Continuous improvement and operational excellence are often confused. One wonders whether they are the same thing. Although continuous improvement and operational excellence are similar, they are not the same thing. Continuous improvement is making small, incremental improvements to business processes, products or services to reduce costs, eliminate waste, improve quality and maximize human potential. Its aim is to perfect all the processes available in a business. Operational excellence, on the other hand, goes one step further than continuous improvement, focusing on understanding customer needs and creating a value stream that constantly feeds that need. In this blog post, we will discuss the differences between continuous improvement and operational excellence in detail. What is Continuous Improvement Philosophy? Continuous improvement is the process of continuously reviewing, improving and developing processes, products and services to increase productivity, quality, customer satisfaction and profitability. Continuous improvement is a systematic approach that involves examining current practices, identifying opportunities for improvement, implementing changes and regularly evaluating and improving the results. Having a continuous improvement culture enables an organization to compete in a changing market, meet customer needs, use its resources efficiently and develop its innovative spirit. Over time, these advantages help the business to achieve sustainable and long-term success. Basic Principles of Continuous Improvement Methodology The philosophy of continuous improvement is based on the idea that small but continuous improvements can lead to big achievements over time. A few key principles guide the realization of this idea: Customer Focus In fact, the most important reason for improvement efforts is to increase profitability by meeting customer needs and providing value to them. Therefore, continuous improvement places the customer at the center of all improvement efforts and focuses on meeting their needs. Employee Involvement Employees are the ones who carry out business processes and communicate with customers. Therefore, the continuous improvement approach places great emphasis on employee involvement to identify problems and develop solutions. Therefore, it emphasizes that employees should be encouraged to participate in continuous improvement initiatives. Leadership Engagement Leadership engagement is crucial in continuous improvement processes. Team leaders should encourage a culture of continuous improvement and guide employees by setting clear goals. They should provide resources and inspire employees when necessary. Data-Driven Decision Making Continuous improvement methodology is based on objective evidence rather than assumptions. Therefore, measurable parameters should be used to evaluate the success of continuous improvement efforts. Processes Standardization Establishing standardized processes and procedures forms the basis for improvement, ensuring consistency and efficiency and helping to identify opportunities for improvement more easily. What is Operational Excellence? Operational excellence is a holistic management system that effectively utilizes workforce, processes and technology to achieve sustainable success, encourages leadership at all levels and strengthens decision-making mechanisms. Operational excellence requires every employee to see, deliver and improve the flow of value to the customer. Basic Principles of Operational Excellence (OPEX) Operational Excellence (OPEX) core principles are a set of strategic approaches that businesses apply to improve their performance and achieve sustainable competitive advantage. OPEX has 10 core principles. These principles are as follows: Respect for Every Individual OPEX’s principle of respect is based on the mutual respect of everyone who has a relationship with the business. This could be employees, vendors, suppliers, customers, etc. Lead with Humility One of the first steps to improvement in a business is to recognize that improvement is necessary and possible. This is a sign of humility. Leaders with operational excellence seek ideas from employees, encourage continuous learning and are willing to learn. The leader’s approach changes the approach of the employees, and there is consistent engagement where the work gets done. Seek Excellence Striving for excellence helps create the appropriate environment for a culture of operational excellence. Adopting Scientific Thinking Businesses that embrace operational excellence test new ideas to solve problems without fear of failure. If they fail, they know how to learn from it and move forward again. Focus on Process When any mishap occurs in business processes, it is necessary to focus on the process to identify where in the process the error occurred and to improve it. Assuring Quality at the Source Excellence can be achieved by getting every element of the job done right the first time. When a problem occurs, it must be identified where and when it occurred and corrected. Quality manifests itself when the working environment is orderly, so potential problems are recognized immediately. Flow and Pull Value To maximize customer value, it is necessary to give them the products they demand and maintain an uninterrupted flow. Waste occurs when there is a break in the flow or overproduction. Thinking Systematically Businesses that embrace operational excellence recognize that processes are interdependent and that the most complex problems often arise in the transition from one process to another. They recognize that understanding these relationships in the wider system is critical to driving positive change. Creating Value for the Customer The customer defines the value of a product. What makes a product valuable is what the customer wants and how much they are willing to pay for it. Businesses that can deliver customer value achieve long-term and sustainable success. Continuous Learning OPEX emphasizes the importance of promoting a continuous learning environment in the workplace and supporting the professional development of staff. This learning culture ensures that employees have the necessary knowledge to contribute to continuous improvement processes. The Difference Between Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence Although continuous improvement and OPEX are related concepts, there are differences between them. Continuous improvement is the process of continuously making processes, products and services better. It focuses on identifying inefficient areas and eliminating inefficiencies by making small, incremental improvements. Continuous improvement is supported by techniques such as Kaizen or Lean. Operational excellence, on the other hand, is a much broader strategic approach that encompasses the entire organization. It focuses on improving the operations of businesses to achieve sustainable competitive advantage and improve performance. Its goal is to provide value to customers, increase efficiency, reduce waste and improve overall performance. Methodologies such as Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, Lean support operational excellence efforts. Continuous Improvement Software & Lean Manufacturing Platform By combining operational excellence and continuous improvement in a balanced way, businesses can achieve continuously increasing efficiency while optimizing their overall performance. oneri.io is a platform that digitizes the improvement processes managed by continuous improvement, operational excellence (OPEX), quality, production and OHS units on paper & excel. Kaizen offers a common workspace to manage different studies in collaboration thanks to its Employee Suggestion System, 5S Audit, Lesson Learned, Action Management, Help Desk and Near Miss Reporting modules. Employees can access the platform via web & mobile application and efficiently manage all processes for continuous improvement activities.
