Continuous improvement process

The BIM Overlay to the RIBA Outline Plan of Work, published by the RIBA in 2012 suggested that a continuous improvement process (CIP): ‘..is an ongoing effort to improve the quality of products, services or processes. CIP initiatives, particularly in manufacturing and lean construction processes, include: Quality First Attitude; Plan Do Check Act Cycle; 7 Tools of Quality, Audits and Inspections; and Poke Yoke (for mistake-proofing assembly operations).

Construction Quality Planning Guide, Draft for Consultation, Published by the Construction Innovation Hub in May 2020, suggests that: ‘As defined by ISO 9001: “To continually improve the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the quality management system”. Formerly referred to as ‘continuous’ improvement within the ISO 9000/9001 lexicon, it was changed to ‘continual’ in 2000. ISO/Technical Committee 176 decided that ‘continuous’ implied duration without interruption while ‘continual’ indicated duration in over an extended period but with intervals of interruption and therefore, ‘continual’ was the more appropriate term.’

DfMA Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work, Mainstreaming Design for Manufacture and Assembly in Construction, 2nd Edition, published by the RIBA in 2021, defines a continuous improvement process (CIP) A formal system for improving the quality of products, processes and/or services continuously over time. CIP initiatives, particularly in manufacturing and lean construction processes, include: Quality First Attitude; Plan Do Check Act Cycle; 7 Tools of Quality; Audits and Inspections; and Poka-yoke (a Japanese term for mistake-proofing assembly operations). Manufacturers generally aspire to achieving ‘Six Sigma’ levels of performance to obtain high production yields of products with many components.’

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Digital engineering.
• Lean construction.
• Lessons learned.
• Plan do check act.
• Plan of work.
• Poka-yoke.
• Quality.
• RIBA Plan of Work.
• RIBA.
• Six sigma.