Introduction

Continuous Improvement (Cl), first defined and described in the USA, exported to and much improved in Japan, is now finding its way back to the West and is due to make its next step towards further perfection. There is plenty of literature on Cl. However, most of this is Japanese or Western, mainly American, literature on kaizen, the Japanese form of CL Relatively few authors have addressed the application of Cl in other parts of the world. The purpose of this book is to close part of this gap. Based mainly on a survey conducted by the European Continuous Improvement Network (EuroCINet) and Australian research partners, the book describes the Cl practices and experiences of over 1000 European and Australian companies and also analyses differences between European and Australian companies. Furthermore, the book puts these practices and experiences in their cultural and strategic contexts, and infers some major lessons for the theory and practice of Cl management.