Foundation of proven quality improvement principles

Enabling performance improvement is a company leadership responsibility. The RPI Methodology emphasizes leadership through

• the development, selection and maintenance of top-priority business and product development performance goals as the central piece to any performance and/or process improvement program
• periodic and sustained management progress reviews
• the use of rewards and incentives necessary to establish and sustain a quality improvement effort

The RPI Methodology helps organizations maintain focus on fixing the process, not on blaming the people.

• Hands-on workshops are used to focus on documenting and baselining the current process, identifying process issues, working collaboratively across company boundaries to develop process solutions, and the piloting of changes across the company.

Quality must be quantitatively measured if it is to be significantly improved. The RPI Methodology emphasizes

• the collection and use of measurements from the very start of an improvement program
• the use of performance baselines as the primary method of measuring improvement and success

Quality improvement is a continuous process. The RPI Methodology emphasizes regular progress reviews.

Successful improvement necessitates involvement of everyone in the process. The RPI Methodology maximizes the involvement of everyone in the process while minimizing the impact to existing commitments and work schedules.

Those who perform the process must own the process. The RPI Methodology emphasizes that while management are the "stewards" the process (as essential assets of the company), those who implement the process should decide how best to improve it.