The target, within Continuous Improvement, refers to the desired value of the process characteristic being measured—“2-Day Lead Time” or “2% Defect rate”. Once the baseline or “as is” process measure has been established, the goal is to reduce the gap between the basline and the target—“Reduce Lead Time from 5 days to 2 days” or “Reduce the Defect Rate from 5% to 2%.”