A Practical Guide to Performance Improvement: Tools and Tips to Sustain and Control Project Improvements

This article discusses some of the tools and tips to sustain performance improvement (PI) and explores some of the reasons why PI projects may fail. Although some PI projects seem simple and easy to implement, PI team members sometimes find it difficult to keep momentum going, maintain gains, and sustain the changes when the project is nearing completion and afterward. Team member and leader discipline, including use of multidisciplinary communication and standard work processes, can facilitate ongoing improvement. Communication may include visual displays of information and routine huddles. After reviewing this article, the reader should have a better understanding of sustaining change and promoting continuous PI. This is the fifth article of a six-part series about PI.