What concept encapsulates the view that quality improvements must happen incrementally over time?

The concept that encapsulates the view that quality improvements must happen incrementally over time is continuous improvement. This approach emphasizes the notion that organizations should consistently seek to enhance processes, products, and services through small, incremental changes rather than large, dramatic shifts. Continuous improvement is often associated with methodologies such as Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) and Total Quality Management (TQM), which encourage an ongoing effort to refine practices based on feedback and performance metrics. This mindset fosters a culture of adapting and evolving, ensuring that quality remains a focal point as processes are analyzed and optimized over time.

In contrast, management by objectives focuses on setting specific goals and achieving them, rather than the incremental enhancement of quality. Quality assurance involves systematic activities to ensure that quality requirements are fulfilled, but it does not inherently imply a continuous, incremental approach. Process optimization aims to achieve the best performance of a process, which might involve significant changes for recovery rather than an incremental approach to quality improvement. Therefore, the emphasis on gradual and ongoing enhancement makes continuous improvement the correct concept in this context.