Continual Improvement

Posted on June 10, 2008  Comments (10)

Dr. Deming used to using the term continual improvement (rather than continuous improvement) later in his life because that would include continuous and dis-continuous improvement (innovation, etc.). I use continual improvement for that reason also. I think the improvement process

  • must be never ending
  • must focus daily on how any process can be improved
  • must focus on adopting improvement systemically (not just locally, by one person or team)
  • must focus on discontinuous improvement which could include high energy kaizen events and dramatic innovation
  • must include a study phase (PDSA) where the improvements are evaluated to determine whether they actually had the anticipate effect
  • and must include improvement of the improvement process itself

To me, continual improvement encompasses both continuous and discontinuous improvement.

Reflecting on: Continuous Improvement vs. Continual Improvement

Related: Process Improvement and InnovationBetter and DifferentKaizen the Toyota WayChange is not ImprovementThink Long Term Act DailyEncourage Improvement Action by Everyone

10 Responses to “Continual Improvement”

  1. Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Better Meetings
    July 14th, 2008 @ 11:33 pm

    [...] and ask what can be improved. Improve your meeting process over time. If you don’t have an improvement process in place for meetings that is a bad [...]

  2. Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Future Directions for Agile Management
    August 25th, 2008 @ 11:48 am

    As I learned about agile software development, what I saw was a great implementation of management improvement practices focused on software development…

  3. Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Out of the Crisis Seminar
    March 31st, 2009 @ 9:45 pm

    [...] and ineffective behavior. You will learn how to overcome these problems and focus on creating a system of continual improvement, just as Toyota and other Japanese firms did some fifty years [...]

  4. Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Building a Great Workforce
    April 13th, 2009 @ 12:40 pm

    [...] practice, not just words) is also very wise. In my experience far to little emphasis is placed on continual improvement of what many companies will say is their most important asset: their people. If you don’t [...]

  5. Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Managing Our Way to Economic Success
    August 23rd, 2010 @ 12:53 pm

    [...] in this way improves morale and participation…and profits. … What is called for is constant, never-ending improvement of all processes in the organization. What management needs, too, is constant, never-ending improvement of [...]

  6. Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Good Process Improvement Practices
    November 8th, 2010 @ 8:20 am

    [...] The improvement process itself should be continually improved [...]

  7. Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » How to Get a New Management Strategy, Tool or Concept Adopted
    December 6th, 2010 @ 8:18 am

    [...] is a rare organization that adopts a continual improvement, long term focus, system thinking mindset initially. The tendency is often strong to focus on fire [...]

  8. Quality is Made in the Board Room » Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog
    April 8th, 2011 @ 12:06 pm

    [...] system (one that respects people, continual improves using a standardized improvement process (that itself is being improved), practices evidence based management, focuses on customer value, improves processes rather than [...]

  9. Why Lean is Different » Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog
    April 12th, 2011 @ 8:01 am

    [...] the work is done, standardize processes (from the gemba view), practice respect for people and continually improve. Lean thinking focuses on achieving better results and through that process improves trust and [...]

  10. Rethinking or Moving Beyond Deming Often Just Means Applying More of What Dr. Deming Actually Said » Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog
    October 26th, 2011 @ 8:11 am

    [...] about that one instance) is the most effective way to achieve the best results. We believe in continual improvement. We believe that the effective way to improve, when a system is in statistical control, is by [...]

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