EON Blog

As with any other planned program or function in your business, your investments in continuous improvement (CI) should be included in your operating budget. However, it can be difficult to properly budget for CI investments if you don’t have visibility into the current status of CI across the organization, which is often the case for companies that are using a piecemeal approach to CI management through some combination of Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint slides, and a file management system such as Sharepoint. A platform solution to CI management will provide the visibility required to make appropriate investment decisions.  In our experience, organizations should take into account the following when budgeting for CI.

Ever since Toyota revolutionized the automobile industry through the development and application of what is now referred to as the Toyota Production System (TPS), companies across the globe have worked relentlessly to apply the principles, methodologies, and tools that can generate a true operational competitive advantage.  

Seemingly everybody is out to create their version of TPS.  Those that have been successful, such as Procter & Gamble, Caterpillar, Danaher, and John Deere, have reaped tremendous benefits.

Continuous improvement (CI) is a perpetual process (as the name indicates) that should be integrated into your company's daily workflow. Every employee should have a clear understanding of their improvement actions, how to achieve them, and the expected completion date. The organization also needs a system for tracking progress and measuring success.