Almost by definition, continuous improvement is a long-term business strategy to improve your business in terms of customer value and satisfaction, quality, speed to market, flexibility and reduced cost. In the economic situation most businesses are facing today, many are looking at short-term strategies just to survive. So how do you balance the current realities with the need to pursue continuous improvement initiatives for the future? This is not an easy dilemma to resolve but what is clear from looking at the history of successful companies is that long-term strategies, such as continuous improvement, cannot be abandoned if future growth and success for the business is the objective.
Source: Industry Week