When taking measures to improve a process or a product, it is crucial to look to other sources to see what has been done in the past. This can prevent failures and point thought development in a successful direction. The following mentioned articles were studied thus far.

Every Kenworth truck manufactured is unique. It all begins when the customer identifies and designs the right truck for the job. Kenworth has over 6,500 options available, making them truly a custom-truck manufacturer. To measure the statistical process control (SPC) of a manufacturing process you need just that�control. When dealing with Kenworth every job is a custom fit; this can be difficult. SPC is not a an easy option for Johnston Engineering, they too customize their vacuum and mechanical road and precinct sweepers according to an article titled Quality Broom Sweeps Clean by Quality Today magazine. "We toyed with the idea of an SPC system for short batches. Unfortunately it wasn't short enough for our processes," explained Mr. Ferdowsian, product quality manager for Johnston Engineering's engineering works in Dorking, Surrey. Rather than SPC, they use a rigorous system of test and inspection at various stages of the process, backed by self-inspection and local tests in the various workshops. Johnston also added training programs for their workforce. It can be noted that Kenworth has taken similar measures. With an example being that they have added periodic testing throughout the manufacturing process to ensure quality. More testing methods and evaluation for custom products need to be implemented at the Kenworth facility.

Safety is a primary focus of continuous improvement. When dealing with heavy equipment coupled with a large numberof employees all working as manual operators, this seems to be an equation for injuries. But how can one measure how many injuries are too many? An article published in Plant Engineering titled Zero Incidents: Achieving a New Safety Culture states that unless setting safety goals at zero, an employer sends a message to employees that severe and disabling incidents are acceptable. For example if an employer says that they wish to reduce the injuries and lost work days by a factor of two from the previous year, does this mean that it is reasonable for half as many people to get hurt this year? Of course it is natural to use numbers and statistics to measure compliance to a particular goal, but it is more important to let the employee know that what you are striving for is zero incidents. The article argues that the best way to do this is to achieve awareness and communication not only from manager to employee, but also vice-versa, so that constant feedback from the employee can be used to help identify and solve potential safety hazards. A company that implement a zero incident policy and take measures to ensure safety improvements is on the road to a work environment that they can be proud of.

What is the best approach to implement this new safety culture? It was found in a survey of 91 manufacturing firms that 35 were using TQM, or total quality management, based on an article in Quality Progress titled TQM's Human Resource Component. The firms that were using TQM seemed to have a dramatic increase in working relationships, communication and employee satisfaction, all necessary for a healthy employee-employer relationship. They did all of this through job skills training, problem solving training, expanded employee recognition, formation of work groups, and cross training. Job skills training increased product quality and employee satisfaction, while cross training made the employees more versatile and flexible. Such cross training can reduce boredom and monotony in manufacturing jobs because it could lead to more challenging and interesting work for employees.