It is essential to look on any possible definitions of the two basic elements. Improvement can be defined as “the process of a thing moving from one state to a state considered to be better, usually through some action intended to bring about that better state” (1). This general statement can easily refer and apply to almost all aspects and domains in human life and it can be argued that our current state of civilization is a result of our improvement actions through time. Methodology can be defined as “the systematic, theoretical analysis of the methods applied to a field of study” (2) and “a body of methods, rules, and postulates employed by a discipline, a particular procedure or set of procedures”(3) aiming to create better processes. Taking these into account its systematic research can traced up at the early decades of the previous century. (4)(5)(18) The most of the theories and practices derives their foundation from the business world (1), thus it is inevitable to examine a selection of methodologies from there. For the purposes of this review the broad term “improvement methodologies” will be used to cover all the various theories, approaches and aspects whose discourse with the subject.
According the findings of literature there is not a common accepted structural distinction, thus many theories and methods are included under different “brand or umbrellas”. The same label name can refer to different meanings, terms are frequently used interchangeably, different methods can use the same tools, approaches are interconnected. Continuous improvement, sometimes called continual improvement, which as general notion ” is the ongoing improvement of products, services or processes through incremental and breakthrough improvements”(7) but also can be defined “as a culture of sustained improvement targeting the elimination of waste in all systems and processes of an organization.”(20) It can also refer exclusively to Kaizen(9) as methodology, as an offshoot of existing quality initiatives(20) or as a meta-process for most management systems (8) or even as a completely new approach (20). Some use continual improvement process, as philosophy wherein all activities of the business are constantly examined to weed out inefficiencies and better ways of carrying out tasks (1) or as Deming described “a set of improvement initiatives that increase successes and reduce failures.”(20) Moreover Kaizen as a philosophy is used in management field and in the common everyday life in Japan(19). Continuous improvement uses widely the tool plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle, a four-step quality model and it can include Six Sigma, Kaizen, Lean, (6) while others include also the (TQM)(7).The quality improvement, as one of the four main components of quality management (4) can enclose a long list of almost all of the existent methods and theories. Lean thinking is a business methodology which also include Kaizen, but as scheduled, planned, and controlled set of activities in order to improve the work within the normal working day. Kaizen in that form is led by a teacher who makes sure PDCA is followed rigorously.(15) Moreover Focused improvement, as Five Focusing Steps known as the Process of On-Going Improvement (14) of the Theory of Constraints, is “an ensemble of activities aimed at elevating the performance of any system, especially a business system, with respect to its goal by eliminating its constraints one by one and by not working on non-constraints”, as a principle activity of the complex organizational change process. (12) Total Productive Manufacturing (TPM) “includes all activities that maximize the overall effectiveness of equipment, processes, and plants through uncompromising elimination of losses and improvement of performance.” (cited Suzuki 1994 p. 1992) and has object for equipment to perform as well every day as it does on its best day with Zero Losses production. (11) It is also a process of applying systematic problem solving methods to manufacturing while aligning the correct method to the correct scenario.(13) Some consider as the main techniques of Business Process Improvement the Lean Thinking, SIX SIGMA and Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) while anything that fall outside of the above referred as Process improvement which include TQM, ISO, European Foundation Quality Model (EFQM), Kaizen and Benchmarking.(17) The list of interconnections and variations does not definitely stop here, but it is quite clear as far that the subject is enough misty and complex to create confusion. Even some like However Seddon (2005) (17) claimed that the ‘titles’ of the various approaches can be both a distraction and dangerous.
Although some consider TQM as the “mother of all” of the more recent process improvement methodologies. (23) there is no widespread agreement as to what the essential elements TQM are (25), the concept is quite subjectively (26) and it encompass many sorts of management practice, taking the form of various programs (27). Even though an exact common definition does not exist, it can be described as an organizational change programme focus on continuous improvement and based on customer-oriented definitions of quality (Joss and Kogan 1995:37) (21), as a system of practices, tools and training methods for managing organizations in order to increase customer satisfaction [4]. 24, as a collaborate culture attributed by the same elements. 24 [6] or just as a “management philosophy and business strategy” (Iles and Sutherland, 2001 p.48) (22). The UK Department of Industry – now the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has provided a broader aspect of the TQM. It expresses the view that “TQM is the way of managing for the future, and is far wider in its application than just assuring product or service quality – it is a way of managing people and business processes to ensure complete customer satisfaction at every stage, internally and externally.”(28)
The terms Total Quality Management (TQM), Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Total Quality Improvement (TQI) are often used interchangeably(21) even though there have been dissenters to the view that the terms have the same meaning. (22) General, TQM is supposed to be build upon the Deming\’s 14 points (23). In all cases some elements are constantly present in TQM literature, such as:
1. Leadership engagement and Managerial responsibility for continuous improvement
2. Energetic Employee involvement
3. Improvement as integrated ongoing activity within the organization
4. Focused attention on systems with continuous improvement
5. Emphasised the importance of data collection and analysis by the use of statistics to measure process performance
6. Quality is the end result of complex but understandable processes
7. Organizational success depends on meeting customer needs, including internal customers
8. Most people are intrinsically motivated to try hard and do well in work
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