Continuous Improvement Plan For Products

Discussion

Discuss about the Continuous Improvement the Products.

The business professionals continually test their in order to discover and eliminate the issues or consequences to support continuous improvement (Backlund, Chronéer and Sundqvist 2014). On the other hand, continuous improvement aims to consistently serving in order to improvise the products or services of the companies with respect to the highest standard. Therefore, this study is aimed to illustrate and analyze the continuous improvement plan in the engineering and construction aspect. Moreover, all the important and necessary components of the continuous improvement plan are aimed to be described in this study. In addition, this study presents a pictorial overview of continuous improvement plan. The case study based on the Major Building and Construction Contract implemented by Queensland Rail Limited has been chosen for conducting this entire study. Furthermore, the most crucial part of this study is to meet all the fundamental learning needs of the unit such as the knowledge about the performance of the fundamental skills and the basic concepts. Apart from that, another aim of continuous improvement plan is to be portrayed with the imagination, originality or flair based on the proficiency in all the outcomes of learning.

Textual Overview of Continuous Improvement in Organizations – Continuous Improvement is a crucial and continuous effort which plays a significant role in order to improvise the products, services or processes (Sanchez and Blanco 2014). On the other hand, the specific efforts are capable enough of seeking the breakthrough the improvisation all at once or the increasing improvisation over a specific timeline. In addition, the terms continuous improvement and continual improvement are frequently and interchangeably used. The most widely used continuous improvement tool is the Plan-do-check-act cycle, which is a four-step quality model (Rubenstein et al. 2014). It is such a process that is capable enough of achieving the increased and appropriate quality of service associated with the customer focus, simplified processes and procedures, internal and external customer recognition and attitudinal change in the long term. Apart from that, Six Sigma, Total Quality Management as well as Lean Management are the other very popular tools to implement the continuous improvement in the business operations (Peng, Feifei and Pei 2014). These particular tools can effectively highlight the employee involvement and teamwork by measuring as well as systematizing processes and minimizing variation, defects and cycle times. Most important fact associated with continuous improvement is that this process has become the essence for the businesses.

Purpose of the Continuous Improvement Plan Implementation

Figure 1: Pictorial Overview of Continuous Improvement Plan

(Source: Rosemann and vom Brocke 2015, p.106)

Continuous Improvement plan can satisfy very effectively the value of the consumers and can be very efficient in eliminating the waste as well in the business processes of a company. The simplest and the most crucial thing to do during beginning of a continual improvement over a particular project is for interacting in a  proper manner with organization and its clients that an individual desire for continually improvising the provided services (Delgado et al. 2014). Therefore, the kind of desire can be stated through the strategic reviews and team briefings.

Thus, the implementation of the plan for continuous improvement can play a very important and pivotal role for the major construction and building contract undertaken by Queensland Rail Limited. As per the general conditions portrayed in this contract, this tender should follow an annexure list. On the other hand, this particular annexure list is mainly comprised of the clauses those should be deleted, amended or added to the “Australian Standard General Conditions of Contract AS 2124-1992” (Bernhardt 2013). Moreover, these clauses should also be read or interpreted as the components of this particular contract. These amendments and deletions are aimed mainly to be implemented in order to improvise the clauses for this contract. In addition, a continual improvement plan should be implemented effectively during these modifications over the contract due to the fact that the minor items are not expressly mentioned. Nevertheless, these items are significant for the satisfactory completion and performance of the work under the contract (Lam, O’Donnell and Robertson 2015). These items should be supplied and executed by the contractor at the own costing of the contract and are also estimated to be included in the Contract’s sum. On the other side, the continuous improvement plan can also significantly play an essential role to remove the errors in the Bills of Quantities.

Purpose of the Continuous Improvement Plan Implementation – the continual improvement plan should be implemented for the improvisation of this contract in order to accomplish few specific purposes. Therefore, the contractor should ensure and comply with that all and any of the subcontractors or the other people, who are engaged in performing the work within this contract with the complete safety legislation and requirements (Singh and Singh 2015). On the other hand, the appropriate safety precautions and programs are managed so as to prevent the injury towards the people and damaging the property arising out of the performance of work within this tender. Apart from that, the principal of any particular happening should be properly and promptly notified that is required to be reported to any legislative authority and cooperated with the principal and the superintendent related to this happening. Moreover, it should also be comprised of providing details and the documentation to the superintendent and the Principal as requested in regards to the incident (Sundqvist and Backlund 2014). Therefore, the actions should be cooperated, consulted and coordinated with the principal and superintendent. In addition, the contractor should ensure that all the subcontractors are engaged with performing any work segment within this contract. Furthermore, the contractor should have the compliance with the “Work Health and Safety Management Plan” of the principal (Francis and Mazany 2013). Thus, the contractor has to undertake the “Safety Site Instructions” and “Site specific Health”.

