Total Quality Service Research Articles

Case study: managing for total quality of logistics services in the supply chain

Presents an analysis of the total quality management (TQM) system of a logistics service provider operating in a supply chain context. The company can achieve ongoing improvement in its services cost‐effectively through efficient use of information system and teamwork. Following the strategy of case study research, analytical generalisation is made with respect to the multiple roles of the logistics service provider in determining its relationships with internal and external customers and in setting service goals; the intensive use of information in facilitating and monitoring logistics service operations, which in turn determines the competitive advantage of the service provider; essence of people‐based management and how that promotes interactions in teamwork, trust building and flexibility in meeting changing goals and process requirements; and alliance leadership and its potential to empower teams to innovate and upgrade total quality service in turbulent environments.

Managing total service quality: a systemic view

The technical framework within which quality assurance systems develop is well recognised. Likewise, although not as well recognised, the non‐technical framework which affects quality assurance systems is nevertheless an important element to be discerned. While there may be some awareness of the technical and non‐technical interface in quality assurance systems, this is generally not acknowledged and, at worst, treated as separate entities. It is the contention of this paper that the interface between the technical and non‐technical framework must be acknowledged explicitly to achieve effective quality management. In essence, the systemic view which links these two frameworks must be recognised for managing total service quality.

Erratum

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/02641619610155157. When citing the article, please cite: Stella Pilling, (1996), “Putting the customer first: Total Quality and customer service at the British Library Document Supply Centre”, Interlending & Document Supply, Vol. 24 Iss: 2, pp. 11 - 16.

Putting the customer first: Total Quality and customer service at the British Library Document Supply Centre

Gives a brief, recent history of the British Library Document Supply Centre and an outline of its customer base. Presents some of the Centre’s many customer service improvement initiatives including courses, clinics, link‐up events, the marketing department’s customer retention programme and the Centre’s customer publications and database access services. Describes the setting up of a Total Quality Management programme in conjunction with a specialist consultancy, and its implementation through a steering group, process improvement groups and a series of kaizen continuous improvement of process workshops. Concludes that TQM has contributed significantly to improvements in speed of service and the quality of relationships with customers.

Development of community nursing: analysis of the central services and practice dilemmas

As examples of nurse practitioners in primary care, Swedish district nurses have been shown, in several studies, to respond well to the general pressure to achieve higher productivity in health care. Yet they have less frequently been involved in studies of the detailed content of the service they provide. To maintain total service quality, change should not be brought about only for the sake of efficacy. This study is divided into an analysis of the basic service provided in district nursing by identifying a typical interaction with a patient; and an analysis of the daily dilemmas district nurses experience, their consequences, and possible measures for change. For the consultation study, data were collected from 40 videorecordings of office-hour consultations by a rural district nurse. Regarding the dilemma situations, a critical incident questionnaire was returned by 153 district nurses in a Swedish county. The analyses showed that the district nurse practises in an area between self-care on the one hand, and the intersection of the different specialities in health care, on the other. Both the consultation study and the study of dilemmas in practice showed that the district nurse has to approach the health care organisation from a viewpoint close to that of the patient, which implies that she can, and has to, maintain an overview of the patient's total interaction with social institutions. This focal localisation of the shared care and co-ordination aspects constitutes a critical target for change and development efforts. The conclusions are that, first, the role of the district nurse/nurse practitioner as co-ordinator and advocate in patient-centred care could be considered in central health services policies and planning. Second, the content of the district nurses' daily work could be taken into account in the implementation of quality programs. These measures together can lead to an integration between today's theoretical nursing models and the dynamically changing structures of health care organisations.

Total quality service: principles, practices, and implementation

Quality General Overview The Gurus' Definition Functional Characteristics of the Term Quality Product versus Service Overview Examples: Retail, Banking, Restaurant Process Examples of Process Variation Cost of Quality Appraisal, Prevention, and Internal and External Failure Communication and Management Quality Service Implementation Strategy Overview Change and Paradigm Shift A Generic Model for Continuous Improvement The Models of Implementation The Project Management Model Quality Management Implementation of TQS TQS and PM The Influence of PM in the Implementation Process The ISO 9000 Model The Deming Model Deming's 14 Points Deming's 7 Deadly Sins Implementation Strategy: Points and Questions Examples of Implementation Strategy Teams and Empowerment Overview Teams Team and Quality Typical Implementation Steps Intent of the Action Is Met When Education/Training Typical Implementation Steps Intent of the Action Is Met When Rewards Typical Implementation Steps Intent of the Action Is Met When Empowerment How to Empower Your Employees Conflict Resolution Overview How to Handle Difficult People How to Manage Negative People Customer Service and Satisfaction Overview Measurement Development of a Questionnaire Preliminary Steps to an Effective Survey A Typical Questionnaire Evaluation Form Making Sense of Your Data Presenting Your Results Example of Customer Service Benchmarking in Service Overview Basic Steps Advanced Steps Example of Defining the Process of Benchmarking Problem Solving and Tools Used in the Service Organizations The Six Steps of Problem-Solving Process Pointers on Problem Solving Problem-Solving Tools Graphical Presentation Statistical Process Control Control Charts Control Limits Control Charting Goals Control Charting Development Control Charting Interpretation ISO 9000 and Service Quality Overview of the Guidelines Quality Management and Quality Assurance Standard Appendices How to design, implement and manage a SUPERIOR customer service program Key components of customer service How to establish a customer service plan for your company The customer service test How to identify the current condition A generic continual improvement tool matrix Examples of cost of quality items in service Selected Bibliography Index

