The power of a digital improvement board for continuous improvement (kaizen)
More and more teams are holding a ‘day start’ and are experiencing the power of a digital improvement board for continuous improvement.
In the day start, yesterday and today are discussed in 10 minutes. The KPIs are discussed using the ‘performance board’.
An important goal of the day start is to identify possible improvements in order to realize maximum customer value. These improvements are shown on the improvement board. This improvement board (also called Kanban) is increasingly a digital improvement board.
Below, we have listed the advantages of a digital improvement board and conclude with a video of a digital improvement board.
1. Overview
Via the digital improvement board, it is clear at a glance what improvements there are in a team and what the status is.
The improvements that have been completed are also on the digital improvement board. Nothing gets lost; all knowledge is retained.
2. Transparent
Employees immediately see the status of the ideas they have introduced. There is no secrecy. And so no improvement idea is forgotten.
3. Location independent
Wherever an employee is located, the digital improvement board is available 24*7 at any location. So homeworkers have access, just like employees who are sick or off work, as does the branch in Italy (just to name a place).
4. Sign that ideas are appreciated
The digital improvement board has a professional appearance. This is a sign for employees that continuous improvement is valued. More importantly, their ideas are valued and handled professionally.
5. Employee involvement
Because employees choose which improvements are taken up in which order, they are, as it were, their improvements. Because they also play an important role in the implementation of these improvements, the involvement increases considerably.
6. Immediately adjustable
During the discussion of the improvements via the digital improvement board, any improvement can be adjusted immediately. It is also possible to add a new improvement (3 seconds’ work) to the digital improvement board.
7. Link to strategy
By offering the ability in every improvement to link it to one or more strategic initiatives of the organization, this strategy becomes more ingrained for the employees, and employees can think about this strategy better, which in turn leads to more suggestions for improvement.
8. Link to core values
The company’s core values can also be included in the digital improvement board. By asking, between discussing and selecting improvements, the extent to which the improvement fits 1 or more core values, these core values will become more ingrained for the employees.
9. Team development
By discussing improvements during the day start, you get to know each other better in terms of interests and in terms of knowledge and skills. By successfully realizing improvements together, team development takes place automatically, as it were.
This team development can be measured via a questionnaire, and the outcome can be shown in the digital improvement board (see video). In the selection of an improvement, these figures can also be used, for example, by asking the question ‘imagine we are tackling this improvement, what influence will that have on the enjoyment of our work?’.
There is also room for a team goal on the digital improvement board, which can be set, for example, quarterly.
10. Engine for innovation
By regularly discussing and realizing improvements, the trust, courage and daring to start working on improvements increase. The knowledge of the customer also increases (knowing what the customer expects and finds important is key for the correct execution of an improvement). Continuous improvement therefore becomes the engine for innovation.
11. Culture of continuous improvement (kaizen)
The above ensures that a culture of continuous improvement is created. Employees find it normal that improvement is part of daily work.
12. Kaizen/PDCA
In order to tackle improvements in a structured and successful manner, no ‘band aids’ are used. Problems do not recur but are permanently resolved. Customers benefit from this, but also employees.
13. ISO9001 – 2015
Working with a digital improvement board is a perfect way to demonstrate that continuous improvement is handled in a serious and in a structured way, as the rules of ISO9001-2015 also prescribe.
