Title: Roadmap for continuous quality improvement and sustainability: a case study in Egyptian service sector organisation

Authors: Riham Adel Hassan Sayed Ahmed

Addresses: Productivity & Quality Institute, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT), P.O. Box 1029, Alexandria, Egypt

Abstract: The introduction of Lean as a business improvement initiative has led to focusing on processes that create customer value; identifying and keeping track of critical value adding activities or processes. Nevertheless, understanding customers| needs and translating customers| value to employees| desire and target is the basis for this paper. A roadmap to implement and sustain improvement programs with application to simple streamlined processes in Egyptian service organisations is suggested. Since Lean thinking provides a way to eliminate waste, improvement results will be immediately reflected in productivity improvement, market share growth, customer retention, cycle-time reduction, errors| reduction, culture change, product/service development and cost reduction. This case study discusses the Egyptian service organisation approach to implement Lean concepts, explain the critical factors involved in implementation and the benefits that occurred.

Keywords: quality improvement; continuous improvement; lean thinking; customer value; waste reduction; business processes; Egypt; service sector; services; sustainability; sustainable developmen; business improvement; productivity improvement; market share growth; customer retention; cycle-time reduction; error reduction; culture change; product development; service development; cost reduction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2010.035119

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2010 Vol.6 No.3, pp.318 - 331

Published online: 05 Sep 2010 *

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