Implementing the Rapid Improvement Approach

At PSbyM, we're always asking the big questions to spark real curiosity. Our leaders, Phil McIntyre and Mark Love, are passionate about making a real, measurable impact on performance and client engagement. In their recent podcast, they talked about “The Rapid Improvement Approach to Problem Solving” and shared valuable insights into this transformative technique.

In this two-part blog series, we'll dive deep into their approach, unraveling the steps to effectively implement and sustain rapid improvement within your organization.

How Do You Create and Define a Rapid Improvement Approach (RIA)?

Before COVID-19, many organizations focused on system-centric continuous improvement methodologies—and we were strong believers in this approach. It’s a key differentiator in how we operate. However, post-COVID, the landscape shifted. Organizations no longer had the luxury of time for a traditional system-based approach; they needed immediate help in specific areas.

In response to this urgent market demand, we pivoted. We developed a rapid improvement approach (RIA) to quickly assist companies facing significant challenges or losses in critical areas. Our goal remains the same: to bring transformative, effective solutions tailored to the immediate needs of our partners.

“A client will come to us with what I like to call an urgent or targeted need. They've got a pain point,” Mark explains. That pain point may be a productivity setback, volume constraint, customer complaint, quality concern, or safety issue within their organization. “They'll reach out to us and say, ‘We need to alleviate this pain point in this targeted area in our facility and really need improvement right away.’”

How Do You Quantify and Understand the Benefits of Your RIA?

We structure the RIA process to span four to six months. However, our dedicated practitioners and team are committed to tailoring our efforts to meet the specific needs of each client.

“We haven't moved away from a system-based methodology or a system-based mindset; it remains a core differentiator in what we do,” Phil notes. “We believe in a system. Our system-based approach can still be achieved through starting with rapid improvement.”

Approximately 80% of our clients approach us with specific needs, while the remaining 20% seek a comprehensive, holistic improvement system. When clients seek a comprehensive improvement system, we begin with an assessment of the entire facility. During this process, we often identify critical issues in one area that must be addressed first with rapid improvement to ensure the success of a holistic approach.

“There's another benefit we've seen many times as well—when a company begins with a rapid improvement approach, it fundamentally becomes self-funding for the other improvements they will undertake over time. It becomes the way to pay for a system approach” Phil adds.

Stay tuned for part two of this blog series, where we will explore how to sustain the Rapid Improvement Approach and ensure lasting results.