Continuous Improvement I am lost for words, trying to put an argument together. Read the web articles listed as resources for this module. Now that you have learned about continuous improvement, how would you describe the importance of continuous improvement techniques and tools to an organization? Explain the relationship of sustainability to constant improvement in words.

Prime:Strategic Lean Mapping, Pages 156-167

Prime:Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail by John Kotteropens in new window "This commentary, originally published in the spring of 1995, previewed Kotter's 1996 book Leading Change. It outlines eight critical success factorsfrom establishing a sense of extraordinary urgency creating short-term wins, and changing the culture ('the way things are done around here')."

Prime:It's Time to Rethink Continuous Improvement by Ron Ashkenasopens in a new window "Six Sigma, Kaizen, Lean, and other variations on continuous improvement can be hazardous to your organization's health. While it may be heresy to say this, recent evidence from Japan and elsewhere suggests that it's time to question these methods."

Prime:The Importance of Continuous Process Improvement by Fred Fishmanopens in a new window This commentary offers a detailed definition of continuous improvement as well as examples of it. It emphasizes that all companies, even successful ones, must constantly improve to survive. The author also articulates the scope of continuous improvement: "Companies that treat continuous improvement as a trendy, something nice-to-do activity to fill in the time, or an assignable task with a clear beginning and end, miss the entire point. Continuous improvement is a different way of operating, not a modification of business as usual."