Continuous Quality Improvement - Always Good?

*Image courtesy of www.fyconsulting.com.

Do you think there is a limit to seeking continuous improvement? That is, to what end should companies be willing to seek out new and improved systems and technologies? On the one hand, there will always be room for efficiencies, improvements, and process changes that will result in better performance and higher quality. One must admit, though, that such exercises are resource-intensive and can be costly. Moreover, the constant re-engineering in processes can sometimes have a negative impact on productivity, as employees must constantly adapt to new systems or business rules.

I'm more or less a firm believer in continual quality improvement, as it is one of the few guaranteed ways to stay abreast of the competitive landscape in a given industry and perhaps gain some competitive advantage. There might be a limit, however - especially for smaller businesses - where the marginal benefits of improvement don't offset the cost and productivity concerns.