Continuous Improvement Plan by amending the clauses from general conditions in AS2124-1992

Continuous Improvement Plan by amending the clauses from general conditions in AS2124-1992 –

Goal No	Objective	Target	Related Procedures	Action	Target Date	Status	Date Completed	Assigned Responsibility	Required Additional Resources
1.	Construction of Contract	Replacement of few improper words for making an improved contract	Replacement of words on the contract	Deletion of “or territory stated in the Annexure”	10th February, 2017	Scheduled	N/A	Contractor	N/A
Word addition of “of Queensland and the parties agree to submit to the jurisdiction of The courts of the state of Queensland” (McLean and Antony 2014).
2.	Resourcing to Converse security and Retention Money	Recourse for the maintenance of cash security as well as moneys	Principal to money security conversion	Security conversion and retention of money	Ongoing	Scheduled	N/A	Contractor	N/A
3.	Minimization of Retention moneys and Security	Incorporating  the words “or where there are Separable Portions upon issue of the last of the certificates of Practical Completion”	Amending words in the contract to assure security and retention moneys	Appropriate word addition	11th February, 2017	Scheduled	N/A	Contractor	N/A
4.	Service of Notices	Amending some words in the final paragraphs for improvising the tender	Payment Service of the contractor on principal should be made properly (Goetsch and Davis 2014). Superintendent can accomplish signing and issuing of schedules for payment to the contractor.	Contractor should ensure that within 24 hours after any notice under the “BCIP Act” is received or given by the contractor in the form of a  copy of that particular notice	Ongoing	Scheduled	N/A	Contractor	N/A
5.	Termination of Nominated Subcontract	Prohibition of subcontract termination for nominated subcontract can work without the approval of superintendents	Statement addition not about subcontract termination is implemented by the deletion of the first sentence in the tender	Termination of subcontract without the approval of superintendent should be stopped	12th February, 2017	Scheduled	N/A	Contractor	N/A
6.	Extension of cost and time	Permitting the extension on time and cost for the projects	N/A	Cost and Time extension by modifying the contract	Ongoing	scheduled	N/A	Contractor	N/A
7.	Property and People Protection	Ensuring protection of property and people by modifying this clause	An item should be given where the importance of its provision is conveyed for normal safe working (Sessa and London 2015).	Protection of people and their property	Ongoing	scheduled	N/A	contractor	N/A
8.	Costs for Delay	Contractor must not be unconstrained to recuperate financial compensation for delay to reach practical accomplishment	Determination of costs of component for proper delay.	A new clause amendment regarding delay cost in place of clause 36	Ongoing	Scheduled	N/A	Contractor	N/A
9.	Workers and Subcontractor’s payment	Improvement of payment system for subcontractors and workers as well.	Incorporation of “Payment Recording System”, “Statement Naming Subcontractors”, “Record of Payment System”, “Statutory Declaration”, “Payment on behalf of Contractor”, and “Documentary Evidence”	Amending clause which includes the implementation of these systems for improving the payment system (Kohlbacher 2013).	Ongoing	Scheduled	N/A	Contractor	N/A
10.	Workplace Health and Safety	Improving the factors of health and safety for employees in this construction project.	Safety legislation incorporation in regards to occupational health and safety for meeting the safety requirement.	Clause amendment regarding the factors of workplace health and safety and requirement in the constructional area	Ongoing	Scheduled	N/A	Contractor	N/A
11.	Rail Safety Workers	Compliance with the “Transport Requirement Act”.	Ensuring commences of rail safety work, person including its workers accomplishing the rail safety work.	Make competent enough to continue the safety work and assess competence. Implementation a medical assessment.	Ongoing	scheduled	N/A	Contractor	N/A
12.	Training Policy	Addition of 50 clauses about improving training system by meeting few essential purposes.	Compliances should be fulfilled along with the training policy clauses	50 new clause addition for establishing a proper training system.	Ongoing	Scheduled	N/A	Contractor	N/A
13.	Compliance with Principal Policy	Compliance with the essences of the entire  policies, specifications and standards of principal whilst the conduction of undertaking services, works or the supply of goods	Limitation does not lie in the Code of conduct of Principal in force, introduced or amended while the term or any extended contract term	New clause  addition by stressing on the compliance with principal policies	Ongoing	Scheduled	N/A	Contractor	N/A

Continuous Improvement Plan by removing the clauses from general conditions in AS2124-1992 –

Goal No	Objective	Target	Related Procedures	Action	Target Date	Status	Date Completed	Assigned Responsibility	Required Additional Resources
1.	Clause Deletion from general conditions in “AS2124-1992”	Direct payment of the Nominated Subcontractor	N/A	Removal of Clause	10th February, 2017	Satisfactory completion and performance of work within the contract		Contractor	N/A
Unpaid money recourse	N/A	Removal of Clause	10th February, 2017	Satisfactory completion and performance of work within the tender or contract		Contractor	N/A
Protection made by the Principal	N/A	Removal of Clause	10th February, 2017	Satisfactory completion and performance of work within the tender or contract.		Contractor	N/A

The continual improvement plans portrayed above have illustrated properly the understanding and the awareness of the less obvious aspects and the deepened aspects of the unit as well such as the ability to debate and identify the crucial issues or problems. Most importantly, the above portrayed continuous improvement plans have significantly tried for addressing the consequences (Holtskog 2013). Therefore, the continual improvement plans have been able to evaluate and invent the new concepts in order to amend or add the new clauses under the contract of the Queensland Rail project in the domain of Engineering and Construction

Conclusion

The entire analysis made in this study has successfully shed light on the significance and effectiveness of the continuous improvement plan. Therefore, the continual improvement plan portrayed based on the construction and engineering has successfully convey its significances. On the other hand, from this particular study, it can also be seen that it has reflected significantly the ability to apply and use the fundamental skills and concepts of the unit by going beyond the mere replication of content or skill knowledge to show the understanding regarding key originality or insight and concepts that there are some amendments and deletion have been implemented within this contract. Moreover, these modifications have been implemented simply to improve the entire tender by deleting few clauses and by amending few clauses. Apart from that, this study has also designed individually two tabular representations for both the addition and deletion of the tender clauses for conveying the improvement areas within the tender.

References

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