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SeCtion tWo Change approaches & management tools
Use
TQM is typically implemented in five stages:
TQM implementation steps
1. Gain long-term senior management commitment: their role is to give direction and support through long-term implementation over multiple years, especially in enabling the workforce to make changes to support systems (e.g. human resources, finance, customer services) and in the allocation of significant resources to training.
2. Train the workforce in TQM methods: extensive training is required in Statistical Process Control (SPC) techniques, brainstorming, histograms, flowcharts, scatter diagrams, Pareto charts and control charts. These techniques are used to understand variations in processes, identify avoidable costs, select and prioritise improvement projects, and monitor the impact of changes made. Many TQM projects require considerable facilitation and support, and consequently many companies develop internal consultants with knowledge and experience of TQM to guide teams through specific improvement programs.
3. Start improvement projects: work groups apply the methods to identify projects with the largest potential quality gains. TQM is concerned with variations in process as well as output. Quality improvement projects apply statistical analysis to identify the causes of variation and then run pilot programmes to assess which changes to processes cause variations to fall and quality to rise. These are then adopted throughout the organisation.
4. Measure progress: this concerns measurement of organisational processes against quality standards; identifying world-class performance by competitors and setting targets (benchmarks) for organisational achievement that surpass them.
5. Reward achievement: reward systems are linked to process-oriented improvements, such as increased customer satisfaction, on-time delivery and meeting of outcome standards, not outputs (number of units produced). This reinforces the importance of continuous improvement within TQM.
(Adapted from Cummings and Whorley, 2009, pp. 361–63)
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