Naval shipyards face a declining workload in the nineties and beyond. Survival is a key issue. Total quality management (TQM) is one of the keys to survival. Being the best performer by focusing on customers' ever-demanding needs is the bottom line. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has developed a TQM effort that allows improved performance, clearer communication, and focus on customer demands. Portsmouth's TQM model requires committed leaders, involves training for everyone, and calls for the building of teams to break down the functional barriers. It includes teams making incremental improvements in all of their work processes and dramatic improvements in the vital few work processes. It also listens to the voice of the customer.