Improvement and Continuous Improvement - Evolution of Theory and Practice - A Brief Literature Review

First Initial Draft

Continuous improvement (CI) is a philosophy that Deming described simply as consisting of “Improvement initiatives that increase successes and reduce failures” (Juergensen, 2000).

 On any scale, improvement is achieved through the use of a number of tools and techniques dedicated to searching for sources of problems, waste, and variation, and finding ways to minimize them.

We start by discussing the origins of CI, followed by a description of the methodologies that have evolved over the years, and we trace how organizations have used various tools and techniques to address the need for improvement on various levels. 

Through a literature review, we describe the existing research on CI in order to gain an understanding of how the use of CI has had an impact on organizations, the tools and techniques that are needed to achieve an ongoing cycle of improvement, and the relation of CI to result areas like productivity and quality in the organizations.

History and evolution of CI

The roots of modern improvement programs can be traced back to initiatives undertaken in several companies in the 1800s, where management encouraged employee-driven improvements, and incentive programs were set in place to reward employees that brought about positive changes in the organization (Schroeder and Robinson, 1991). 

Papers in ASME Conferences

In 1894, National Cash Register’s program included reward schemes, employee development opportunities, and improving labour-management relationships. 

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, much attention was given to scientific management; this involved developing methods to help managers analyze and solve production problems using scientific methods based on tightly controlled time-trials to achieve proper piece rates and labour standards. 

Alan Mogensen's Work Simplification

The US government  set up the “Training Within Industry” service during the Second World War to enhance the industrial output on a national scale. This included job method training, a program designed to educate supervisors on the importance and techniques of CI methods. This program was later introduced in Japan by management experts like Deming, Juran, and Gilbreth, and by the US forces present there after the end of the Second World War (Robinson, 1990). 

AIIE Definition of Industrial Engineering

Eventually, the Japanese developed their own ideas, and quality control, which was used initially in the manufacturing process, had evolved into a much broader term, growing into a management tool for ongoing improvement involving everyone in an organization (Imai, 1986).

While CI initiatives in the past reflected the use of various principles related to work improvement, modern day CI is associated with organized and comprehensive methodologies. These CI programs, in which typically the overall organization, or a large part of it, is involved in change, are also more popularly associated with the introduction of the TQM movement, which also gained leverage in Japan thanks to Edward Deming.

Paper

Overview of  continuous improvement

Management Decision

Vol. 43 No. 5, 2005

pp. 761-771

DOI 10.1108/00251740510597761