The continual improvement process

The basic idea

Instead of waiting for big projects, all employees should spot and contribute improvement opportunities. Many small improvements add up to big effects. Each one follows the PDCA cycle: plan, try, check, standardise.

• A fitter proposes a fixture that prevents two parts from being mixed up.
• A sales team adds a question to the proposal checklist that was regularly forgotten.
• A laboratory rearranges equipment at the bench and saves walking.

Continual improvement in ISO 9001

In the 2015 edition, general improvement was in 10.1 and continual improvement in 10.3. ISO 9001:2026 merges both into 10.1. In substance it remains the same: the organization continually improves the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the QMS, taking into account results of analysis, evaluation and management review. If your documents still refer to 10.3, update the references; see ISO 9001:2026 evaluation and improvement.

What makes it work

• quick feedback on every suggestion, even if it is not implemented,
• responsibility for implementation with the people involved, not only with the quality department,
• standardisation: successful improvements are carried into instructions,
• visibility: implemented improvements are shown to the team.

Improvement and correction

Not every improvement starts with an error. Corrective actions respond to a nonconformity; continual improvement also looks for gains where nothing has gone wrong yet: lead times, clarity of instructions or customer experience. Both belong to clause 10 of the standard.

Implementing it in docxpert

Improvements that remove a cause are tracked in CAPA management with actions and an effectiveness check. You carry the result into the affected documents through change control. For the 2026 edition, the “Nonconformities, incidents and corrective actions” template includes a section on continual improvement under 10.1.