Continuous improvement

10. Continuous improvement

The last element of TQM is continuous improvement. Quality is a moving target and creates new standards for businesses. Products that consumers believed were of a high quality in the past are now of average quality. The organization itself must be dynamic to meet customers' ever-changing needs. Nokia, for example, instituted an up-to-date quality assurance program at its plants, and solidified its position as the one of the best cellular phone companies in the world.

Another good example of continuous improvement is "Kaizen". The Japanese "Kaizen" program is commonly adopted by Japanese and US manufacturers.