A System of Improvement is an integrated management framework for leading an organization toward its aim, enabling continual delivery of products, services and programs that will be in demand in the future and providing a place where people can take pride in their work. We provide guidance on management theories that support optimization of the organization. It integrates five activities:
- Developing purpose and values
- Understanding process performance
- Gathering and using information
- Planning
- Managing improvement activities
Collaboratives were designed by Associates in Process Improvement (API) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to accelerate the pace of improvement in healthcare. Although originally designed for this industry, it has been applied within other industries and within a large corporation in Alberta, Canada. The method brings together multiple teams working toward a common aim and relies on the spread and adaptation of existing knowledge to many settings. For example, one Canadian Collaborative had 14 teams working on reducing delays and waiting times in the healthcare system.
The Improvement Model is a comprehensive framework for learning and making improvements. It is used within the Collaborative and can be used on its own by a single team in any industry or setting.
A combination of Planned Experimentation and Quality Function Deployment can be applied to design products, services and programs that better meet customer needs in a shorter timeframe.
Measurement and statistical methods can help leaders and teams make decisions and understand if changes are improvements. Facilitation and team skills are tools that support the leadership of improvement projects.