A Business Improvement Framework creates continuous business improvement with business transformation if needed. A business improvement framework creates a way of thinking, a mindset and a culture that delivers improved business performance.
It could be thought of as a communications platform encompassing the necessary tools, roles, processes, metrics, feedback systems and technology to create continuous business performance improvement. It creates an environment for effective decision making. The most common framework is ISO 9001.
What are the benefits of using a Business Improvement Framework?
The first benefit that a Business Improvement Framework brings is the improved coordination and deployment of the factors of production; land, labour, enterprise and capital.
This results in:
- Improved operational performance
- Enhanced customer focus
- Process improvement
- Improved decision making
- Improved partner relationships
- Enhanced business culture
The secondary benefits that come from that are:
- Increased profitability
- Greater competitive advantage
- Lower costs
- Enhanced employee engagement.
- Increased innovation
There is a focus on process improvement with most Business Improvement Frameworks, bt the T-5 Business Improvement Framework puts people and behaviours first, to drive the process improvement needed for sustained growth and increased competitive advantage. The T-5 framework identifies issues and risks and quickly addresses them so every aspect of the business is improved at the right time and in the right way.
The TAW Business Improvement Framework includes the following activities:
- Ensuring management is not only focused on the customers’ needs and finance but transformation too
- Assessment of the culture for continuous improvement so it is ready to adopt and transform not stick with past successes.
- Creating a culture where change and evolution become business as normal.
- A review of the technology being used
- Consistent communication and messaging
- Getting everybody involved for an end to end, enterprise-wide programme.
- Establish critical paths to service delivery that may be impacted
Business improvement is about continuous improvement.
The most well-known Business Improvement Framework is ISO 9001. This standard, used by millions of mainly big businesses worldwide, is focused on creating a Quality Management System (QMS).
Jeffrey Liker in his book The Toyota Way outlined 14 management principles that made Toyota the number one car manufacture.
- Decisions are taken for the long term growth of the company
- Think end-to-end for business performance improvement
- Be lead by market demand
- Be smart about work allocation by not overloading people
- Create an open, inclusive, safe place for people to work where mistakes, issues are seen as opportunities to learn
- Minimise the admin and repetitive tasks to save time and make the work more rewarding
- Communicate visually in person, with charts, graphs or symbols
- Only use technology to improve the business that has shown to deliver results
- Allow staff to grow within the company allowing them to develop themselves
- Have a clear vision and mission that is shared by everybody for a common set of values and behaviours
- Think of suppliers and partners as all part of your company helping them improve too
- Manage the business from the bottom-up
- Decide slow, but act fast ensuring everybody is on board with the decision
- Be a learning organisation; continuous reflection and improvement
