Overview
Continuous improvement is a systematic, ongoing effort to improve processes, services, or products through small, incremental changes in an effort to realize efficiencies and better quality. Quality management is related to continuous improvement, but focuses more specifically on consistency of products, services, and processes. The main components of quality management are quality planning, quality control, quality assurance, and quality improvement. After addressing the core principles and some of the history and roots of continuous improvement, this course will introduce kaizen, Six Sigma, lean management, and Training Within Industry (TWI) as strategies that may be applied in the manufacturing industry.
Objectives
After completing this course, learners will be able to:
- discuss the core principles of and ideas behind quality management and continuous improvement;
- outline the Six Sigma metric, methodology, and management practices; describe its five phases for improving processes (DMAIC cycle); and consider the available tools;
- discuss lean management, including the ideas behind it, its principles and methods, and its benefits, opportunities, and limitations;
- explain the Training Within Industry (TWI) approach, and explain the role of training in the implementation of continuous improvement activities.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated based on their participation in weekly online discussions (40%) and four (weekly) assignments (4 x 15%). To pass the course, students must achieve 60% or more on the weekly discussion component and 60% as a combined average on the four assignments.