Total Quality Management Tools Research Articles

Integration of value analysis and total quality management: The way ahead in the next millennium

Total quality management (TQM) has been embraced by many organizations in the last decade. It is argued that TQM can achieve its full potential by the integration of TQM and other performance improvement techniques. Value analysis (VA), which focuses on product's function and cost, is proposed as a potential area for cross-fertilization. This paper seeks to explore the common areas between VA and TQM and suggests some possible ways to apply VA within the TQM process. The basic principles of TQM (customer focus, continuous improvement and teamwork) could be fully addressed by blending VA and various TQM tools and techniques such as quality function deployment and design for manufacturability. VA also serves as a mechanism which glues the TQM principles. Further work should be done to examine the possibility of integrating TQM, VA and other performance improvement principles and tools to assist organizations forging their competitive advantage.

Total relationship management (TRM) and total quality management (TQM)

Companies operate and compete in a highly and aggressive global climate. This climate has led to an increased emphasis on quality. TQM focuses on the integration and co‐ordination, as well as on the continuous improvement of all activities and processes. Total relationship management (TRM) is a very recent marketing strategy and philosophy. It focuses on and is concerned with all integrated internal and external activities within and between organizations. TQM in marketing can have a major impact upon an organization by improving customer relationships and satisfaction, reducing marketing expenses, increasing sales as well as providing a competitive edge. This paper, is a theoretical and conceptual one, provides marketing and management implications on how to integrate TQM and TRM in order to achieve better quality of the relationships, product/service and the process. The aim of this paper is to shed light on how these approaches, i.e. TRM and TQM, can be integrated, and to suggest how the work on TQM can add impetus to successful TRM. First, the definition and the main philosophy behind TRM are discussed. The common grounds of TQM and TRM are identified. Then some TQM tools are suggested to be used by TRM approach to improve its functions.

Quality control validation in veterinary laboratories.

Quality control (QC) validation is used to determine: 1) whether statistical QC procedures are appropriate for detecting medically important errors; and 2) the equality of performance required by different laboratory tests. QC validation is well documented in the medical literature, but we are unaware of studies addressing its application, problems or unique differences in veterinary laboratories. We applied QC validation to automated hematology and biochemistry analyses in our laboratories, with goals of >/= 90% probability of error detection and </= 5% probability of false rejection. Analytical quality requirements in the form of total allowable error were defined using regulatory criteria for human proficiency testing; these were later modified based on clinician and pathologist feedback. Initial QC goals were not met for 14 of 49 (28.6%) analyte-control combinations. Subsequent modifications in methodology, analytical quality requirements and technician training achieved QC goals for all but one analyte. For this analyte (platelet count, low control), nonstatistical QC procedures were emphasized. QC validation was beneficial for clarifying statistical QC performance, and for assessing the need and justification for changes in methods and personnel training. The validation exercise allowed simplification of QC rules, enabled machine flagging of abnormal results, and decreased time and expense associated with QC recording, analysis, problem-solving and reruns. QC validation is recommended for all veterinary laboratories as a useful tool in total quality management.

Exploring the common ground of total relationship management (TRM) and total quality management (TQM)

This paper is a continuation of our research effort to develop a new approach to total relationship management. It is a theoretical and conceptual one, providing marketing and management ideas on how to integrate total quality management (TQM) and total relationship management (TRM) in order to achieve better quality relationships, product/service and process. Aims to shed light on how TRM and TQM can be integrated, and to suggest how the work on TQM can add impetus to successful TRM. First, the role of quality in customer satisfaction and relationships, and the main philosophy behind TRM, are discussed. TRM, quality, loyalty and profitability are examined; some TQM tools are suggested for possible use with the TRM approach to improve its functions. Finally, the common grounds of TQM and TRM, and the common principles for TRM success, are identified.

