Introduction to Improvement

When confronting challenges in our world, most of us have a natural inclination to try to improve. We strive to do things better and more efficiently. There is a methodical approach to creating positive change, this is what we call improvement science. 

Approaches to improvement have built on one another over time. Some examples include Total Quality Management, LEAN/Six Sigma, Model for Improvement, and Shift’s Approach to Improvement. These approaches vary in their specifics, but at their core, they have four key elements in common. 

When Toyota revolutionized the auto industry, they didn’t do it by asking the executives how to improve, they asked people on the assembly line what challenges they were facing and where they saw room for improvement, identifying opportunities to improve safety and quality that executives never would have noticed.

Watch our Intro to Improvement video to learn more about Improvement science.