Establishing a culture of continuous process improvement requires structure and training.  The following components create the framework for improvement:

 

• Quality Teams.  The foundation of continuous process improvement are the credit union employees.   They are the closest to the member, and have the best understanding of how the processes work.  By creating an environment that encourages improvement, change becomes commonplace.  The weekly team meetings, led by the team leader, are structured to be very productive and time efficient.

• Team Leaders.  Team leaders are generally the work unit manager.  They receive training to effectively lead the team through process improvement.  Some of the training areas include:

o   Group dynamics

o   Pre-meeting planning

o   Agendas

o   Ground rules

o   Facilitation techniques

o   Process mapping

o   Seven tools of quality

o   Brainstorming and creativity

o   Cost/benefit analysis