Management process continuous improvement

Process management examines key aspects of the organization s ability to define, manage, and continuously improve primary, secondary, and auxiliary work processes, including customer-focused design, product and service delivery, and process variation management. 

Clear definition of responsibilities Documented systems Training, both initial and ongoing Records management and document control Control of critical processes Internal audits Corrective action Management reviews Continual improvement. 

A concept in safety management that continuous improvement in safety management allows the development of a preventive culture within the company. It is a multi-step process that repeats itself in order to build on previous activities and accomplishments. It is illustrated in Figure C.4. 

Clearly defined provisions, practices, and protocols for process performance measurement, management, and continuous improvement... 

The specific character of NDT related to the quality assessment of safety critical products and objects requires constant analysis and continuous improvement of processes and their interconnection. Sometimes interaction of processes is very complicated (Figure 3) therefore the processes have to be systematized and simplified when possible to realize total quality management in NDT. 

Quality in Japan. Japanese economic prowess has been attributed variously to such quahty improvement activities as quahty circles, statistical process control (SPG), just-in-time dehvery (JIT), and zero defects (ZD). However, the real key to success hes in the apphcation of numerous quahty improvement tools as part of a management philosophy called Kaizen, which means continuous improvement (10). 

While most companies within the process industries recognize the importance of information technology in managing their businesses, this technology has been a source of considerable frustration and disappointment. Schedule delays, cost overruns, and failure of the final produc t to perform as expec ted have often eroded the credibility of information technology. However, immense potential remains for the technology, and process companies have no cnoice but to seek continuous improvement. 

CCPS G-55. Guidelines for Performance Measures for Continuous Improvement of Process Safety Management Systems. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Center for Chemical Process Safety, New York. 

Excess resources can contribute to the Total Quality Management continuous improvement process Spare capacity provides resilience to unusual demands. Increasing resources does not necessttnly meitn more people, but it may be achieved by better design of jobs, equipment, or procedui.. s. 

PSM buiids on what is in piace, and seeks to integrate safety issues into ongoing business operations"as opposed to imposing an eiaborate exter-nai structure. The goais of PSM are process-oriented, not procedure-driven, and reflect the Total Quality Management principle of continuous improvement. 

Company X is committed to the continuous improvement of process safety management (PSM), the discipline that helps assure that we conduct our business operations in a manner that protects and promotes the health and safety of our employees and our neighbors. 

Goals such as these can only be achieved through an ongoing, companywide effort. We endorse and promote process safety management as a priority throughout our businesses, and will dedicate the appropriate resources— time, skills, money— to assure continuous improvement. 

As you know from the policy statement distributed last month, we recognize continuous improvement in process safety management (PSM) as a company priority. 

Many companies have adopted Total Quality Management as a way to promote continuous improvement in a broad range of business applications. TQM considers all business activities as processes, each one of which involves specific customer-supplier relationships. These relationships may be entirely internal, defined in terms of the process under study. For example, delivering efficient electronic mail service is a "process" in TQM terms. The "customers" for your company s electronic mail system are the employees who use it the "supplier" may office services, MIS, or other support personnel. 

This section provides an overall structure within which the different aspects of data collechon and incident analysis methods can be integrated. The importance of effective data collection systems as part of the continuous improvement process in Total Quality Management. 

There are numerous other CCPS publications that may be helpful in your integration effort. In particular, the selection of measures to monitor the effectiveness of your integration effort and identify continuous improvement opportunities can be enhanced through the use of the results of a CCPS research and development effort to develop performance measures for CCPS s 12 process safety elements. These results will be described in the CCPS Guidelines for Developing Performance Measures for Continuous Improvement of Process Safety Management (scheduled for publication in... 

Procedures should be established to periodically monitor all operations that may have an environmental impact, and similar scheduled periodic checks should be made to ensure that procedures and operations are still in line with regulatory and other requirements. If equipment is involved in the monitoring process then procedures should also be in place to ensure correct calibration. Procedures are also needed to record any preventative or corrective actions identified and to ensure that they are completed to schedule. The whole EMS should be audited periodically to check that it is consistent with the planned policy and has been properly implemented. The details of audits should be discussed and reviewed by management at the highest level with a view to continuous improvement through the modification of both policy and procedures. 

As has already been mentioned in Chapter 2, ISO 9001, Management Systems - Requirements , is increasingly being adopted by laboratories to cover the aspects of their business that are not laboratory based. This is because this Standard is more about controlling the process and service enhancement rather than technical issues. It requires continuous improvement, demonstrating that quality is not a static process. The requirements for such matters as documentation, document control, purchasing and management responsibilities are much the... 

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