It’s one thing to spot a problem. It’s another to solve it.
In Part 1 of this series, we introduced the fundamentals of continuous improvement: shifting from reactive to proactive operations, reducing waste, and increasing efficiency through Lean and Six Sigma principles. But identifying opportunities is only half the battle. The real test lies in implementation and in sustaining results once the initial momentum wears off.
For Part 2, we’re digging into the practical side of meeting continuous improvement goals. Here’s what we’ll cover:
- How to define and diagnose recurring problems
- Tools for identifying root causes
- A simple framework for continuous experimentation
- Strategies for sustaining gains
- The leadership mindset that makes it all stick
So, let’s begin where most manufacturers find themselves stuck: solving the same problems again and again…
The Problem with Recurring Problems
There is a certain, ineffective problem-solving cycle common in manufacturing environments where urgency outweighs root-cause thinking. It goes something like this: You see a breakdown or a delay, and you jump into action. It’s an understandable impulse, but it skips one major step.
The fact is that without understanding why an issue happened in the first place, it’s bound to resurface. Sometimes, it happens exactly the same way, and sometimes, it’s slightly different. Either way, it’s frustrating, time-consuming, and ineffective.
The Missing Step
The first step toward achieving your continuous improvement goals is to recognize what a problem actually is.
Before reaching for a fix, take time to define the problem in concrete terms:
- What's the standard?
- Where are you now?
- And how wide is the gap?
Once you answer those questions, you’ll be positioned to do something meaningful about it: performing a root cause analysis.
Root Cause Analysis: The 6 xM’s & Mind Mapping?
Solving the wrong problem means wasting time twice: once by fixing it and a second time when it comes back. That’s why truly effective problem solving must start with a root cause analysis.
Ultimately, this comes down to reframing your thinking. Instead of just asking what went wrong, ask why.
The 6 xM’s
One of the most useful tools for root cause analysis is the Fishbone Diagram:
This method will have you asking why several times, with each question drilling deeper into a specific area where problems might arise:
- Methods: Inefficient processes, unclear procedures
- Machines: Equipment failure, wear, or improper use
- Manpower (People): Skill gaps, training issues, staffing shortages
- Materials: Poor quality, wrong spec, inconsistent inputs
- Measurement: Faulty measurements leading to inadequate or incorrect data
- Milieu (Environment): Temperature, lighting, layout, distractions
With each successive question, you come closer to the precise root cause, enabling you to truly resolve an issue for good.
Mind Mapping
While the fishbone diagram offers a clear, repeatable format and process for problem solving, your team or product may require a more open-ended approach. This is especially true when trying these methods for the first time, or with a new team. In this case, mind mapping is a strong option.
Think of mind mapping like good old-fashioned brainstorming:
- Get your team in a room with a whiteboard and just start asking questions or throwing out ideas. In the search for root causes, no idea is a bad one.
- Encourage your team to really speak their mind.
- Include team members who are not completely familiar with the process, since their outside perspective will help them ask the right questions.
For mind mapping to work properly, it’s important to keep the conversation open and lively. Remember that even a wrong idea can get your team thinking in the right way.
Resolving Disagreements
Root causes are elusive and, sometimes, disagreement is unavoidable. When it arises, it’s best to reset and return to the beginning: defining “right” and “wrong” about the process itself. Oftentimes, team members start trying to solve different issues, focusing back on the standard or expected condition can help resolve these misalignments. If you can get the room to agree on what should be happening, you may just resolve the disagreement and the problem at the same time.
The PDCA Cycle: The Practice of Meeting Continuous Improvement Goals
At this stage of the problem-solving process, you’ve done three important things:
- Identified that you have a problem
- Clarified it as finely as possible in terms of frequency, severity, location, etc. (your current position)
- Defined what a perfect, problem-free process would entail (your target position)
To move towards that target, you’ll need a continuous process you can apply over and over until you get things right. Think of this stage not as an overhaul, but a series of experiments.
Plan, Do, Check, Act
The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle is a practical framework for testing change in a controlled, repeatable way. It’s how manufacturers move from guessing to learning, and from reaction to refinement.
