Continuous improvement

Concrete objectives

• Continue rolling out AREVA Way self-assessments across all of our sites
• Audit the self-assessment process and make the results verifiable
• Adapt the continuous improvement process to the dynamics of AREVA’s industrial growth
• Professionalize the continuous improvement network
• Distribute continuous improvement methodologies
• Develop the implementation of certified and integrated management systems (environment, quality, occupational safety)
• Introduce and deploy a process for exchanging best practices among the group’s sites.

Tangible results

An ongoing search for efficiency and improvement

An established process

The continuous improvement process is being rolled out across all of the group’s entities. AREVA Way has reached the “maturity” stage. Each commitment is subject to progress targets which, in turn, depend on several improvement criteria,121 in total. Entities rate their practices and results for each criterion on a scale of 1 to 4, and provide evidence of their achievements. These scores correspond to different degrees of progress: launch, implementation, maturity and excellence. Progress is characterized by a better understanding of methodologies, growth in scope, greater stakeholder involvement and higher quality results.

In 2008, the initiative covered over 88% of group employees. Consolidated results from the self-assessments show that practices promoted by the AREVA Way initiative have:

• been implemented (a score of 2 or higher) in more than 80% of cases,
• already had a positive local impact on the performance of group entities in more than 41% of cases.

Sharing experiences and best practices

A program for identifying best practices and ideas was launched in 2005. So far more than 160 case studies have been selected and distributed widely using internal communications tools, particularly the group’s intranet. “Comparative assessment”, a process in which 2 entities exchange the results of their self-assessments, has also been encouraged.

Integrated quality/environment/safety management systems

The number of sites with triple certification (ISO 9001/ISO 14001/OHSAS 18001) is growing quickly—over 77% (63 sites in 2008). Thirty-nine sites have dual certification (2 of 3 certifications), which is an encouraging sign for long-term growth in triple certifications.