Sustaining process improvement: the Red Queen effect

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how the concept of the Red Queen is used to sustain improved performance in a production/maintenance operation. In doing so, this research contributes in two ways. For practitioners, this research creates a model so that practitioners may implement to ensure the sustainability of programme benefits over the long term. For academicians, this research theoretically explains why the benefits of some process improvement efforts are not sustained, while others are sustained for years.

Keywords:

• Sustaining improvements
• Lean
• Six Sigma
• theory of constraints