Plan
Don’t try to fix everything at once.
Start by choosing a specific problem or obstacle, then design a small-scale experiment. Like a good scientist, state your hypothesis clearly:
- What do you expect will happen?
- What are you hoping to learn?
This is what will help you assess your results.
Do
Run the experiment. Stick to the plan.
Remember that PDCA is meant to be repeated, so don’t spend weeks or months on a single experiment. Make minor adjustments to single variables, one at a time, and document results thoroughly. The more times you repeat the cycle, the more you’ll learn!
Check
Analyze the results.
- Were your expectations met?
- What surprised you?
Make the data visual. Use charts, graphs, or even a quick before-and-after layout that can help the team understand what changed.
Act
Apply what you’ve learned. If the experiment worked, roll it out more broadly. If it didn’t, you still gained valuable insight. Use it to design the next iteration.
What About Really Big Problems?
Big-time issues with quality, systemic delays, or safety risks call for more structure. This means assigning a team of internal stakeholders and developing a formal project charter. The charter is a formal document that aligns your team on four essentials:
- Stakeholders: A formal list of anyone with roles and stakes in the project. This means team members, along with customers, both internal and external.
- Business Case: A statement of the desired outcome
- Problem Statement: Getting everyone on the same page
- Goal Statement: You may need to take multiple steps to achieve the end goal. For each step, remember the SMART acronym — goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely
This formal approach ensures clarity, accountability, and cross-functional buy-in from the start. It’s slower than a quick PDCA cycle, but it’s the only way to address deep-rooted issues without making them worse.
As a general rule, the bigger the problem, the more formal and structured the attack needs to be.
How to Sustain Progress Towards Continuous Improvement Goals
In many facilities, improvement efforts fade the moment attention shifts. New processes are abandoned, old habits creep back in, and before long, the same problems return. The solution to this lies in follow-through.
Each improvement towards the ultimate goal needs reinforcement mechanisms in place to prevent backsliding. That includes things like:
- Standardized procedures: Document clear, consistent steps for the new process
- Specific training: Make sure teams are thoroughly trained on the new process and the consequences of slipping into old habits
- Visual management: Identify and document simple cues that show if things are slipping and how to get back on track
- Leadership presence: Managers who follow up, coach, and celebrate wins
Sustaining success also means tracking whether changes are delivering the expected impact. Something not working as planned doesn’t mean throwing out everything you’ve already learned; it simply indicates another PDCA cycle is needed.
Coaching to Sustain Continuous Improvement Goals
In a continuous improvement culture, managers can’t just delegate. They must teach. That means helping employees see problems clearly, test solutions, and reflect on outcomes. It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about guiding the thinking process.
Cultivate Scientific Thinking
Your leaders must be well-versed in the art of scientific thinking. That means they don’t jump to conclusions. They go to where the work happens, observe firsthand, and ask questions that guide their teams toward understanding, not just execution.
In practice, that means:
- Visiting the floor regularly (not just when something breaks)
- Asking “What do you see?” instead of “What went wrong?”
- Encouraging small-scale trials instead of sweeping changes
When leaders model this behavior, it signals to the team that improvement isn’t optional, but an expected part of the job. Over time, that expectation becomes culture. When it’s done well, this creates an organization that can solve problems at every level, not just the top.
CMTC Helps You to Achieve Your Continuous Improvement Goals
Solving problems once and solving them well is the heart of continuous improvement.
In Part 2 of this blog series, we explored how to define a problem in measurable terms, uncover its root cause, and apply the PDCA cycle to test and refine solutions. We also covered strategies for tackling larger, more complex challenges, sustaining gains over time, and developing a coaching culture that empowers teams to think critically and act with purpose.
To successfully implement these tactics towards your continuous improvement goals, you must treat them as more than just one-time tasks. Instead, they’re ongoing habits that will shape how your business performs and adapts.
If you’re looking for guidance on how to apply these principles to your unique operation, CMTC is ready to help.
Contact us and let us know if you have questions we didn’t answer in this blog, or if you’d like to know more about how we can tailor solutions to your needs.