Consultant Philip Stevenije on the power of accessible improvement

Philip Stevenije from PS Advies believes in accessible improvement, and so do we! His people-oriented approach and extensive experience make him the perfect Cierpa Certified Consultant to help our clients improve! 

Being an experienced improver you have a clear vision for continuous improvement.

"In my 28 years of operations management, I have experienced many improvement projects different kinds of companies. I know the position of the plant manager, the work floor, and the improvement teams. If there is one thing I learned, you can only have continuous improvement if everyone's onboard to make it happen. If you want to make lasting improvements, there's only one way to do it: together".

How do you make that happen?

"I implement the improvement plan together with the people in the company. If more expertise is needed, I will bring it in. And, I make sure that all the people who are to make it happen are directly involved in the process. It requires you to be accessible and transparent in your work and don't make things too complex. Don't show elaborate improvement theories before people can get started. It scares people off and can have a very demotivating effect. Just start small and show results. People learn much faster from this than when they're stuck in a top-down improvement process and have to listen to presentations or wrestle through books".

Don't make things too complex. Just start small and show results.

Do you have any favorite improvement methods to get results?

"TQM, Lean, TPM, WCM: I know most of these improvement methods, so I can use any method the company prefers or is already working with. When there's no method chosen, I opt for a basic method that is the basis of all improvement methods. Working with improvement teams, PDCA, thinking before doing, and securing. You can implement the basics quickly and effectively, which helps you move forward fast. That really helps to get people involved in the process".

How do you know Cierpa Software?

"I know Cierpa from when I was a plant manager at Aviko. We used Cierpa OEE on the line. It is flexible software, easy to use, and with clear results. With Cierpa OEE, we discovered that the biggest losses on our line were caused by planning issues, not technical issues, as we assumed. That was an important step toward the solution".

Cierpa Software allows you to grow step by step in your improvement trajectory. You can keep broadening your trajectory.

How does Cierpa Software fit in your approach?

"Cierpa Software is accessible, user-friendly, and transparent. You don't need extensive improvement knowledge to get results. That's a motivating and fast way towards improving. It fits very well within my work  method.

The Cierpa Suite also allows you to grow step-by-step in your improvement process. The five improvement modules can be used separately but also in conjunction. For example, you start with a module to measure a production line. Then you can continue with a module to set up and execute an improvement action while another module secures the result. This way, you can extend your improvement process step-by-step".

Make sure you pay particular attention to the people who will have to do it!

Do you see the person or the method leading the improvement process?

"I use an integrated approach to improvement, with a lot of attention for the people who have to do it. Help people develop during the process and give them the right tools to achieve their goals. Both people and method are essential for a successful improvement project".

Are you looking for expert organizational advice for your improvement project? Then contact Philip Stevenije.