Activity 1

1. You work for an organisation that does not actively encourage employees to participate in
decision-making processes, and to assume responsibility and exercise initiative as
appropriate. What would you say to convince the organisation’s management that they
should actively encourage employees to assume responsibility and initiative? Write a
transcript of what you would say?

Ans:- “Recently I decided to let our ICT Support Specialist head up the roll out of our new
Antivirus solution. I presented him with the project and advised that he will be managing it
and will need to source the resources required and also the process. The only information I
provided was a deadline of 4 weeks to complete the project/rollout.

Firstly, the feedback I got from the Support Specialist was incredibly positive. He was excited
to run his own project and make his own decisions on how to complete it. It brought out a
different side to an employee whom sometimes finds it hard to stay motivated. The project
is in its final stages now and has ran very smoothly and is well ahead of schedule.

I believe encouraging employees to make their own decisions does boost initiative and this is
one example of how extra responsibility and the opportunity for a non-management
employee to work autonomously brings in very positive results.

This is something I would like to encourage to my department more often as I believe I can
get excellent outcomes on upcoming projects.

2. Do you consider group decision-making to be a valuable tool that will aid in encouraging
employees to participate in decision-making processes, and to assume responsibility and
exercise initiative? Explain.

Ans: - I strongly believe any decision-making process privileges that one can grant to
employees can be very beneficial as stated above in the example. This shows trust in
employees, and I believe giving employees extra responsibilities can have a very positive
effect. In a group decision making environment, this also promotes team work. Having a
department making decisions together is a great way to encourage this.
Activity 2

1. Your organisation has changed the way it accepts payments from customers/clients to
make the process easier for clients/customers. What would you do to ensure that the
organisations continuous improvement processes are communicated to all
stakeholders?
Ans: - I believe this is something the whole organisation should be aware of, this way
any client facing employees can better explain this to customers/clients in the event
questions or queries are raised.

Stakeholders would include clients/customers so I believe a communication in the form

of a letter/email should be sent out to all the client base explaining how the new
payment process works and how it will benefit them. The most important part is to
promote it as a positive change for the client/customers.

Activity 3

1. Define sustainability and outline why organisations should develop workplace

sustainability policies.

Ans: - Sustainability in a business sense is the management the impact the

organisation has in its environment. The impact can cover areas that not only
include the “environment” but also the staff, client base and even the finances of
the organisation.

Developing Sustainability policies is very important in a number of ways. It can be

promoted by the organisation that they follow this policy in order to achieve a
smaller carbon footprint, however at the same time this could be saving the
organisation money. For example, the organisation decides to implement double
sided printing, now this is reducing paper usage which is fantastic to the
environment, however it is also reducing the amount of paper the organisation is
purchasing, therefor reducing expenditure.

2. Research environmental management issues for the workplace and state why these
issues should be taken into consideration when planning and managing an
organisation’s operations.

Ans: - The main issue as with most organisations is their impact to the environment
and their footprint. This can affect a number of areas within the organisation,
including reputation to their clients/customers, general public’s views/opinions,
employees and even the company’s finances. In an office environment such as
Status Industries. The main concerns are overuse of paper and printing products,
lighting usage and power consumption. These can all be addressed. See table on
next page how Status Industries has engaged these issues with policies.
 Environmental Issue
Impact
Resolution
Result
Over Usage in Printing
Colour Printing Usage in office: - High usage of colour toners where not needed, cost
impact as colour prints more expensive than black and white. Force default Black
and White printing. Requiring staff to have to select colour printing if they require it.
All Staff email sent explaining cost of colour printing over black and white Black and
White printing increased. Less colour toner usage. Cost savings.

Lighting: - Lighting currently on 24 hours a day. Expensive power bills and waste of
electricity Timers installed on lights to switch off at 8pm every night and to be off
over weekend periods Dramatic cost saving and less usage of power. Cost saving on
replacing globes.

Activity 4

Your organisation has asked you to develop effective mentoring and coaching
processes to ensure that individuals and teams are able to implement and support
the organisation’s continuous improvement processes. What would you do to
achieve this? Explain how you think coaching or mentoring can contribute to
encouraging employees to participate in continuous improvement processes.

