Relationship Between the maturity of continuous improvement and the certification of quality management system in automotive sector in Brazil

The present paper aims to identify the relationship between the maturity of continuous improvement and the certification of the quality management system within a company in the Autoparts industry located in the South of Minas Gerais State. Continuous improvement has become the element of greatest importance for the development of all kinds of organizations, whether in production operations or when providing services, with the ends of reaching the objective of the present paper, where the following propositions shall be verified. The time necessary to implement the Quality Management System in certified companies brings forth implications with regards to the maturity of continuous improvement. The continuous improvement process is a gradual organization learning process. With the purpose of dealing with this issue, the explanatory qualitative Case Study method was chosen, through the use of the triangulation method where interviews with representatives were used, with direct observation and survey and analysis of historical facts. The approach taken is primarily descriptive/qualitative, where it was sought to analyze, classify, and interpret facts without research interference. As a result, it was observed that within the research unit the certification time did not show to be the principal factor for the advance in continuous improvement maturity levels. Organizational learning significantly contributes to the maturation of the continuous improvement system, especially when found deeply taking root in the company´s culture