Analysis of Continuous Improvement Strategies at Ford Motor Company

This report examines Ford Motor Company's continuous improvement strategies. It begins with an overview of the company, followed by a discussion of sustainability requirements and strategies for encouraging team member participation in decision-making. The report explores mentoring, coaching, and support programs, as well as methods for capturing insights and experiences through knowledge management systems. It details how Ford Motor Company ensures that change and improvement processes meet sustainability requirements using the PDCA model. The report also covers strategies for monitoring operational progress, communicating strategies to stakeholders, and recording work team performance. Finally, the report presents a continuous improvement plan, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and the use of KPIs to identify further opportunities for improvement in future planning and business activities. The report highlights the importance of continuous improvement for maintaining competitiveness and profitability within the automotive industry.

FACILITATE
CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
An overview of the company.......................................................................................................1
A discussion of the sustainability requirements...........................................................................1
Strategies that uses to ensure team members are encouraged and supported to take part in
decision-making processes, assume responsibility and exercise initiative?................................1
Mentoring, coaching and other support programs ......................................................................2
Capture insights, experiences and ideas for improvements. .......................................................3
How you ensure that insights and experiences from business activities are captured and
accessible through knowledge management systems?................................................................3
A plan for a continuous improvement utilizing the information that have researched................4
PART 2............................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCE.................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Continuous improvement is defined as a process that uses by an organization to bring
continuous improvement and increase organizational profitability. For every organization, it is
important to analyze the business performance and make plans which can help to bring
improvements. Continuous improvement has taken by industries by understanding people's
demand and lifestyle which supports to sustain in the competitive environment and attain higher
profitability (Kharub, Mor, and Sharma, 2019). This report is based on Ford Motor Company
that is the automobile sector, manufacture different design and model of cars every year and
getting competitive benefits. As a leader of organization, many improvements are taken to
increase sales and profitability. This report covers sustainability requirements, mentoring
coaching and other support programs, insights and ideas for improvements, and continuous
improvement utilizing information, etc.
MAIN BODY
PART 1
An overview of the company
The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker company that was
founded in 1903 by Henry Ford for manufacturing and selling automobiles and commercial
vehicles. This is a large size organization that is operating at various places and managing its
products as well as services. The management of such an organization brings new technology
and process to develop the cars which supports capturing a larger share of the market and
increase the profitability (Lee, and Louis, 2019).
A discussion of the sustainability requirements
Strategies that uses to ensure team members are encouraged and supported to take part in decision-
making processes, assume responsibility and exercise initiative?
A strategy is defined as planning which is formulated by management by understanding the
position and activities of a business. If the organization can develop effective plans and manage all
activities then it becomes an opportunity to regulate their business continuously. As a leader of For
Motor company, different types of strategies are made and sharing with all team members regarding
bringing new technology or car model that encourages them to participate in all decisions, understand
their responsibility and perform the action which delivers better quality of products in the competitive
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market. In this, sharing information strategy, getting feedback, and implement ion business strategy are
applied by chosen organizations that make happy staff by feeling part of the company and delivering
higher profits.
What systems can be used to ensure that the organization's continuous improvement processes
are communicated to stakeholders
In the selected organization leader and marketing managers are single people who know
customer's demands and introduce a kind of product. The leader of Ford Motor uses the Kaizen
model or system for bringing continuous improvement in their existing model or process in a
workplace that increases the business performance and activities for long period. This model
uses to analyze existing performance and bring the changes accordingly (Reis, Varner, and
Leibfarth, 2019).
Another system is TQM that means total quality management in which organizations
seek towards providing a better quality of products and services by analyzing existing processes
and bring improvements. This can help to deliver improve the existing model in Ford Motor and
attracts a large number of customers which increases business performance.
Mentoring, coaching and other support programs
 How you can ensure that change and improvement processes meet sustainability
requirements?
Whenever organization has decided to bring changes and new process then it required to adopt a
model which can help to understand and assure that all changes are done and helping to meet
sustainability with all requirements. The Ford Motor is using PDCS model to check and ensuring change
management. The PDCA model uses by leader such as:
 Plan: in this, team and leader of Ford Motor measure current standard and come up with new
ideas in market for improvement.
 Do: This step uses by leader by changing the process and providing necessary training to
employees that increases awareness and bring improvements (Coaching and Mentoring
process, 2020).
 Check: In this new measurement and action are taken by members that supports to take
corrective and preventive measurement and increase the performance.
 Act: This step is used by by management and team to determine that all changes are accepted
and improve the business performance.
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What mentoring and coaching processes can be used to ensure that individuals and teams are able to
implement and support the organisation's continuous improvement processes?
