The Oxford English Dictionary defines a foundation as follows:
- solid ground or base on which a building rests
- underlying principle, material, or part on which other parts are overlaid
And this is where the foundation practices of a World Class Organization originate. These practices provide a solid base or foundation when implementing world class practices in your organization. They include the underlying principles over which all the other practices are built.
The practices that are commonly called the 'Foundation Practices' are:
- Focused Improvement
- Teamwork
- Visual Management
- 5S
Later, when safety became a burning platform for organizations, Environment, Health and Safety was added to the Foundation Practices.
The other practices which build on these Foundation Practices are commonly referred to as Pillar Practices and are more specialized in nature. Examples of these practices are Asset Care and Quality Management.
The Foundation Practices are essentially applicable to all areas of your operations, from manufacturing to supply chain, to the support Functions.
Continuous Improvement is like building a house, without a strong foundation of Leading and Managing and Change, Focused Improvement, Visual Management, Teamwork, 5S, the walls will collapse, and the improvements will not be sustained. This is represented by the Parthenon used in older versions of TRACC to demonstrate this principle.