Continuous improvement in action - the journey of eight companies

Continuous Improvement (CI) is about involving as many people as possible in an organization in making improvements on an on-going basis. Although many of these improvements will be small-scale, cumulatively they can have a significant impact on the organisations' performance. However, the simplicity of the concept is deceptive- those trying to make CI happen in practice often run into difficulties. Continuous Improvement in Action records the experience of eight very different companies - from large multinationals such as Lucas Diesel Systems to a small family owned business - who have introduced CI. The cases illustrate the wide range of CI techniques and approaches which can be applied and show that there is no 'one route' to successful implementation. A commentary highlights the learning points from each case and expands on common themes. The authors also give useful guidelines for implementation, discuss some of the problems most often encountered, and offer practical tips and strategies to overcome obstacles. This book will be a useful resource for those who are introducing CI in their won organization, or are about to do so. It also offers readers with a more academic interest in the subject a rich source of case material reflecting the application of CI in a variety of organisational contexts.