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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to compare a range of quality and continuous improvement strategies and to investigate whether there is a best choice of strategy for use within the medical devices sector. Design/methodology/approach -A brief literature-based review of a number of continuous improvement strategies. Comparison of these strategies and a subsequent discussion of the rationale that guides the choice of strategy based on the prevailing conditions. An overview of this process in the context of the medical devices sector is provided. Findings -Quality and continuous improvement strategies can be differentiated in terms of their cultural or process focus. Moreover, the favoured leadership style of an organisation may play a part in determining which strategies are likely to be most appropriate. From the medical device and healthcare product perspective, regulatory and purchasing considerations will have a role in determining the strategy adopted. Practical implications -For managers seeking to implement a strategy for continuous improvement, a review of organisational leadership styles may help the decision -making process. For the medical devices sector, in particular, the need to align the strategy adopted with regulatory requirements is perhaps self-evident. However, only by a detailed understanding of the issues involved in continuous improvement, can all of the attendant benefits be gained. Originality/value -The paper proposes a link between a given organisation's favoured leadership style and the applicability of a particular continuous improvement strategy. The implications for the medical device and healthcare technologies sector are specifically addressed.

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Word Count (excluding references) 4809 General Review PaperAn exploratory survey of current practice in the medical device industry Purpose: This study was undertaken to examine the extent to which mainstream tools and strategies are applied in the medical devices sector, which is highly fragmented and contains a high percentage of small companies, and to determine if company size impacts on manufacturing strategy selection. Methodology:A questionnaire was developed and disseminated through a number of channels. Responses were received from 38 companies in the UK and Ireland, describing 68 products taken to market in the past five years. Findings:Because of the limited scope of the survey, the findings are indicative rather than conclusive, and interesting trends have emerged. New to the world products were much more likely to exceed company expectations of market success compared to derivative products. It was found that the majority of these innovative products were developed by small companies. Large companies appear to favour minor upgrades over major upgrades even though these prove -on the data presented -to be less successful overall. Value of paper:These results provide those engaged in this sector with comparative information and some insights for further improvement. The reported trends with respect to company size and product complexity (or degree of novelty) are particularly illuminating. Academically, this sets some expected trends on a firmer footing and unearths one or two unexpected findings. Originality:We believe this is the largest survey of determinants of success in UK medical device companies and to provide a comparison with other sectors.