Ans: - It would provide technical expertise, make a plan of action to change the
culture of the company. It would set goals to inspire employees and encourage them
to improve their knowledge and skills.

Along with that managers who take an active role in managing continuous
improvement in order to achieve the organization's objectives. Managers play an
important part in improving the organization.
Some examples of continuous improvement processes are:
- Staff meetings that review what happened and decide on improvements
- Cyclical audits and reviews of workplace, team and individual performance
- Evaluate and monitor effectiveness
- Improving systems, processes, services and products
- Policies and procedures that allow the organization to systematically review and
improve the quality of its products, services and procedures .
- Comparing performance to industry benchmarks.
- Seeking and considering feedback from a range of stakeholders.
On the way, you will need strategies to oversee your team members, for example:
- Clarifying roles and expectations.
- Long-term or short-term plans factoring in opportunities for team input
- Mentoring and 'buddy' systems to support team members to participate in
decision making
 - Performance plans
- Recognition programs for high performing staff
- Training and development

Activity 5

5.1 What strategies can be used to capture and share information? List at least six.

Ans: - organisations are confronted with many information management problems

and issues. In many ways, the growth of electronic information (rather than paper)
has only worsened these issues over the last decade or two.
Common information management problems include:
- Large number of disparate information management systems.
- Little integration or coordination between information systems.
- Range of legacy systems requiring upgrading or replacement.
- Direct competition between information management systems.
- No clear strategic direction for the overall technology environment.
- Limited and patchy adoption of existing information systems by staff.
- Poor quality of information, including lack of consistency, duplication, and out-of-
date information.

5.2 Consider an organisation that would benefit from capturing and accessing insights and
experiences from business activities. Discuss the current situation and how a knowledge
management system can be implemented to meet the organisation’s needs. (100-150
words)

There are a number of common situations that are widely recognized as benefiting
from knowledge management approaches.
While they are not the only issues that can be tackled with KM techniques, it is
useful to explore a number of these situations in order to provide a context for the
development of a KM strategy.
These scenarios include:
call centres
front-line staff
business managers
ageing workforce
supporting innovation
Beyond these typical situations, each organisation will have unique issues and
problems to be overcome.

5.3 An organisation uses a knowledge wall. The wall contains a whiteboard, and employees
use Post-it notes to post information for other employees use.
 A. Is this a knowledge management system?

Knowledge wall is the center of aggregated information used for monitoring and
analyzing to make critical decisions related to security, emergency services
providers, law enforcement, and military organizations. Multiple sources, both
secure and public, are used within the command center for making decisions. These
sources of information are then displayed on the knowledge wall. This fast-paced
and mission critical environment typically consists of the main command area,
offices, meeting rooms, and briefing rooms.
The most important goal of knowledge management is ensuring that data and
information is collected and stored in such a way that makes it effective and
efficient for members of the organization to find and use the necessary data.
Some examples of different knowledge management systems include:
- Feedback database
- Shared project files
- Research file

B. What are the main disadvantages to this system?

Knowledge management has many disadvantages, including dependency on

knowledge contributors, creating confusion among managers and employees, and
the mishandling of valuable company information. Failure to use company
knowledge properly can lead to a great loss of time, resources and even
organizational failure.

C. What are the advantages?

All organizations can benefit from their people sharing, innovating, reusing,
collaborating and learning.
- Enabling better and faster decision making
- Making it easy to find relevant information and resources
- Reusing ideas, documents, and expertise
- Avoiding redundant effort
- Taking advantage of existing expertise and experience

Activity 6

You have been asked to develop strategies to ensure that systems and processes are
used to monitor operational progress and to identify ways in which planning and
operations could be improved. In particular, your organisation wants you to
determine whether processes currently carried out by employees are as efficient as
possible. How would you go about doing this?

