The Quest for Quality in the British Textile Industry

Abstract

Since its publication in 1979, BS 5750 has been the target for companies concerned with quality assurance. After its introduction in the engineering industry, it was made accessible to all types of industry and to service industries in 1987. This coincided with the introduction of identical international (ISO 9000–9003) and European (EN 29000–29003) standards. The British textile and clothing industry has been rather slow to take up the challenge, but by now a significant proportion of medium and large companies have been certificated. Total Quality Management (TQM) is often considered as a logical extension of BS 5750, as it broadens the scope to include all management functions, including marketing, personnel, and accounting. Since, unlike BS 5750, it does not have a standard method of application or certification, some companies are able to put TQM into practice with a less rigorous system.