It is a primary goal of every business to improve its quality and productivity while reducing costs and overcoming any inefficiencies. In some cases, there is a specific job position, Continuous Improvement Manager, that deals with the task above. Such managers are free to choose the existing methodology and tools to identify root causes and improve quality. If I occupied this position, I would use cause-and-effect diagrams and the 5 Why’s a method to achieve positive outcomes. In addition to that, I would consider a Christian worldview while contributing to quality improvement.
Also called fishbone diagrams, cause-and-effect ones are a useful tool to identify why some inefficiencies occur. According to Jacobs and Chase (2014), these diagrams establish hypothetical relationships between the problem and its potential sources. Once these connections are established, one should analyze to identify which of the sources has indeed contributed to the issue under consideration (Jacobs & Chase, 2014). In addition to that, Jones and Despotou (2016) argue that the 5 Why’s approach is a suitable methodology to define root causes. It focuses on the idea that it is possible to identify the reasons for a problem by “repeatedly questioning ‘why’ to an initial problem statement” (Jones & Despotou, 2016, p. 132). As a result, it is a step-by-step analysis of an issue to determine its source.
Furthermore, as a manager, I would draw attention to a Christian worldview while deciding on what areas of improvement to address. It is so because this philosophy focuses on “a high standard of ethical and moral behavior” (Geneva College, 2019, para. 2). Consequently, any performance improvement should not offer any problems for individual employees. If this requirement is met, these decisions would establish trust among employees, which would positively affect the overall performance of the business.
References
Geneva College. (2019). Integrating your Christian faith into your business life. Web.
Jacobs, F. R., & Chase, R. (2014). Operations and supply chain management (14th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Jones, R. W., & Despotou, G. (2016). Root cause analysis and health informatics. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 226, 131-134.