Continuous or Continual? The terms continuous improvement and continual improvement are frequently used interchangeably.

But some quality practitioners make the following distinction: Continual improvement: a broader term preferred by W. Edwards Deming to refer to general processes of improvement and encompassing discontinuous improvementsthat is, many different approaches, covering different areas. Continuous improvement: a subset of continual improvement, with a more specific focus on linear, incremental improvement within an existing process. Some practitioners also associate continuous improvement more closely with techniques of statistical process control.

Continual improvement is a type of change that is focused on increasing the effectiveness and/or efficiency of an organisation to fulfil its policy and objectives.

It is not limited to quality initiatives. Improvement in business strategy, business results, customer, employee and supplier relationships can be subject to continual improvement. Put simply, it means 'getting better all the time'.

Continual improvement is a cycle based upon the premise that in order to always meet customer needs you must continuously improve. The beginning steps of the continual improvement process predict the improvement that would result from changing a current process. Next the new process is put in place and data collected on the improvements achieved. The results are compared to the results predicted. If the results are favorable, final changes are made to the process. Then the new process is documented and employees are trained in the new methods. An effective continuous improvement process starts with careful planning, must result in effective performance, is measured to ensure effectiveness, and further improved in a continuous cycle.

There are ten steps to undertaking continual improvement:

1. Determine current performance 2. Establish a need to improve 3. Obtain commitment and define the improvement objective 4. Organise the diagnostic resources 5. Carry out research and analysis to discover the cause of current performance 6. Define and test solutions that will accomplish the improvement objective 7. Produce improvement plans which specify how and by whom the changes will be implemented 8. Identify and overcome any resistance to the change 9. Implement the change 10.Put in place controls to hold new levels of performance and repeat step one