One of the most misguided notions in business is that programs and processes for generating ideas for improvement from employees don’t usually add up to much.

“Sure, you might get a good suggestion here and there that counts for something,” they say. “But by and large, it’s not worth the time and energy to make it part of everyone’s regular work routine.”

Think again!

Take a look at some numbers from a couple big businesses:

• Harley-Davidson’s “Employee Engagement Program” – Defects dropped from 50% to just 2%, productivity rose 50%, and profitability soared.

• Alcoa's "Unlocking Unlimited Value" Initiative – Reduced order lead times by 35%, increased productivity 40%, and cut costs by 20%, saving millions annually.

Check out examples from some smaller companies:

• Tasty Catering "Continuous Improvement" Program – Employee turnover plummeted from 66% to under 10%, productivity jumped 25%, and profitability doubled.

• Reitmeier, an HVAC service company, “Employee Ideas Program” – Reduced rework by 23%, increased first-time fix rates by 32%, and boosted same-day service completions by 27%.

Here are some results from Landes & Associates clients:

• Right At Home, private duty in-home care – More than 300 employee improvements increased revenue 14% and profit 39%, with caregiver satisfaction scores jumping from 79% to 93% and client satisfaction scores increasing from 83% top 91%.

• Labatt Breweries – Productivity up 11%, lost-time injuries down 44%.

• Schaus-Vorhies Construction and Contracting – Rework reduced by more than 20%, lost-time injuries down by nearly 35%.

Famed master of kaizen quality improvement, Masaaki Imai, said, “Not a day should go by without some kind of improvement being made somewhere in the company.”

Whatever business you’re in and whatever jobs your employees do, the combined impact of countless ideas that people can contribute to improving your operation every day can be immense!

Click on the link below to learn how you can make Systematic Continuous Improvement part of your team’s regular work routine.

Begin your improvement journey today!

“Great is the enemy of better”