We were all quietly and happily dozing on the sofa labeled “quality equals conformity to requirements,” when someone in Geneva, quite likely so he could keep pace with his counterpart in Detroit, abruptly awakened us with the continuous, and continual, improvement bell.

Now, maybe this guy just read, or was reminded of, Darwin’s evolutionary ideas. Or maybe he believes the philosophy that humankind must cease to be human in order to spiral up to a paradise. I don't know, honestly. But I do know that with the audits I’ve done since 2008, ISO 9001’s requirements for continuous improvement have been met with an obstinate, “We just do our best to keep the ship sailing in rough waters; what else can you expect?”

Maybe I don’t properly understand or value the deep meaning that keeps the continuous improvement iceberg afloat. Maybe, like the Titanic, I’ve crashed into it and am sinking. But just like “process approach” requirements, the concept of continuous improvement is still Sanskrit to me, or a kind of Utopia.

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