Ans: - Firstly, you could perform an audit of the current processes. Let’s look at a
new employee process and how this is setup from at an IT viewpoint.
 The current process below

Now there have been several flaws in this process. Mainly the communication
breakdown with Human Resource and IT which has resulted in accounts not been
created in time. There are ways to alter the current process and instil new
procedures to ensure the process is more successful. The proposed changes are
below:

A timeframe of at least 10 days for Human Resource to allow for the completion of
IT’s account creation and asset allocation (PC/Laptop, Mobile Phone) Accountability
to one staff member in Human Resources to communicate with an IT staff member
regarding any change to the process and vice versa.

A written and ISO approved document on the procedure. This is from the beginning
stages with HR to the finishing touches on the IT stages. This is to be given to all staff
members in both departments and signed by each staff member. So, it is on record
as being understood by each employee in case further action/education/disciplinary
discussion is required.

Activity 7

You have determined that adjustments should be made in your work team. Changes
need to be made to the way customer complaints are recorded and dealt with. How
would you go about communicating the need for change to strategies to relevant
stakeholders?

Ans: - Relevant stakeholders internally are first and foremost the executive team,
they are the ones that make the organisational impact decisions. Changing the way
customer complaints are dealt with is something they will need to provide input for.
Once they have approved the said solution this should be communicated in several
forms to the customer base. This can be done by posting letters, emails and on the
main page of a website. In the planning stages communicating three different
alternative solutions to Executive Management would be a good first step.
Explaining and selling the reasons why this should be changed.

The main goal in mind for making a change that effects customers, is to ensure it is a
“better solution” A good example of this is a large organisation such as Telstra. They
have a reputation for having less than satisfactory customer service via phone.
Customers have complained about being transferred multiple times and not getting
a solution. Telstra has made large steps to improve customer service and have
introduced a “Chat” service. This is ideal for people who have a desk job and don’t
have the time to be on a phone. You speak to one representative and can explain
information a lot easier. This is a very positive step that other organisations in the
industry have followed. Selling the vision to relevant stakeholders, explaining how it
will benefit the customer base. Remembering please customers not only retains a
 base, it can increase reputation and perhaps even allow for expansion of customer
base.

Activity 8

Your organisation has implemented changes to the way in which goods purchased to
customers are delivered and the time within which they are delivered. The feedback
you have had from customers suggests that they are more satisfied with their
dealings with your organisation and would be more likely to purchase goods from
your organisation in the future. Why is it important to establish processes that will
inform employees of the outcomes of their continuous improvement efforts in this
area? How could you communicate outcomes to employees? (100-150 words)

Ans: - Customer care is a crucial element of business success. Every contact your
customers have with your business is an opportunity for you to improve your
reputation with them and increase the likelihood of further sales.
From your telephone manner to the efficiency of your order-fulfillment systems,
almost every aspect of your business affects the way your customers view your
business. But there are also specific programs you can put in place to increase your
levels of customer care.
Customer care involves putting systems in place to maximize your customers'
satisfaction with your business. It should be a prime consideration for every business
- your sales and profitability depend on keeping your customers happy.
Customer care is more directly important in some roles than others. For
receptionists, sales staff and other employees in customer-facing roles, customer
care should be a core element of their job description and training, and a core
criterion when you're recruiting.

Activity 9
9.1
Create a check sheet that could be used to record data of work team performance to
aid the identification of further opportunities for improvement in the scenario.

You are counting the number of defects on a production line that is turning out
gadgets. There are three main types of defect. These are: misshapen gadgets,
undersize gadgets and oversize gadgets. You will collect data for three 12-hour shifts
but need to be able to separate the data for each of the shifts.

Number of Shifts Main Type of defects

Misshapen Undersize Oversize Gadgets Total
Gadgets Gadgets
Shift 1 10 5 2 100
Shift 2 5 2 4 100
Shift 3 7 1 1 100

9.2
 Give at least four examples of aids/ tools that can be used to document the data from a
checklist.

- Check sheet
- Templates
- Examples
- Guides

9.3

Why do graphs and charts provide a good representation of data?

Graphs and charts are used to make information easier to visualize. Graphs and charts can
show trends and cycles. In this manner the business reporting process can be simplified and
improved, through the efficient use of a great business intelligence tool such as a management
dashboard. The incorporation of the visual aspect into your brief report, like charts and graphs,
will prove more valuable and useful to your boss. So next time you have to prepare a report,
think outside the box and impress your boss by taking advantage of informative charts and pie
graphs to support your recommendations.