Development of a methodology for microstructural description

A systematic methodology for microstructural description can help the task of obtaining the processing x microstructure x properties x performance relationships. There are, however, some difficulties in performing this task, which are related mainly to the following three factors: the complexity of the interactions between microstructural features; difficulties in evaluating geometric parameters of microstructural features; and difficulties in relating these geometric parameters to process variables. To solve some of these problems, it is proposed a methodology that embodies the following features: takes into account the different possible types of approaches for the microstructural description problem; includes concepts and tools of Total Quality Management; is supported on techniques of system analysis; and makes use of computer modeling and simulation and statistical design of experiments tools. The methodology was applied on evaluating some topological parameters during sintering process and its results were compared with available experimental data.

QFD: VALIDATING ROBUSTNESS

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a simple total quality management tool used to disseminate the customer's view of quality from early phases of the design cycle and throughout the product's entire life cycle. This article uses sensitivity analysis t..

TQM Tools for the Construction Industry

Total Quality Management (TQM) techniques have been used extensively and beneficially in the areas of manufacturing and industrial engineering to control processes and prevent defects before they happen, ultimately saving millions of dollars. The construction industry needs the same types of tools and for the same reasons, but due to the dissimilarity between industries, cannot apply them as they are. This article presents NSF funded research on TQM use in the construction industry, which tools are most essential for adaptation, and critical criteria for applying TQM to the construction industry.

Organizational factors and total quality management an empirical study

The level of awareness of Total Quality Management (TQM) has increased considerably over the last few years. Different sets of organizational requirements are prescribed by quality management gurus and practitioners for the effective practice of TQM. These requirements do not seem to have been formulated on the basis of systematic empirical research. Many researchers point out that tacit factors, e.g. employee empowerment, open culture and executive commitment, and not TQM tools and techniques alone, could drive TQM success, and that organizations would need to acquire these factors to stay successful. Many TQM advocates have also suggested that a conducive organizational environment would be essential for an effective practice of TQM. However, they did not offer any empirical evidence. There appears to be no empirical study reported in the literature that could establish a relation between TQM and organizational factors. The objective of this paper is to describe an empirical research on TQM conducted in Indian business units carried out recently by considering some organizational factors, e.g. quality of work life, organizational climate and communication. The methodology and findings are discussed in detail.

Total quality systems: Using a multidisciplinary preparation course for teaching quality improvement

The Total Quality Systems course is an innovative approach to University/Industry Quality Partnerships for improving engineering education. The course introduces students to the education and application of total quality and continuous improvement. The students take the information learned in the course and apply it in industry. A formal process of Preparation, Identification, and Action (PIA) has been developed as the overall framework for the partnership effort. This cycle establishes cross-disciplinary, multi-institutional teams of students and faculty to work with industrial partners on continuous quality improvement projects. Preparation is a three-semester hour course, including the methods and tools of total quality management (TQM), safety, teamwork, communications, lifelong learning for continuous personal development, time management, diversity, and problem solving. Identification is teams of students, faculty and industrial partners working on-site at the industrial partner's facilities, identifying quality improvement opportunities. Action is teams of students, faculty, and partners working both on-campus and on-site, providing plans to implement and evaluate quality improvement opportunities.The PIA cycle was initiated in the Spring of 1993 by three Universities of the Southern University and College Coalition for Engineering Education (SUCCEED) and Milliken and Company as the industrial partner. The PIA cycle is an ongoing research effort. In this paper, we provide a review of the PIA approach to University/Industry Quality Teams and share some of our experiences with this novel approach to education.

Gel compression considerations for chromatography scale-up for protein C purification.

