This paper presents the results of a exploratory research realized in three ISO 9000 and QS 9000 certified companies of the autoparts industry to identify essential competences for continuous improvement in production operations. The main results are: companies have been practicing continuous improvement within a very good structure and in accordance with some specific systematics, developing training in techniques and tools, and by this way they consider theirself well able to realize improvement activities. However, they are not performing those activities to meet goals related to maturity level of continuous improvement, focusing in development of competences that are important to guarantee a long time evolution of continuous improvement in any company. Hence, this paper presents a discussion about the importance of managing continuous improvement based in competence management approach to facilitate organization to carry on the way to evolve in the level of continuous improvement maturity.
continuous improvement; knowledge management; operations management; quality management; competences development
