CQI

CQI, the acronym for Continuous Quality Improvement, is a systematic, organization-wide approach for continually improving all processes to deliver valuable products and services. CQI is useful for processes that serve external customers and internal customers. Other terms used to describe CQI include Continuous Improvement, Total Quality Management, Process Improvement, and Quality Improvement, among others.

CQI relies upon the following principles, all of which are aligned with the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence:

1. Customer focus: meeting or exceeding customer expectations while maintaining or improving costs
   
   
2. A culture that expects continual improvements throughout the organization
   
   
3. Employee and partner or supplier involvement
   
   
4. Use of data and facts to make decisions

Benefits of CQI

Organizations that systematically use CQI get benefits like these:

1. Higher customer satisfaction and loyalty
   
   
2. Higher revenue
   
   
3. Lower costs
   
   
4. Higher employee satisfaction and retention
   
   
5. Fewer errors and less re-work

How We Help You Use CQI

1. Brief the leadership on CQI
   
   
2. Assess the organization in light of its strategic direction
   
   
3. Select CQI Council
   
   
4. Identify key processes, performance scorecard, and process owners
   
   
5. Select improvement projects
   
   
6. Train improvement project team members on:
   
    a. Process maturity and management  using the "Process Excellence Scale" TM
    b. Customer requirements for key processes
    c. Problem solving tools and when they are appropriate to use
    d. Survey design, usage, and results interpretation
    e. Measuring process effectiveness
    f. Benchmarking
    g. Meeting facilitation and participation skills
    h. Presentation and storyboarding skills 
    i. Other skills as appropriate to the organization
   
   
7. Quantify results
   
   
8. Recognize team members
   
   
9. Repeat steps 5-8 for additional improvement projects
   
   
10. Assist you in writing an application for a Baldrige-based award so that you can use the feedback report for continuous improvement of  your organization.

Leading Excellence
Phone: 720.413.9414
Karen@leadingexcellence.com