This work is to establish theoretical and experimental relationships for the scale-up of Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography (IMAC) and Immuno Affinity Chromatography for the low cost production of large quantities of Protein C. The external customer requirements for this project have been established for Protein C deficient people with the goal of providing prophylactic patient treatment. Deep vein thrombosis is the major symptom for protein C deficiency creating the potential problem of embolism transport to important organs, such as, lung and brain. Gel matrices for protein C separation are being analyzed to determine the relationship between the material properties of the gel and the column collapse characteristics. The fluid flow rate and pressure drop is being examined to see how they influence column stability. Gel packing analysis includes two considerations; one is bulk compression due to flow rate, and the second is gel particle deformation due to fluid flow and pressure drop. Based on the assumption of creeping flow, Darcy's law is being applied to characterize the flow through the gel particles. Biot's mathematical description of three-dimensional consolidation in porous media is being used to develop a set of system equations. Finite difference methods are being utilized to obtain the equation solutions. In addition, special programs such as finite element approaches, ABAQUS, will be studied to determine their application to this particular problem. Experimental studies are being performed to determine flow rate and pressure drop correlation for the chromatographic columns with appropriate gels. Void fraction is being measured using pulse testing to allow Reynolds number calculations. Experimental yield stress is being measured to compare with the theoretical calculations. Total Quality Management (TQM) tools have been utilized to optimize this work. For instance, the "Scatter Diagram" has been used to evaluate and select the appropriate gels and operating conditions via Taguchi techniques. Targeting customer requirements under the structure of TQM represents a novel approach to graduate student research in an academic institution which is designed to simulate an industrial environment.

Total quality management at work: Development of an effective competitive analysis process

The management team of a business unit in a global specialty chemical company wanted better incorporation of competitive information in their strategic business planning process. Applying the tools of total quality management (TQM), the members of the business team developed a competitive analysis process that simultaneously met the needs of the management team and incorporated the attributes that its future users felt would insure its lasting success. The key TQM methodology applied in this project was a gap analysis, in which the desirable characteristics of a process (the future state) were compared with the way in which the process is currently being performed (the current state). This comparison leads to the identification of new process elements or changes in procedures that will allow the organization to reach the desired level of performance. The project's outcome was a computerized database, managed by a process champion and supported by competitive teams.

Modeling Process Management in Construction

Total Quality Management (TQM) has received considerable attention in the construction industry. A major tenet of TQM is continuous process improvement. In this paper, the process concept is a major focus. A process management model is developed and then investigated in two different contexts: companies and projects. The paper addresses relationships between process management elements, defined in terms of planning, control, and improvement, and four TQM concepts: process focus, teamwork, TQM tools, and training, which influence the management of processes. The model is evaluated using a survey research design. Data are collected from construction industry executives and managers representing 50 companies involved in the design and construction of facilities. Statistical analysis is performed to examine hypothesized relationships between process management elements, TQM concepts, and process performance. Based on the results, practical applications and future research issues related to process management ...

Separation of recombinant human protein C from transgenic animal milk using immobilized metal affinity chromatography.

Protein C is an important serine protease due to its ability to proteolytically cleave activated Factors V and VIII. Excess coagulation and blood agglutination can lead to plugged capillaries, thereby reducing oxygen transport to interstitial tissues. To treat patients with hereditary and acquired protein C deficiency would require a greater amount of Protein C than that available from human plasma. However, the potential demand for this protein could be met by the production of human protein C from transgenic animal mammary glands. Thus, research into inexpensive, efficient methods to purify proteins from transgenic animal milk will be a critical area of study for the large scale production of protein C. Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) is a novel method for the purification of protein C. A proposed method of purification is to take advantage of protein C's strong metal ion binding characteristics with IMAC to assist in the separation from transgenic animal milk. The separation procedure is benchmarked against current systems in use by the American Red Cross for purification of Protein C from transgenic porcine milk. Common problems in developing separation schemes for new therapeutics are the initial availability of the product (protein), and time-to-market concerns. Extensive experimental tests for scaleable purification schemes are often cost and time prohibitive. In order to optimize an IMAC protocol with minimal waste of time and resources, total quality management tools have been adopted. Initial experiments were designed to choose buffer conditions, eluents, immobilized valence metals, and flow rates using Taguchi experimental design, which is a total quality management (TQM) tool. One of the values of Taguchi methods lies in the use of Latin orthogonal sets. Through the use of the orthogonal sets, the total number of experiments may be reduced, shortening the focus time on optimal conditions.

Quality improvement pursuits in American higher education

Over a decade has passed since the first American post-secondary institution initiated total quality management (TQM) practices, yet there are still many skeptics about the applicability of the principles and tools of TQM to the higher education setting. In this article, the authors explore aspects of the pursuit of TQM in American higher education, examine applications in both the administrative and academic functions of the university, look for emerging trends and consider whether, in the long term, TQM has much prospect of taking hold in academe.

