Continuous Improvement

Org Chart (PDF)

Our Office

Continuous Improvement
Kendall 201
peci@csuchico.edu

Hours
8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Monday–Friday

Mailing Address
Continuous Improvement
400 W. First St.
Chico, CA 95929–0036

Continuous Improvement

The continuous improvement team aims to champion business process improvement and empower individuals to learn and adopt a continuous improvement culture and values.

Our Mission

To work collaboratively to structure and implement change initiatives on campus, with the goal of optimizing efficiency and providing resource management.

Our Core Values

Continuous growth - we treat professional growth as a calling and constantly improve our services, operations, and ourselves

The voice of the customer - we focus on customer needs, expectations, understandings, and process improvement. We accomplish this through active listening and open communication.

Positivity - we "live in the possibility" and always champion effective change

Appreciation - we respect our customers and appreciate the hard work they've put into their operational processes (past, present, and future)

Project Methodologies

Lean Six Sigma

The continuous improvement team uses the DMAIC methodology in it’s Lean Six Sigma projects for process improvement when applicable.

We start with an initial discovery and project intake meeting with the project initiator, where we seek to understand the organizational framework, discuss the project process and expectations, and discuss the scheduling and timing of the project.

  • Define

    At the beginning of the project, we’ll help the team define the problem, the goal, and the project’s scope. We’llalso identify the stakeholders and establish a project team.Teams should expect to come out of this phase withsome, if not all, of the following:

    • Project Charter
    • Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customer (SIPOC) Diagram
  • Measure

    During this stage, we’ll help identify data to collect on the current process to understand its performance. This also helpsestablish a baseline to measure improvement against.Teams should expect to come out of this phase withsome, if not all, of the following: 

    • Process Map
    • Voice of the Customer (VoC) to understand feedback from customers
    • A well-defined measure of success
  • Analysis
    At this point, our team will help analyze the data to identify the root cause(s) of the problem. This might involve a Kaizen event where cross-functional teams come together to analyze and improve a specific process or problem area anddetermine the impact of the problem on the customer.
  • Improve

    In this stage, we’lldevelop and implement solutions to address the root causes of the problem. This also includes the appropriate process documentation and training materials for the departments’ end users. Teams should expect to come out of this phase with some, if not all, of the following: 

    • Solution Selection Matrix
    • Implementation plan
    • Training materials
  • Control
    In the last stage, we’ll help establish a system to ensure that the process remains improved and that the problem does not recur. Depending on the department’s needs, we can help train employees on the new process or simply ‘train the trainers.’ Our team will also schedule a formal 30, 60, or 90-day check-in, depending on what’s relevant to the process. 

Prosci ADKAR Model

"Organizational change can only happen when individuals change." — Prosci

The word “ADKAR” is an acronym for the five outcomes an individual needs to achieve for a change to be successful: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. The model focuses on individual change — guiding individuals through a particular change and addressing any roadblocks or barrier points along the way.

Prosci ADKAR Model
AAwareness - Of the need for change
DDesire - To participate and support the change
KKnowledge - On how to change
AAbility - To implement desired skills & behaviors
RReinforcement - To sustain the change

Resources