Continuous Improvement Lessons

By: Ubai Abulteaf

Before explaining the skills gained through working at the Continuous Improvement (CI) office, you must know that you start as a trainee. This means that learning at the office is a must. As a trainee, I was introduced to Gemba Academy, an online platform that introduces and explains CI strategies. There are over 1,000 videos pertaining to information used in Lean methods and Six Sigma discipline.

Lean simply is recognizing that everything is a process. Lean aims for perfection, in which it removes waste from operations. Six Sigma is another methodology focused on removing errors from a process. Lean and Six Sigma correlate in many ways, but it is harder to implement Six Sigma as it has more of precise set of goals.

After viewing the information needed for the department, you learn that each department at the college has individual sets of goals. These goals are met through cooperation and communication projects between the departments within Berea. So, I started participating in CI projects and I was introduced to several departments; I learned the function of each department and some of its employees. Networking is a given while working in the CI office.

One example of a project that was done was a 5S project at the Labor Department. 5S projects aim to complete 5 activities that provide a more organized work space. 5S stands for: Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. For this project, we shredded obsolete documents, donated supplies to Berea College’s surplus to promote sustainability, and created 115.5 sq. /ft. of usable storage, which saved the college $15,400 in cost avoidance.

While using Lean methodology to help eliminate rework and defects in college operations, I began applying what I learned to my classes. As a business major, I studied Lean and its use in many big corporations such as Toyota. Field experience with implementing Lean will be a great benefit for future jobs. On the other hand, Lean can also be used in everyday activities. The main benefits I have gained from my Lean training have been time management, organization, and how to use resources more efficiently. Also, overproduction, waiting, over processing, lack of awareness, and defects are common wastes removed by Lean.

There are various skills to be learned at the CI office, and there are many benefits that it can provide.