Improving the quality of internal audit functions through total quality management

In today’s fast‐paced and ever‐changing audit environment, an improved quality of the internal audit function is essential to the success of internal auditors. Suggests total quality management (TQM) as a means of achieving continuous quality improvements in internal audit functions. Proposes primarily to: examine TQM principles and their relevance for internal audit functions; and discuss the benefits of proper implementation of TQM techniques and tools for internal auditing departments, internal auditors, and their organization. The TQM principles discussed should be useful for internal audit departments striving for continuous improvement of the quality of their services.

Meeting AT&amp;T's Global Environmental Goals

AT&T has successfully applied the methodologies and tools of total quality management (TQM) to resolve environmental issues and, with the use of policy deployment, has exceeded its environmental goals. The original goals were oriented toward preventing pollution and specifically focused on wastes and emissions. As the company continues efforts in these areas, new goals are emerging that are more system focused — to fully integrate environmental concerns into our business and management processes. The new processes will help identify root causes of environmental quality failures and help address them in the up-front design of products and services.

An Integrative Framework for Developing and Evaluating a TQM Implementation Plan

This article examines some reasons behind total quality management (TQM) implementation failures and offers a framework for selecting a successful TQM plan. Special attention is paid to the relationships between different TQM tools and techniques and th..

Industry-university partnerships: A model for engineering education in the 21st century

An approach to Industry-University Quality Partnerships for engineering education is presented. A formal educational cycle of Preparation, Identification, and Action (PIA) has been initiated as the framework for the partnership effort. This cycle establishes multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional teams of students and faculty to work with industrial partners on quality/process improvement projects. Preparation is a three-semester hour course that covers the methods and tools of Total Quality Management (TQM), safety, teamwork, communications, and time management. Identification is a team effort by students, faculty, and industrial partners working on-site at the industrial partner's facilities, identifying quality improvement opportunities. Action is the team effort by students, faculty, and partners working both on-campus and on-site, providing detailed plans to implement and evaluate quality/process improvement opportunities. The PIA cycle was initiated in the Spring of 1993 by three Universities of the Southern University and College Coalition for Engineering Education (SUCCEED) and Milliken and Company as the industrial partner. The PIA cycle is an ongoing research effort. In this paper, we provide a review of the PIA approach to Industry-University Partnership Teams and share some of our experiences with this novel approach to engineering education.

Application of QFD to the software development process

Explores the issue of software development process improvement. Total quality management (TQM) tools have been studied as possible means to improve the quality of the software that is becoming an important part of organizational processes. The TQM philosophy that has been so successfully applied in manufacturing holds that quality must be built into the production process and not inspected into the product. Given the complexity of modern software applications, the ability to move away from using testing and inspection as quality control methods is very attractive. Examines the current literature on software development process improvement. Particular attention is paid to how customer requirements are gathered and translated into system requirements. Finds that current methods for requirements definition do not provide a formal means to deploy the “voice of the customer” into system specifications. Further, finds after a review, that current software quality function deployment (QFD) methods suffer from a number of shortcomings. Proposes a four‐stage model for performing software‐oriented QFD to address these significant problems.

TQM and HRM: Improving Performance Appraisal Research, Theory, and Practice

AbstractThe major characteristics of a TQM organizational environment are reviewed. Assumptions underlying TQM and traditional HRM concerning job performance are contrasted. A model of performance is developed which incorporates and extends both perspectives. Implications of this model for performance appraisal and performance management are considered.RésuméLes auteurs décrivent les principales caractéristiques d'une organisation pratiquant la gestion de la qualité totale (GQT). Après une comparaison de la GQT et de la gestion traditionnelle des ressources humaines en ce qui concerne le rendement individuel, ils proposent un modèle de rendement qui intègre et élargit les deux perspectives. Enfin, ils examinent les implications de ce modèle sur l'évaluation et la gestion du rendement.