Coaching and mentoring can be defined as a similar process that aims to improve
employee performance and knowledge by setting the agenda and creating a good relationship. In
Ford Motor Company, the leader uses a different process for ensuring individual and team able
to adopt change and bring continuous improvement such as:
General process: In this, management shares new ideas and thought with all individuals
and teams who are working and select more employees who are talented and skilled (Kilpatrick
and Fraser, 2019).
Job Shadowing: In this, management and leader provide training to employees by
assigning the work between them as a mentor that can help to complete the work on time.
One to One Coaching: This can be defined as another process which uses by a leader for
improving their knowledge and skills so they can work and manage good performance. In this,
management involves role-play activities, reviewing answers, testing, and meetings that
encourage employee's morale and get them ready to work effectively.
Capture insights, experiences and ideas for improvements.
How you ensure that insights and experiences from business activities are captured and accessible
through knowledge management systems?
The knowledge management system is the process of sharing, creating, managing, and using the
information and knowledge concerning an organization that can help to increase the sale and business
performance. The leader of Ford Motor Company uses various considerations such as people, process,
technology, structure, and culture by considering people's experiences and insights that can help to
increase business sales and profitability. In all activities and manufacturing new models of cars, all
individuals are collected where roles and responsibilities are allocated between them as per their skills
and insights that support to accept changes effectively and increase the performance.
In the chosen organization, management has decided to share the new technology with employees
and provide them training so they can work and encourage cross-discipline awareness as well as expertise
which supports to attain the business goals and capture market (Sriyakul, Umam, and Jermsittiparsert,
2019).
What strategies can be developed to ensure that systems and processes are used to monitor operational
progress and to identify ways in which planning, and operations could be improved?
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Every business needs to analyze and monitor operational progress that can help to develop the
strategies and planning for improving protocols and procedures. The strategies are uses by management
of Ford Motor for monitoring operation and maintaining operation are:
Data collection strategy: This strategy in Ford Motor, uses by leader and management by
collecting the data as well as information that can help to manage the work.
Identification of problem: When new process and technology has been introduced in Ford
Motors then next strategy is identification of problem which uses by management in chosen organization.
Plan formulation strategy: After identifying problem there is need to formulate plan and
solution which can help to overcome the problems and supports to complete the task in certain time.
CRM strategy: This strategy is uses by management of Ford Motors by creating the good
relation with customers that helps to understand their requirement and provide the kind of products which
can help to bring improvements and bring changes effectively.
How you would ensure that you adjust and communicate strategies to stakeholders according to
organizational procedures?
Communication is the most important activity in any organization that can help to share ideas and
views, creating good relations, and managing the task by maintaining proper communication between two
and more than two people. In Ford Motor Company, management is using Verbal, Nonverbal, and
Visual communication strategies to share all information with shareholders and encourage them to
invest more so their production and selling activities continue and attain the business goals effectively. In
verbal strategy, management uses e-mail, text, and chats that can deliver a quality of messages as they are
cleared and improve the performance by accepting changes. In non-verbal, facial expression, body
language, and physical distance use by all team members that help to send the message and increase
performance. On the other side, by using visual communication such as web page, illustration, and signs
that uses to pay attention to activities and perform them regularly which helps to complete the procedure
and maintain higher performance (Giannitrapani and et.al., 2019).
A plan for a continuous improvement utilizing the information that have researched
A continuous improvement plan is a set of activities that are designed to bring changes
and ongoing improvements with products, services, and processes with the help of a continuous
review, measurement, and action that can help to attain the business goals and maintain higher
profitability. The management of Ford Motor Company is using the continuous improvement
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plan by analyzing errors and getting them the best solution which increases performance
(Adewuyi and et.al., 2019).
How you would establish processes to ensure that team members are informed of outcomes of
continuous improvement efforts?
In the Ford Motor Company, management is playing an important role as they develop effective
plans by analyzing competition and the existing performance of the company. According to plans and
maintaining effective communication between all team members, management solves problems that arise
while working and managing the activities effectively. This is important for the organization to
understand the needs of customers and provide them products accordingly that can help to increase a
large number of customers and capture the market. The management is using an effective communication
strategy to share ideas and thoughts about business and adopting new technology that can help to increase
the business performance and productivity by developing new car models and influencing the number of
customers (KC and et.al., 2019).
How you would record work team performance to assist in identifying further opportunities
for improvement?
