The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word ENHANCEMENTS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
E
N
H
A
N
C
E
M
E
N
T
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "they could improve things" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case they could improve things = enhancements.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ENHANCEMENTS mean?
ENHANCEMENTS noun- Improvement.
- (radiology) The degree to which the image of a scan stands out as a bright area.