This week's Continuous Improvement newsletter begins with our announcement that the 2026 IndustryWeek Best Plants Awards competition has launched.
If you are a team member at a North American manufacturing plant that is a showcase of manufacturing excellence rooted in continuous improvement, I urge you to consider applying for this annual award. Even if you don't believe you are ready, simply filling out the entry form (which is very robust) will likely shine a light on improvement opportunities in your plant.
If you think you may be ready, then get started. The final deadline is in early April, which may seem far off. However, the entry form requests a lot of information. It's not something to leave for the last minute and hope to dash off in an hour.
As I've said before, I administer the IW Best Plants Awards program and have for many years, and there is a full team of us to help make it go smoothly. Whether you have specific questions about data we request or general questions about how the competition works, I urge you to contact me. This is a favorite IndustryWeek program of mine, and I am more than willing to engage with anyone who is interested in learning more.
In addition to the IW Best Plants, this newsletter issue contains the latest episode of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement, which focuses on management by objectives and Dr. Deming's dislike of MBO—as well as what you should substitute instead. It's a good listen.
And, of course, we have much more. Please enjoy this issue of Continuous Improvement. — Jill Jusko, [email protected]