For every organization, it is needed to analyze the employee's performance what they are
doing and how they react towards changes that affected the business and organizational
productivity. In Ford Motor Company, the KPI tool uses by management for analyzing,
recording, and monitoring the employee's performance with the organization that can help to
understand what are the financial and non-financial activities. This also states how the
performance of employees can be monitor and control that deliver the best quality of products
and services. Such activities are uses to getting business opportunities and chances to operate the
business and maintain higher profitability by brining continuous improvement (Collins-
Camargo, Strolin, and Akin, 2019).
How would you identify areas for further improvement when undertaking future planning?
In relation to a business, there is need to focus on continuous improvement and future planning
management is required to generate ideas and thoughts which can be uses to maintain good performance.
The management of Ford Motor company find out the problem and situation that arise while working and
needed to solve them by managing performance. The management seek towards continuous
improvement, thinking openly, delivering right messages and managing the task which can help to bring
the improvements and maintain higher profitability. This is highly important for organisation to analyse
the situation and set planning for bringing continuous improvement and manage the task effectively (Lu,
Tan, Li, and Shi, 2019).
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How do continuous improvement systems and processes relate to other business systems and
requirements including, knowledge management, quality, performance management and
sustainability?
From the above discussion and description it has defined that every organisation should
focuses on continuous improvement by formulating plans and strategies in relation to business
which can help to increase the performance. The continuous important system and process are
relating to other business system such as Ford Motor Company is using TQM, PDCA and
Kaizen approach in their auto mobile sector for the purpose of accepting changes and delivering
right products which influences number of customers and deliver competitive advantages (Crane,
and Hartwell, 2019).
On the other side, same strategies and approaches are uses by other organisation such as
Tesco in order to increase the sales and performance by bringing continuous improvement. As
management of such organisation analysis the performance along with customer's demand that
can help to deliver kind of products and services so they feel good and make buying decision in
future again (Lee, Liu, and Wang, 2020).
Both businesses are using continuous improvement plan, TQM, KPI and knowledge
management for running their business continuously by bringing changes that supports to
maintain the higher productivity and profitability.
PART 2
1. What is continuous improvement?
It means that there is a continuous improvement in either the product and services that
are provided by the firm or the process and strategies used for it. Improvement is the
basis of any industry as it can act as a base of higher profitability as it makes the
business dynamic and would be very beneficial in the long run.
2. What does communicating continuous improvement require you to identify?
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The thing that can be identified is that there is a need to communicate the be achieved
improvements with others wisely. Firstly, it must tell why it is needed and how it can
as well as the communicating words would be chosen wisely in accordance with the
people it is discussed with.
3. What directly affects sustainability practice?
Some factors that directly affect it are the development of the economy as it is
developed, developing, or under- developed. Conservation of environment is also
considered here as it plays a vital role in it and the level of justice to the society is also
included.
4. What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?
Coaching can be described as a method through which a person's skill set or personal
performance is improved on the job while mentoring is a larger term in which there is
attention given as how to approach a certain thing which increases performance as well
as result in personal growth and development.
5. What does KM stand for and what is its process?
KM stands for Knowledge Management and its process are- there must be a through
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knowledge about the asset, knowledge about market should be know like new products
and there must a desire to gain more of it, storage, distribution, and utilisation of
knowledge must be done effectively and efficiently also feedback must also be given
after that.
6. What are the four key steps for monitoring operational progress?
Four key steps are- making a plan that is effective and efficient that can be monitored,
a report must be made after its progress so that it could be judged accordingly,
improvements that are suggested after that by the members should be applied and there
must be monitoring so that the improvements must be done without any errors.
7. What factors may communication methods depend on?
The factors on which communication methods depends are- there must not be any type
of barrier, listener must be active both physically and mentally, speaker should
understand the limitations of everyone and communicate in accordance with it, clarity
of the words that are communicated are highly important and must have only one
meaning that the speaker wants to convey.
8. What are the criteria for an internal audit?
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Criteria of internal audit can be as follows- there must be an adequate system that can
provide assets the safety they need and the data must be reliable so that audit can be
done easily, unethical practices, error and frauds must be detected and prevented if
possible, effective and efficiency level must be of high quality to ensure good results.
9. What are the two components of effective team operation?
Two major components are- communication as it is the base of a business and there
shouldn’t be any type of compromise in its quality because if it is not done well
everything will suffer and there must not be any ill felling regarding one another,
everyone must be treated equally and must accountable for their work.
10. What does giving feedback require?
It requires that the person listening to it must be quiet and calm and must listen it
properly and carefully, it must be in accordance with the performance, work given or
something that requires feedback. Precise, relevant, and it should be easily
understandable to the person so that necessary changes would be made accordingly.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that every organisation aims to bring the
changes and continuous improvement by formulating plans and strategies that can help to
maintain the good performance. Different process and activities are uses by leader in order to
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