Process Improvement Principles

Having a standardized process unlocks many benefits: consistency, clarity, and control to name a few, but all of these are prerequisites for the ability to improve. But how does one go about improving? You may have the process standardized and you will see benefits from that alone, but what about those improvement gains we’ve talked about in previous articles? 

Standardization gets you in the game: improvement wins it. Fortunately process improvement is as simple, or as complex, as you need it to be. Here we will discuss three beginning principles to process improvement.

Go to the Gemba

When I’m mentoring others I always start here: Go to the gemba. Gemba is Japanese for “the real place.”  The gemba is where the process actually takes place. No report or meeting can ever replace what you will learn by watching the process in action. When you see it for yourself you will begin to know what the actual problem is. That may be a bottleneck you didn’t know existed, a one-time delay for a machine breakdown, or a recurring issue that the data never captured.

This is a hard won lesson for me. When I was first starting out there was a problem that was being brought to me that I could not find in the data. Every time it was brought up I would look at multiple reports and datasets, each time coming to the conclusion that it was being over blown by the people on the floor. I went to the gemba, but with the predetermined conclusion that it was not an actual problem. When I told my mentor about this we went to the gemba together. We saw the faults happening in real time and questioned the people doing the work. What we found is that this particular fault was not being recorded in the system at all, and we were able to resolve the issue that day.

Going to the gemba isn’t just about problems. You can also find creative workarounds, untapped talent, and missed opportunities; all by just being present on the floor.

Measure what Matters

“In God we trust. All others must bring data.” —Dr. W. Edwards Deming

Improvement without measurement is not improvement: it’s guesswork. If a process isn’t standardized you can’t measure it effectively. But even a standardized process is vulnerable to missteps if you're not tracking the right things. That's why data is so critical: it brings objectivity, clarity, and feedback to your improvement efforts. But don’t measure for the sake of measurement. Start small— one process, one problem, one metric— and build from there. Use visual management wherever possible so the data is clear to everyone at a glance. When people see the numbers, understand the numbers, and know how their work connects to them, real ownership and improvement follow.

Data plays a crucial role, but it is not a substitute for first hand observation. Data should guide you to the gemba, support what you see there, and tell you if your changes are working. Be cautious though. While data is absolutely essential; bad data, manipulated data, and overwhelming volumes of data can steer you wrong. Always ask: What is the data really telling me? And just as importantly: What might the data be hiding?

Kaizen

“Kaizen signifies small improvements as a result of ongoing efforts. Innovation involves a drastic improvement as a result of a large investment of resources in new technology or equipment.” —Masaaki Imai

Kaizen (Japanese for ‘good change’) is an effective tool because it focuses on the aggregation of small improvements over time. This is at the heart of continuous improvement. These are often small changes that do not cost very much, but because the gains from them build with each successive improvement they add up to enormous results. This is not to say that you will never need to invest in larger projects or innovate in a large way, these other aspects are incredibly important. With the addition of making these small improvements over time it will actually increase the effectiveness of your larger and more expensive projects.

In the books Kaizen and Gemba Kaizen, Maazaki Imai puts forward how organizations should go about kaizen and the role kaizen can play in an organization. In both books he puts forward his suggested manner of dividing kaizen and innovation, positing that those closest to the gemba should be most concerned with kaizen. This is because, as we discussed earlier, they will know the most about how the work is happening.

Conclusion

Improvement doesn’t happen by accident. Just like a product isn’t created by chance, progress doesn’t come from wishful thinking. It comes from seeing clearly, measuring honestly, and acting deliberately. Improvement is built brick by brick, on a foundation of standardization, reinforced by intentional observation, meaningful metrics, and small daily changes that add up to massive impact.

Start where you are. Don’t wait for the perfect tool, the perfect plan, or the perfect data. Go to the gemba. Ask questions. Listen. Measure what matters—not everything, just the things that connect most directly to your goals. Then make one small change. And make it stick. Over time, small wins lead to big ones and people start to believe that change is not only possible, but part of the way we work.

Process improvement isn’t a project. It’s a mindset.