What Are We Trying To Accomplish?
CQI (Continuous Quality Improvement) is a philosophy that emphasizes a culture of improvement in an organization. CQI involves the use of structured planning approach for evaluating the current processes of practice with an aim of improving the process and the systems. We are trying to improve create changes that would improve the system and the processes (Norman, Provost, and NolaN, 2009).
How Will We Know That a Change Is an Improvement?
The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle encompasses systematic series of steps that can be used to gain valuable knowledge about the continued improvement of a process or a process. The Plan step involves identification of a purpose or a goal, formulation of theory and defining the metrics of success (Norman, Provost, and Nolan, 2009). The “Do” step focuses on the implementation of plan such as the manufacturing of a product. The “Study” step involves monitoring the outcomes with an aim of testing the plan’s validity for signs of success and progress or areas that require improvement. The “Act” step that ends the cycle integrates the learning that the entire process generates that can be useful in adjusting the goal (Norman, Provost, and Nolan, 2009).
Sometimes, the expected results may not be achieved when changing processes therefore it is more effective and safer to conduct a small scale test on the improvements before implementing the changes across board or in the entire firm. PDSA cycles can be utilized to test the changes in a manner that gives all the stakeholders the opportunity of assessing whether the proposed changes can deliver the desired results (Norman, Provost, and Nolan, 2009).
What Changes Can We Make That Will Result in Improvement?
The team can change certain aspects of the process and seek the services of more effective personnel. It can also involve changing the methods or reformulating the entire theory (Norman, Provost, and Nolan, 2009).
References
Norman, C., Provost, L., and Nolan, T. (2009). The improvement guide: A practical approach to enhancing organizational performance. New York: Jossey-Bass;