Activity 10
You have been asked to consider areas identified for further improvement when undertaking
future planning. What are some of the areas that organisations need to take into consideration
when planning for future improvements? (75-100 words)

Managers and their staff usually attend regular team meetings. These meetings provide an
opportunity to update team members on savings, productivity and service improvements as
well as general performance results;
acknowledge the contribution of particular staff members or the whole team; and instigate
and encourage discussion on experiences, learning and future continuous improvement
activities.
As the meetings can be formal occasions and are attended by all team members, they are
useful for making announcements (such as performance results) or recognizing achievement
related to continuous improvement. Minutes should be kept and distributed so that all
members have a written reminder of what was discussed at the meeting.
Managers can spend a small amount of time in regular team meetings reviewing
improvements but set aside a special meeting on a less regular basis (for example, when
results are reported on) to discuss improvements and how further changes can be made for
the better.
 Summative assessment 1

Question 1
What is continuous improvement?

Ans: - It is a holistic approach to organisational quality management and works by

harnessing the engagement of all stakeholders who influence work practices. It can
also be called Kaizen.

Question 2
What can you do to support improvement now and in the future?

Participation is the Key. To be effective, all employees need to own and adopt
continuous improvements principles. Strong communication is important in building
this commitment. Everyone has a part to play in continuous improvement. All
employees can contribute ideas for improving their working practices. The person
doing a job often known best how to make improvements.

In order to support improvements now and in future it require:

1. Good information across the entire business, to assist in selecting the best
opportunities.
2. Diverse, willing, motivated, teams from various departments and from different
levels, to identify problems, to generate new ideas, and to evaluate and
implement them.
3. A commitment from all levels of business with the motivation rewards to make
it happen.

Question 3
What processes might be used to ensure that team members are informed of
outcomes of continuous improvement efforts? Why is this necessary and how will
this contribute towards further improvements?

Ans: - Memos, newsletter, bulletin boards, meetings, emails. These tools will help
the company communicate with its employees more effectively, helping to meet its
goals.

Question 4
How can an organisation’s continuous improvement processes be communicated to
all stakeholders and how can individuals and teams be encouraged and supported to
embrace it?

Ans: -The organization should make clear the objectives and goals to be achieved for
its employees, once done, employees will understand that they are a key part of the
process, and that without them the goals will not be achieved.
Question 5
Having made a decision about what to do to improve and organisation’s processes,
what should you do to plan for the implementation of that change?

Ans: - Organizing a meeting with everyone involved in the process and making clear
the goals to be beaten.

Question 6
In approx. 150 words for each explain how each of the following can be incorporated
into business systems:

6.1 Continuous improvement models.

Plan: Identify an opportunity and plan for change.

Do: Implement the change on a small scale.
Check: Use data to analyse the results of the change and determine whether it
made a difference.
Act: If the change was successful, implement it on a wider scale and continuously
assess your results. If the change did not work, begin the cycle again.

6.2 Knowledge management systems.

Groupware systems & KM 2.0, the intranet and extranet, Data warehousing, data
mining, & OLAP, decision Support Systems, content management systems,
document management systems, artificial intelligence tools, simulation tools and
semantic networks

6.3 Quality systems

Training and qualification of personnel, product design controls, documentation

controls, purchasing controls, identification and traceability throughout production,
production and process, definitions and controls for inspection, measurement and
testing equipment, process validation and product acceptance.

6.4 Sustainability principles.

Seeing problems/issues, being able to set goals/agendas, planning Skills, creating

new ways of doing things (thinking outside the box), taking action when it is needed
and organizational skills.
 Summative assessment 2

Project 1

Write a 3,000 word paper explaining what continuous improvement means in the context of
organisational success.

Explain how:

 The concept can and should be applied

 It is possible to lead continuous improvement systems and processes opportunities for
improvement can be managed to provide benefits for an organisation.

