Process Improvement Flashcards

After a project, a team meets to discuss what was planned, what happened, why it differed, and what to do next time. This practice is called what?

Answer: After-action review

An after-action review is a structured debrief that turns experience into lessons for future work.

A leader wants to test a new scheduling method. According to PDCA best practice, how should they begin?

Answer: Run a small-scale pilot to learn before scaling

Small tests lower risk and allow quick learning and adjustment before a wider rollout.

Which of the following is a lagging indicator of process performance?

Answer: Monthly customer churn rate

Churn measures an outcome after the fact, while the other options are leading or input measures.

What is the main role of a process owner in a continuous improvement culture?

Answer: To be accountable for the process's performance and its ongoing improvement

A process owner is responsible for process results and for leading improvements end to end.

A team keeps hitting quick fixes, but the same problem returns. What is the coach's best intervention?

Answer: Guide the team to do root cause analysis before acting

Recurring problems signal that only symptoms are being treated, so root cause analysis is needed.

In Lean, the 'Andon' concept refers to what?

Answer: A signal system that lets workers flag problems and stop work so issues get fixed immediately

Andon gives workers the power to signal abnormalities so problems get fixed quickly rather than passed along.

When choosing which improvement project to tackle first, which approach does a coach most often recommend?

Answer: Use an impact-versus-effort matrix to prioritize high-impact, lower-effort opportunities

An impact/effort matrix helps leaders find quick wins and use limited resources wisely.