ABSTRACT
Continuous improvement is a term in common use throughout most industries and the public sector. It can become a meaningless term unless it is linked to organizational strategy, has a defined structure, a chosen approach, a methodology and an associated tool kit. Figure 13.1 provides a generic eight-stage structure that may be applied to most organizations. It begins unsurprisingly with leadership and the top-down cascade of objectives, particularly those related to achieving on-quality, on-time, oncost delivery of products and services, chosen to boost customer confidence and drive efficiency improvements.
