Staff hostility biggest threat to continuous improvement bids

Nearly 30% of site managers blamed resistance from colleagues for frustrating initiatives. Clashes with junior staff were cited by 17% of respondents with 11% complaining of lacklustre support from senior team members. A number of respondents selecting the other category also bemoaned people related problems. "Resistance to change from some management," said one respondent when asked to name the biggest barrier they'd encountered to continuous improvement. "Middle management resistance" and "fear of change" also featured heavily in the survey comments. The WM survey of over 100 senior manufacturing staff saw limited finances and resources named the second most serious threat to success. Fatigue after initial success was also a common barrier according to survey research. Nine in ten manufacturers surveyed said they were running a continuous improvement programme on site. 5S was named the most effective tool for boosting performance. Value stream mapping and Six Sigma completed the top three continuous improvement techniques. Just four in ten respondents said they had an internal lean green or black belt to support their improvement bids.