AWWA ACE94021

Total Quality Management (TQM) can be a very different process from organization to organization. Therefore, any effort must be customized to your organization's needs. The needs of a utility operation will vary greatly with that of a large manufacturer such as Schlumberger. However, the experiences of other companies and that of our own have pointed out what must be avoided in this process regardless of location or environment. First, we must guard against developing a "TQM groupie" mentality. That is, avoiding terminology and lingo that can alienate employees who immediately feel like outsiders to this new process. Secondly, there is the risk of creating a paper machine since the improvement process relies so heavily on data. If employees sense that Total Quality has meant nothing more than a burden of data collection and memo preparation, then their support will be lost. Remember, streamlining and simplification of processes is one of the primary objectives. Most importantly, however, you must not lose the focus that customers should be the number one benefactor of any continuous improvement effort. There will always be graphs, meetings, and training requirements. However, the focus must remain on simplifying processes, improving efficiencies and most importantly on serving customers.

Product Details

Published:

01/01/1994

ISBN(s):

0898677726

Number of Pages:

8

File Size:

1 file , 330 KB