Strategic Determinants of Service Quality and Performance: Evidence from the Banking Industry

This paper focuses on an important new service management strategy: the operations capabilities-service quality-performance (C-SQ-P) triad. In order to understand what generic operations capabilities influence the strategic behavior of high performing service firms, we explore three related questions: What generic operations capabilities are among the strategic determinants of service quality? Does service quality affect market performance? How is market conduct related to the C-SQ-P triad? These questions are investigated using a stylized capabilities-based model of service quality that simultaneously assesses their impact upon a firm’s market performance. Several insights emerge from our research: a) generic operations capabilities affect service quality and performance, although not all relationships are direct; b) service quality know-how and innovations can be directly observed and imitated; c) the effects of technological leadership and market acuity on service quality are moderated by the absorptive capacity of employees to recognize and exploit their potential, and hence, investments in people are critical to success; d) market conduct influences the generic capabilities of the firm more than market performance, ceteris paribus; and e) total factor productivity and service quality are negatively correlated.

Total Quality Service and the Business College

Moving a business college to commit to a total quality service approach is much more difficult than the literature suggests. The commitment to customer satisfaction is the essential focus of total quality service. It is unlikely to occur in business colleges. While small incremental change is readily possible, the values and culture of the faculty and administration prevent the requisite acceptance by the faculty of students as their customers, and acceptance of the faculty as customers of the academic administrators.The payoff for achieving high quality service in businesses and business colleges is the loyalty and gratitude from customers, resulting in ever higher demand for the service. Having students begging to be admitted to the college, having large numbers of students trying to take business courses would put the business college in an enviable position within the university. The grateful alumni could, in turn, help with employment opportunities and with major gifts to the college.

Organization Culture, Distribution and Amount of Control, and Perceptions of Quality

Normative aspects of organization culture, the distribution and total amount of control, employee performance and perceived quality of service were investigated in a cross-sectional study (n = 823) involving subjects from 159 organizations. A model integrating these constructs is presented, followed by an empirical investigation of hypothesized linkages. Significant relationships were found between organization culture and control distribution, culture and total amount of control, culture and service quality, culture and employee performance, and total control and service quality. Contemporary organizations are making substantial financial and human resource investments in training in problem analysis and problem solving techniques, within the context of Total Quality Management (TQM) programs and, in some cases, culture change efforts (Beer, Eisenstat, & Spector, 1990). These investments are being made in the belief, rooted partly in the "human relations management" movement (Fayol, 1946; Likert, 1961; McGregor, 1960), that the participation and involvement of all hierarchical levels will result in higher product/service quality and, subsequently, improved organization performance.

Derbyshire thirteen working together

A group of 13 practices from Derbyshire saw the QDAs as a chance to improve upon their total service quality. Working in groups, and with their FHSA, they succeeded in improving their service and empowering their practice teams.

TQS at the Victoria University of Technology

ABSTRACTThe Victoria University of Technology Library has implemented a Total Quality Service (TQS) program. The initial client market research and broad strategy plan have been completed, Quality Action Teams have been established and training in process improvement has commenced. A methodology based on the work of Karl Albrecht and developed further by the project consultants, Austin Thompson and Associates, has been used The project has been successful in identifying client priorities and involving staff in an ongoing planning and quality improvement process.

The Route to Total Quality Management – Part Two

Total quality management (TQM) was adopted in Australia in the 1980s. One of the few service, as distinct from manufacturing, organizations to take it up, Price Waterhouse, encountered a number of problems. These were particularly to do with the difficulty of measuring results and outcomes. A group in the USA, applying TQM to service industries, developed a hybrid called total quality service (TQS). One of the leading proponents of TQS is Karl Albrecht. Explains Albrecht’s propositions and compares and contrasts TQM and TQS.

An internal marketing approach to total service quality: a guide for practitioners.

For many organizations, the emphasis today is the development of total service quality. To achieve these goals, organizations must not only apply the marketing concept to external targets, but also plan and control internal facets of their operations. The purpose of the present article is to develop the rationale for Total Service Quality (TSQ) based on an Internal Marketing Approach (IMA) as well as to posit the steps necessary to implement an IMA.

Total Quality Service

Considers the use of industrial ideas of total quality management (TQM) within a public service environment. Identifies five considerations or “thought filters” necessary to construct the culture required for a successful total quality initiative within the public service.

Data flow model of a total service quality management system : Chia-Hao Chang and Jimming T. Lin. Comput. ind. Engng21(1–4), 117 (1991)

A total service quality management model was developed in this paper. The design integrated the pre-service delivery stage, service delivery stage and post-service delivery stage into one single model, similar to the structure of a total manufacturing quality management system. The design specification was described by means of data flow diagrams (DFD). The model can be used as the base for further development toward a computer integrated service quality management information system. IKT.BOg_tlG3,[~[

Obstacles to Total Quality in Health Care

As the pressure and concern for quality throughout all hospitals and community services develops, provider units are beginning to appreciate the relevance of management and organisational approaches to achieving Total Quality Service. A brief overview of Total Quality Management in health care is given and the difficulties experienced in introducing such a system are outlined.

Data flow model of a total service quality management system

A total service quality management model was developed in this paper. The design integrated the pre-service delivery stage, service delivery stage and post-service delivery stage into one single model, similar to the structure of a total manufacturing quality management system. The design specification was described by means of data flow diagrams (DFD). The model can be used as the base for further development toward a computer integrated service quality management information system.