Continuous Quality Improvement Master Plan
Executive Summary
[Introduction] [CQI Overall Vision] [CQI Focus] [Customer Focus] [Enabling Environment] [Communications] [Training] [Organization] [Policies and Procedures] [Resources] [Success Measures]Introduction
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) is both a philosophy and a set of guiding principles that represent the foundation of a continuously improving organization. In a quality culture, quantitative methods and analytical evaluation are used to improve processes and thereby the services and products provided. CQI is a systematic method of identifying and eliminating all forms of waste in work processes. It is founded on excellent human relations, sound leadership, and effective communications. CQI focuses primarily on work processes and the external customer. It is a never-ending, long-term development that is evolutionary in implementation yet revolutionary in vision, scope, and impact.
Quality efforts in the Office of Physical Plant (OPP) had their origin in 1981 with the "Quality Circles" Program. In 1989, we continued with "Action Groups," and in 1990 and 1993, two "CQI Teams" were formed.
Despite sincere efforts and a great deal of time and work, results have not met expectations. In 1996 as OPP began developing a Strategic Plan, it became apparent that part of the problem was a lack of a clear, focused, and written plan to implement Continuous Quality Improvement. Consequently, this CQI Master Plan was developed. With it, OPP will have the "road map" needed to make fundamental changes in the way we do business. This is very important because it helps to increase the quality of our products and services, thereby lowering the cost to our customers and improving teamwork within OPP.
This Executive Summary provides an overview of the Plan. A summary of recommended actions is contained in Appendix A.
CQI Overall Vision
The OPP "vision" for CQI, which would meet the Strategic Plan vision for the year 2001, has several elements. OPP will routinely use CQI in the execution of daily business. CQI will no longer be viewed as a separate program but will be the basis for doing all work. The OPP team will be process-focused, data-driven, and results-oriented; employees will be highly motivated and empowered; and partnerships among employees, customers, and suppliers will be the norm.
CQI Focus
Each day our work environment becomes more competitive. Shrinking budgets and more demanding customers mandate a concentrated focus on CQI. This poses a real challenge because of competing demands for people's time in an environment where the employees are already "overloaded." CQI must be a priority and become an integral part of daily work.
Customer Focus
Our vision is to exceed customers' expectations. Therefore, it is essential that we know our customers and their needs and expectations. We must improve the customer survey vehicles, initiate true partnerships with customers, and clearly define their requirements. We must use data to gauge our progress toward our customer satisfaction goal.
Enabling Environment
For OPP to become a truly successful organization, all employees must practice the "new behavior" consisting of amnesty, trust, active listening, respect, honesty, ethics, integrity, coaching, motivating, and helping. We will include CQI as an element in the performance review documents for all employees. We will develop a consistent and high-quality employee climate survey to measure progress. Team efforts will be emphasized through celebrations of successes and timely team recognition.
Communications
Currently, we have no adequate plan to publicize and communicate CQI philosophy, procedures, or accomplishments. Also, CQI concepts are very new to most of the work force. The plan to improve communication of the CQI program includes management and team leader emphasis, wide publication of team results, employee meetings, frequent News and Views articles, and effective CQI awareness training.
Training
OPP has just begun CQI training for a small percentage of our employees. However, the general understanding of CQI principles is inadequate. This Plan proposes a comprehensive CQI training program made up of awareness training for all and "just in time" training for team members.
Organization
Currently, OPP has separate CQI and operational organizational structures which are layered and not well coordinated. The Executive Steering Group (ESG) must develop a Strategic Business Plan integral with the CQI Strategic Plan. Our goal is to have one organization which functions operationally in a CQI environment.
Policies and Procedures
Existing policies and procedures governing CQI are informal and not well documented. The lack of clear, published policies has resulted in divergent expectations and a lack of consistency. The ESG is charged with publishing CQI policies and procedures.
Resources
Historically, OPP has been reluctant to expend resources (training and people's time) for CQI. There are many sources of training, and recently we have invested in training through outside consultants. For CQI to be successful, we must view the expenditure of resources for CQI as an investment in our future. We will fully support employees' time devoted to Process Action Teams (PATs). We will provide sufficient resources to train team leaders, members, facilitators, and trainers. We will identify resources to support implemented process improvements.
Success Measures
To date, CQI initiatives have been minor and we have no measures of the success of the program. We will develop a mechanism to monitor the success and value of our CQI program. Although "activity" measures are important, we must measure "results"; e.g., number of processes improved, dollars saved, etc. We will publish these measures and use them to continuously improve the CQI program.