Outline how you, as an organisational leader, would gather information about continuous
improvement needs and would contribute to and implement continuous improvement initiatives.

What actions would you take to ensure that employees in the organisation understood the need
for improvement and were able to cope with the accompanying changes?

Use work-based examples or scenarios to support your answer. Tables, graphical diagrams, charts
or statistical information can be included if relevant.

The ideas presented in your paper need to be logically sequenced, relevant to the topic should
provide evidence of wider reading. Quotations and references should be correctly cited in the text
and referenced (Harvard referencing system) at the end. If necessary consult with your assessor
regarding the referencing and citation process.

Continuous improvement means an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes.

These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at
once. Delivery processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency,
effectiveness and flexibility. The companies should lead the continuous improvement systems
through their employees and stakeholders and they should manage through meetings, memos and
reports.

As an organisational leader I would gather information about continuous improvement needs

through the stakeholder’s opinions and experiences, also I would do some research about the
subject on the internet and with specialized people. To implement continuous improvement
initiatives, I would make sure that the employees feel comfortable sharing their opinions and
practicing what we heard and learned. Also, the feedbacks from the customers are a very trustful
source for changes.

Sometimes can be hard for the company to do some changes in the company, especially when they
didn’t get any approval from employees or directory, if the employee doesn’t feel comfortable and
don’t understand the change they can resist to eat and make things hard for the company.
Experiences manager always introduce the ideas to their employees first, ask for opinions and
explain why this change is needed, that makes things easy for the manager and company.

In order for organisations to be in a state of continuous improvement, the areas that require
improvement most urgently need to be identified using rigorous self-assessment and evaluation.
Once identified, processes need to be developed and implemented that will ensure the
improvement of these highlighted issues most effectively. However, the implementation of these
positive changes need to be carefully considered and effectively communicated so that all stake
holders are able to embrace change and to ensure improvement plans achieve their maximum
potential.

Improvement means change, hence when implementing continuous improvement processes, it

needs to be understood that everybody handles change differently. When managing change, it is
important to take into account the effects these improvements will have on individuals and groups
within the organisation so the best implementation method can be utilised to accommodate
everybody affected. When change is implemented it can result in individuals having to learn new
skills, take on unfamiliar roles or to change the way in which they usually complete a task and
everyone in your team will have a different way of dealing with this transition.

Some staff will thrive on change as it may create an exciting challenge; provide an opportunity to
expand current skill sets and opportunities to be part of the improvement cycle and to contribute to
future improvements. These people are often able to view the change from a bigger picture
perspective and can see the positive effect the improvement will have on the organisation and
therefore boosts their motivation. Other team members may resist change or need time to prepare
for it as they are cautious of the effect the change may have on them personally or the organisation
as a whole. For this to be counteracted effective communication about upcoming changes is vital
just as it is important for staff to feel that they are being adequately supported in this transition.

People can feel cautious of change for many reasons. They may feel uncomfortable about having to
go from an ‘expert’ in their role to a learner again; they might be worried about not being able to
competently complete the new processes or they might be concerned about if the changes are
necessary and if they will have any negative impact on the individual or the business as a whole.

To successfully manage change in a manner that ensures the acceptance of all employees and
therefore the achievement maximum measurable results some of the following techniques may be
used:

 Gradual Introduction: Changes may be easier for employees to adjust to if they are
incremental. This means that management may choose to phase in a new process by
gradually implementing new procedures, techniques and roles over time rather than
overhauling an entire system in one sweeping change.
 Effective and Timely Communication: The communication of new processes is a critical
factor in the success of managed change. Employees need to be informed of changes
relevant to their positions, how these changes will affect them personally and how these
changes will impact the organisation on a larger scale. This will again reduce the shock factor
of new procedures and will build confidence in carrying out the process. Additionally, by
 enabling the employee to see how these changes will affect the organisation they will be
able to analyse the situation systematically and will be more likely to embrace the change as
they will want to contribute to this improvement. The results of these improvements, both
qualitatively and quantitatively measured, should also be communicated to employees to
boost morale and productivity. Furthermore, communication needs to be timely.
Stakeholders need to be informed of upcoming changes so they have adequate time to
adjust to the implementation of such plans and so they do not feel as though they’ve been
“thrown in the deep end”.

