“Continuous Improvement” — a phrase that has certainly become a corporate buzzword. And because of its usage outside of manufacturing environments, the term has become somewhat watered down over time. In EVS Metal’s world, “continuous improvement” refers directly to the ways in which we strive to make the company better, starting on the job shop floor and flowing from there throughout the rest of the company.
So what types of continuous improvement measures do we consider at EVS in order to ensure that we are steadily moving forward in our desire to create more value?
Return on Investment (ROI)
This is probably the simplest and easiest to track, at least if you have the proper systems in place. It’s also one of the most reinforcing metrics to examine, because it gives a fairly clear-cut picture of whether an opportunity for improvement resulted in actual cost savings or value add after factoring in the expense of implementing the idea.
Quality of Product and/or Services
Excellent Quality Assurance (QA) software exists and is an absolute necessity in any metal fab job shop environment. There are several different sub-metrics within this category that are measured separately in order to get an overall feel for whether or not certain changes or adjustments that have been made are resulting in better quality overall. Some of these factors are measured before an item leaves the building (such as product defects) and others are examined post-shipment, like product returns, customer complaints or requests for replacement parts. When measured accurately over time, and as various improvements are put into place to counteract problems, quality scores should gradually show a steady increase and result in greater customer satisfaction and retention, as well as increase the personal pride felt by employees at a job well done.
Employee Satisfaction
Speaking as we just were of employee pride, another important measurement that is sometimes overlooked is employee satisfaction. It’s easy for management to become out of touch with what’s going on with the individuals on the job shop floor, and that’s a shame, because these are the people who form the backbone of the company. It’s also not uncommon for those not involved in the work of day-to-day production to believe that employees are more satisfied than they actually are. It has been shown that implementing continuous improvement strategies helps retain good employees, because when they know that their actions and contributions are both valued and making a verifiable, measurable difference, it is more likely to increase their overall feelings of engagement and investment.
Learn more about how EVS Metal’s dedication to exceeding expectations in precision metal fabrication can better help your business succeed by requesting a personalized quote online, or by calling (973) 839-4432 today.
