Ci4 is a strategy and a process for implementing rapid improvement. There may never be a good time to change, but the Ci4 will equip your business with the edge. Ci4 is designed on a process of continual improvement that focuses upon energising the ZONES that comprise the culture of rapid and continual improvement. The 4 Zones that drive effective organisational change are simply those of LEARNING, INNOVATION, DECISION and IMPLEMENTATION of change. Ci4 can be the tool or methodology to initiate a new quality or customer focused drive, launch a new product, or finally commit to that needed organisational change.
Ci4 is a process for implementing performance improvement rapidly through a business. Ci4 can involve hundreds of staff or a team as small as thirty. Specifically, the process is concerned with generating the business culture that causes improved and measured business performance, specifically through:
- Increasing tangible bottom-line profitability
- Increasing revenue streams and sales
- Creating seamless processes that connect across the organisation
- Focusing upon retaining existing customers and cross selling of services
- Improving customer service delivery (internal and external supply chain)
- Reducing Rework and Waste
- Improving quality of goods and service
- Reducing downtime and cycle time
- Decreasing unnecessary inventory
- Actioning preventative maintenance
- Savings in operating costs
- Creating a culture of continuous improvement
Ci4 is both an event and a process. Careful planning through our 5 stages enables the launch of Ci4 to fuel and sustain measurable business improvement, and implement it as "the predominant culture of measured improvement" within the organisation.
Ci4 is focused totally on radical business improvement absorbing the potential of everyone in the process. Ci4 comprises 5 key stages.
Stage 1: Defining the specific outcomes for the event and the process, and creating both the processes and behaviours which will sustain Ci4 in the organisation - long after the launch date.
Stage 2: Leadership Team event - outlining the approach, the methodology, the outcomes and, in particular, the process with core players.
Stage 3: Pre-event Training for internal trainers and facilitators who will aid in the event and later drive the process internally.
Stage 4: Ci4 Launch - the event that initiates the process
Stage 5: Implementation, creating a 'process' that captures, measures and sustains continuous improvement.
The Event
The Ci4 event will take place in a large conference hall or venue such as Hotel, Function Suite Conference Centre, Zoo, Museum or Dance Hall - the theme determines the context. The open-plan layout of the hall has four zones designated;
- Learning Zone (providing participants with tools and technologies to analyse core issues impacting upon the business.
- Innovation Zone (providing the participants with a stimulating creative environment where they can work on core issues)
- Decision Zone (comprised of business leaders who need to evaluate "innovative ideas to driving performance improvement")
- Implementation Zone (once projects are agreed, people work on developing key result areas, milestones, processes to be completed, and measures to assess progress)
The purpose of the 'Launch' event (which is a one day and evening event) is to initiate and create significant business improvement thus developing the processes, the systems and a culture of relentless continued improvement.
Teams (composed of cross functional members) are motivated to challenge old 'outmoded' practices that inhibit improved performance, and search for, and formulate, new innovative ideas for tangible and measured improvement. The process requires mutual support to improve the overall performance for the business. Although there is a degree of 'competition'; what is important is overall performance and a high achievement culture. The win-win mentality is critical in order to develop a culture of sustained continuous improvement breeding an 'all winners' mentality.
During the one-day Launch event, all participants will work in all the Zones - for instance, learning and then applying new tools and techniques to promote creative and rapid improvement in the business culture and processes.
When the team has developed a proposal, outlining features and benefits, they then present this to members of the Leadership Team who are present in the Decision Zone. Once an idea has been appraised, it can be scored against key criteria and the team then have to develop a top-level implementation plan and post it in the Implementation Zone with reference to the Decision Zone for closure.
What is important is 'teamness'. Teams should be working to support each other rather than competing against each other. The overall goal is to set challenging targets for change and set up implementation plans to monitor progress.
Uniqueness
There are unique themes that as yet have not been outlined but which are important in characterising this event.
- In each of the 4 key Zones where ideas for continuous improvement are debated, solutions innovated upon and presented to senior management to implement to impact performance improvement
- The use of internal staff as trainers in 'simple to understand' techniques for eliciting creative solutions to problems.
- The Innovation Zone where the thoughts are transferred into solutions.
- All Zones are “dynamic" and "branded" depicting the excitement of movement, achievement and teamness.
- Measurement and recording of progress is achieved through a Progress Planner depicting key projects, deliverables and the benefits that will be achieved.
Summary
The Ci4 event will install the Ci4 processes and new culture of continuous improvement based upon 'behaviours' that the organisation wishes to reward and develop as "business as usual".
This is a challenging event while maintaining the theme of driving for continuous improvement. The attention level generated is very high. It focuses upon creating a "can do" culture. Ci4 is a process that may bring together people from different functional or geographical areas and is strong on bonding across functional boundaries. This process can commence with as few as 30-50 staff - but equally is a powerful event for a larger organisation. For instance, an Operational, Call Centre, Production, or a Regional Sales and Marketing area could equally benefit from this event.
What is important is that the event is designed and tailored to the specific requirements of the client and that the design can fit quite tightly with Organisation Development work which has previously been undertaken with the top team.
Philip E Atkinson
Copyright April 2003 (revised 1998/9 & 2000)
Learning Strategies Ltd.
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