 Training Plans: When managing a change, the effects of such changes may mean that
employees are required to learn new skills. Therefore, the skills that are required need to be
identified and a training plan needs to be put in place so that employees can be thoroughly
prepared for the new changes. If staff feel comfortable and confident in their new roles or in
the new process they will adapt faster and with more enthusiasm

When making changes as part of the continuous improvement cycle, like any decision, the potential
of risk this decision could have on any relevant stake holder should be considered so solutions can
be found that will minimize this risk. The more prepared an organisation and its employees are for
change the lower the risk is for contingencies to arise in relation to the improvements. This is why it
is important to create a work environment that encourages learning and organisational evolution.
Risk can be measured using statistical probability analysis, benchmarking, feedback from
stakeholders and lateral thinking.

All possible scenarios ranging from low risk categories to the high risk/worst case scenarios should
be thought out so that, once identified, feed control measures can be implemented to counteract
these possibilities and therefore increase likelihood of success.

In addition to these methods, employees are far more likely to be accepting of change if they have
been actively involved in the decision making process. Staff should be encouraged to give feedback,
assess performance and to contribute ideas that will ultimately promote the continuous
improvement of the organization and the goods or services in which it offers. To be able to
benchmark exactly what level of quality is to be aimed for, procedures need to be put in place that
assess the needs and requirements of the company’s customer base.

To assess they needs the organization will need to collect, record and analyse an array of qualitative
and quantitative data in relation to customer satisfaction; which is effectively the ultimate measure
of success. Firstly, your customer base needs to be identified using market research. Who are your
focus target demographic? What expectations do these customers have? What makes our
service/product unique? How do these customers currently perceive your organization? These are
just a few of the questions that organizations need to know the answers to before being able to
accurately assess their needs. This information can be found using the results of formal surveys,
customer feedback or reviews, sales records and warranty claim data. Once gathered this data
should be stored in an effective information management system and communicated to relevant
stakeholders.
When training employees in the continuous improvement process, self-assessment is one of the
most important aspects. Employees need to know how to track their personal performance to
ensure it is aligned with the goals of the organization. The implementation of check sheets can be a
useful tool as it allows employees to monitor the quality of products and therefore will assist in
identifying areas in need of change. Staff should also be fully educated in the organizations
continuous improvement methodology and should be supported and encouraged to participate in
group decision making. If staff understand the overall positive outcome of the improvements, they
will want to contribute to further improvements. Furthermore, whenever a decision is made,
communication to stakeholders is key; and training programs/informative meetings to implement
the changes may be necessary.

As well as encouraging employees to self-monitor and to be a part in the decision-making processes,

organizations need to empower their employees to take action and to accept responsibility in the
continuous improvement cycle. It is vital that staff have the authority to be able to fulfil their role to
maximum potential. Employee involvement and empowerment in the change making process will
improve morale, productivity, team cohesion and accommodates innovation. When organizations do
not have adequate support structures to meet the needs of their employee’s negative attitudes
towards management; delays and frustration are often the result hence limiting productivity and
consequently the overall success of the team.

The PDCA (i.e. Plan-Do-Check-Act) Model is a 4 step business methodology designed to be followed
in the cycle of continuous improvement and can assist greatly in regards to quality control and
customer satisfaction analysis. This module was popularised by Dr W. Edwards Deming based on a
scientific theory developed in the 1600’s by Francis Bacon. When implementing change the PDCA
model can be broken down as follows:

1. Plan - Identify what areas require improvement, establish objectives and plan how it will be
achieved.
2. Do - Put the plan into effect perhaps on a small scale study so the results of the change can
be tested.
3. Check - Review the results of testing in order to verify whether or not the process has
achieved the desired results.
4. Act. Based on the information gained in the checking stage, take action to improve
processes so that current performance and desired performance are congruent.

This process should then be repeated so that continuous improvement in the workplace can be
easily achieved following a simple step-by-step module.

