Continuous Improvement (Ci) Mindset
Answer these 7 simple questions to learn whether you've got the "Continuous Improvement (CI) Mindset", and learn a bit more about how Continuous Improvement can make your life simpler and smarter. (Time required: 5 minutes. )
- 1.
When going on holiday what helps you to know that you are not going to miss your flight
- A.
A friendly person at the check-in desk that doesn't charge me for my overweight luggage
- B.
TV monitors for flight number, check-in desk, departure gate, on/off schedule information, clear signage
- C.
Self check-in station so that I can avoid the queues
- D.
That I could purchase my duty free off line so all I need to do is pick it up
Correct Answer
B. TV monitors for flight number, check-in desk, departure gate, on/off schedule information, clear signageExplanation
In many parts of every day life we see visual indicators that gives us important information on progress/performance of the process we are participating in. We value having relevant data that is easy visible and accessible. In Continuous Improvement we strive to make performance visible and relevant so that we can ensure that processes are performing as they are intended (real-time), this in return increases effectiveness and reduces time taken for individual tasks.Rate this question:
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- 2.
You are moving on to another function (job) how do you prepare your departure and ensure you set your successor up for success?
- A.
I write a handover document covering the key items that I do - the rest should be easy to figure out
- B.
My job is really complex so it is impossible to write down what I do
- C.
This is the responsibility of my manager
- D.
I try to capture all the elements of my job and arrange for a few face to face meetings to go through in real life
Correct Answer
D. I try to capture all the elements of my job and arrange for a few face to face meetings to go through in real lifeExplanation
A good way to learn new things is to be coached by someone who knows rather than reading a manual in isolation. Documented instructions often leave out the real life experiences and richness we need to perform. In a Continuous Improvement Culture we all should aim to be coaches creating and sharing best practices, lessons learned and striving to continuously improve our daily tasks.Rate this question:
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- 3.
You are looking to purchase a toaster, online. What typically dictates your decision?
- A.
The level of management activity that went into the production of the toaster
- B.
A combination of quality/design, price and on-time delivery
- C.
The amount of time the item spent in the manufacturers warehouse
- D.
The colour. I cannot have a kitchen appliance that clashes with my wallpaper!
Correct Answer
B. A combination of quality/design, price and on-time deliveryExplanation
As a customer you consider many things, but usually the primary drivers of your purchase will be cost, quality/design and delivery and an overriding expectation that the product is safe. Anything else you would likely consider non-value adding. CI is all about focusing our efforts on the value for the customer, in order to be able to channel efforts on eliminating the non-value adding activities. Therefore allowing us to enhance the overall customer experience and deliver against or even exceed expectations, thus creating 'real' value for our customer.Rate this question:
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- 4.
In your daily work (process) who do you consider the customer of your work?
- A.
Peter Voser
- B.
The person using the end product (e.g. fuelling their car)
- C.
The end customer of my work
- D.
My line manager and/or their line manager
Correct Answer
C. The end customer of my workExplanation
Most work is a process, and in nearly all situations those processes run across multiple functional boundaries. In Continuous Improvement, we aim to understand more than just the part we play in a process, we need to think "end-to-end" and understand who receives our outputs. Measuring 'real-time' the performance of our work/process is also a key identifier and enabler to allow us to improve they way we work and output to our 'customer'. By thinking this way we enable ourselves to optimise the whole and not just our part, while maintaining customer focus.Rate this question:
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- 5.
You've noticed that your PC is taking a long time to shut down every day. What should you do?
- A.
Get a new one, easy!
- B.
Live with it after all technology is unpredictable and if all fails drop kick the laptop out of the window…problem solved!
- C.
Run a virus scan and see what is causing the slow down, fix the bug and remove the offending software
- D.
Backup everything, format the hard drive, reload a clean operating system, reinstall MS Office then restore all your files!
Correct Answer
C. Run a virus scan and see what is causing the slow down, fix the bug and remove the offending softwareExplanation
The CI mindset is about solving recurring issues with simple solutions... we look for the root cause and then select the solution to fit the problem. Often times this involves a trial or experimental approach to tackle problems.Rate this question:
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- 6.
Everyday your Outlook inbox is overflowing with email and everyday it makes you feel stressed. What should you do?
- A.
Delete everything!
- B.
Visually scan for the important ones and deal with just those
- C.
Copy everything to an archive folder in case you need it in the future
- D.
Apply several proven techniques that help you automatically filter, sort, delete based on your criteria
Correct Answer
D. Apply several proven techniques that help you automatically filter, sort, delete based on your criteriaExplanation
Most of us have to manage email but many feel email is managing them...often taking too much time. There are techniques that have emerged that help to take away some of the work. It might come down to personal preference, but there are resources such as http://sww.wiki.shell.com/wiki/index.php/Email_Management_Approaches, which can help.Rate this question:
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- 7.
You notice that each month your credit card statement has a $5 charge from an unkown company. What should you do?
- A.
Keep paying it because the charge must be legitiamate - you just can't remember what it is.
- B.
Validate the source of the charge by contacting the credit card company. Then pay if genuine, or put a block on it if not.
- C.
Keep paying because the amount is too small to worry about.
- D.
Ignore your credit card statement all together because it is too stressful to think about it.
Correct Answer
B. Validate the source of the charge by contacting the credit card company. Then pay if genuine, or put a block on it if not.Explanation
Many of us use credit cards in personal and/or business situations. The card statement is a source of information (based on transaction data) that enables you to verify the legitamacy of the charges. To avoid paying for unnecessary, or even fraudulant fees, credit card companies have services to help the card holder identify the source and block to stop the charges appearing again.Rate this question:
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Current Version
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Mar 21, 2023Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team -
Dec 07, 2012Quiz Created by
Dave.d.lewis
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