An overview of continuous improvement: from the past to the present

Purpose To provide an overview of the history, evolution, and existing research on continuous improvement. Design/methodology/approach Extensive review of the literature. Findings This paper provides an overview of continuous improvement, its inception, how it evolved into sophisticated methodologies used in organizations today, and existing research in this field in the literature. Research limitations/implications It does not provide an exhaustive review of the existing literature, or an exhaustive list of all continuous improvement programs, only the most well known. Originality/value This paper traces how organizations have used various tools and techniques to address the need for improvement on various…