Now that new improvement processes have been identified, planned and put into action, these
changes need to be communicated to all relevant stakeholders. Communicating new processes to
employees is critical to ensure that the changes are readily accepted and to reduce the chances of
opposition or resistance. If staff know exactly how each change will affect their role, when it will
happen and on a bigger scale how they will ultimately benefit the organization as a whole,
employees will be more open to embracing the incremental evolution. To develop an effective
communication system there a many factors to consider. Firstly, who exactly are the changes going
to effect? What details do each group need to know? When should they be informed to give them
adequate preparation time? Finally, where and how will this information be communicated? There
are many different ways to communicate continuous improvement processes to stake holders, some
of which include:

 Email/Memo
 Conference (in person or electronically)
 Meetings (group or one-on-one)
 Noticeboards/On-line message boards
 Presentations
 Reports

The method of communication will be determined based on the complexity of the information being
communicated, individual needs of the organization as well as those of the individual staff members.
Staff should additionally be encouraged to involve themselves with the monitoring of these changes
to gather information on their effectiveness.

To be able to be in a state on continuous improvement, it is critical that organizations never stop

looking for ways to improve current performance levels. This can be achieved by consistently
measuring, analysing and adjusting improvement processes. Companies need to set measurable,
achievable goals and implement ways to assess current performance levels against desired
performance levels. This is often done by assessing data stored in knowledge management systems
and gathering feedback from both internal and external stakeholders. Tom Peters writer on business
management practices, recommends that in order to simplify the monitoring process and get staff
actively involved, employees should carry notebooks so data can be recorded in relation to
disturbances, inconsistencies, delays and any other contingencies. Measurement systems need to
measure the important aspects of the business and most importantly shouldn't be over complicated.
Simplicity sometimes achieves more than over complex and convoluted strategies. The information
gathered from this process then needs to be recorded and stored for future reference.

The data gathered during the monitoring of operations needs to be recorded to enable organizations
to analyse levels of success in all aspects of the business. Processes should be put in place that
ensure that data is collected, recorded, documented and then presented in a way that can be easily
understood. The method, quantity and content of data will differ depending on the type of
organization but the purpose remains the same; to utilize information in order to make positive
changes and improvements. The most commonly used method for the recording of data is for
organizations to have a simple yet effective Knowledge Management System (KMS). A KMS is a
computerized system of software that is used for the storage of sales data, customer feedback,
statistics and any other information relevant to the company. A KMS allows all employees to
remotely access an organizations documented data for the purposes of training and looking to make
further improvements. They ensure that information can be shared throughout the business; assists
in avoiding duplication of developments; reduces time for staff training and retains intellectual
property for when team members leave. Effective record-keeping procedures and a good KMS are
the cornerstones of a successful plan for managing continuous improvement.

By understanding the importance of employee involvement, risk assessment and performance

monitoring we are able to have a much more informed view of business management which will
ultimately contribute the overall success of an organization. Throughout the course of this report we
have now outlined exactly what continuous improvement is; why it’s important; methods of
implementation for related processes and how to ensure that the improvement cycle is self-
perpetuating and effective. Improvement is all about incremental evolution, creativity and forward
thinking. Change should not be feared but rather embraced and thrived upon. As Benjamin Franklin
once said "without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and
success have no meaning."
 Group Training Organisation

Continuous Improvement Report

for

GTO:

Completion
Requirement or Evidence Opportunity for Priority Action Date &
Who When
Standard Number Requirements Improvement H/M/L Plan Evidence
Location

1 Difficulty in Computer skills H Course Thais 02/06/ 15/06/18

dealing with 18
computer issues.
Brisbane

2 Difficulty in Management H Course Relationship 06/0 10/07/18

dealing with skills officer 7/18
people Brisbane

3 System Company H Course All staff 07/0 14/08/18

training system 8/18
Brisbane

4 Feedback All areas M Meetin All staff Ever Every 6

g y6 months.
mont
hs Office

Note: If Continuous Improvement Report submitted separately, e.g. Follow-up Report required,
auditor’s signature and date of report required.

Signature: Sukhsagar Singh

Date: 25/05/2018