Evaluation of the Maturity Level of Continuous Improvement Based on Improvement Routines: A Case Study of SMEs of Capital Goods

Abstract

This study presents an analysis of implementation and assessment of a frame of reference to adapt and execute an evolutionary continuous improvement process (CIP) in a mature small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) that works in the capital goods sector. For this, the research team developed a continuous improvement model (CIM) to implement improvement routines and develop an organisational culture of continuous improvement (CI) to improve companies’ CI maturity level. Case study methodology was used in the investigation, where, in the same context, eight units of the aforementioned company were analysed for two years to have a holistic view of the organisation’s evolution. To analyse the implementation of the CIP, we developed an evaluation system based on a questionnaire completed by the company’s management and CI leaders. The assessment results explain how the implementation of the CIM through the application of the CIP helps develop improvement routines and increase the organisation’s CI maturity level. In this specific case, the application of the assessment system shows that although the assimilation of the routines evolved positively in most cases, not in all routines maturity level 2 was achieved, thus emphasising the needs of the organisation and the future actions to be implemented during the following CIP cycles.