement. It includes references to books, articles, and other resources that can deepen readers' understanding of CI and help them develop their skills and expertise in this field.

Overall, this guide is an essential tool for process-industry professionals seeking to transform their organizations into high-performing, customer-centric, and continuously improving entities. It provides a roadmap for implementing CI effectively, fosters a culture of continuous improvement, and empowers professionals to achieve their goals and aspirations in a rapidly changing business environment.

Weight: 639g
Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032155609