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If your manager came to you today and asked you ‘how could we improve profitability ’, what would you say? Would you respond in directives, such as “optimize designs”, “lower operating costs”, or “improve profitability”? Or would you suggest drivers, such as “software”, “training”, or “Six Sigma”? How would you go about determining the business objectives, resources, workflows, and methodologies? The actual solution lies in Continuous Improvement.

Companies often, in error, execute it as Six Sigma, Lean Enterprise, DMAIC, Agile Manufacturing, or a combination of two or more methodologies. Whatever it’s called, you may be expected to provide a “new and improved” process/procedure/operation that improves what is currently in place. And sometimes, after it’s completed, like a lot of great ideas, it goes nowhere. That’s a shame; all that time an energy spent developing a sound plan gets filed away and forgotten.  My suggestion is to make sure it stays at the top of the minds of your management, because actually executing low-cost, high-reward Continuous Improvement initiatives can save your company millions — with a payback in mere months.

A recent Schneider Electric survey found that 79% of our SimSci customers intend to implement some form of continuous improvement this year. They will primarily focus on optimizing design, lowering operating expenses, and improving productivity. When asked how they intend to drive continuous improvement initiatives, the majority (85%) plan to use software to meet their goals and more than half (58%) will also use training.