TQM in

Implementing TQM in an aerospace

aerospace maintenance maintenance

company
3
Mark Goh and Fang-Seng Lim
National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore

Introduction
Worldwide, the aerospace industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. Annual
increase in air traffic is estimated at 7.5 per cent between 1995 and 2000, and 7
per cent between 2000 and 2010[1]. The Asian aviation market is projected to be
the highest growth sector in commercial aviation, accounting for 28 per cent of
the worlds passengers by the year 2010[2]. To capture this growth effectively,
many airlines in the Asia Pacific region are undergoing extensive fleet
expansion or renewal programmes.
An aircraft has an economic life of about 25 years. To remain in serviceable
condition, regular checks and repairs are conducted. Some of the repair and
overhaul work involves parts and components that can be removed from the
plane, namely, engine turbine blades and landing gear. The frequency of such
repair activities depends on the manufacturers specification. For example, the
Boeing 737 aircraft requires maintenance for every 40,000 to 45,000 hours of
flight time[3]. Also, aircraft are kept in service longer than before. For instance,
in 1989, the number of Boeing commercial aircraft exceeding 15 years in age
was 1,554. This forms 19 per cent of the total used worldwide[3]. This
percentage is expected to rise with increased demand for air travel and the high
cost of new aircraft. As more repair and maintenance work is needed on ageing
aircraft to ensure their continued airworthiness, more frequent overhauling of
critical components, such as the blade section of the engine turbine, is expected.
Under this scenario, aerospace maintenance is set to become a significant
business activity. However, competition for aerospace maintenance and repair
is keen. Time to delivery and higher standards of service have become business
imperatives in aerospace maintenance. The implications of a delay in
maintenance are only too obvious. A lower quality of service is unacceptable as
it compromises the safety of air travel. Current deregulation moves in the airline
industry have further intensified competition, squeezing less cost-effective
operators out of the industry. As a result, many airlines now have to keep
operating costs down. As maintenance costs form an integral part of the total
operating costs, airlines are constantly sourcing for cost-effective and reliable
repair houses.
Journal of Quality in Maintenance
Engineering, Vol. 2 No. 2, 1996,
The authors wish to thank the anonymous referees for helping to improve an earlier draft of the pp. 3-20. MCB University Press,
paper. 1355-2511
JQME Besides better quality and competitive maintenance costs, airline customers
2,2 also desire efficient service. A measure of an efficient aerospace maintenance
and repair service is the repair turntime. This is defined as the duration taken
to repair or overhaul aircraft components and return them as useable to the
customer. A longer turntime constrains airlines to either maintain a higher
stock level of spares or force the aircraft to remain grounded if no inventory is
4 available. Hence, a repair companys maintenance and repair turntime becomes
a crucial deciding factor in the airlines repair decision process. In the
Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, a guaranteed
maximum turntime of 45 days is the norm. A maintenance provider who fails to
meet the deadline has to pay a penalty, generally agreed on between provider
and customer.
While it is an acceptable practice to maintain a certain stock level of critical
components, airlines today face declining profitability and are under
tremendous pressure to reduce inventory. To shift towards less inventory of
spares, attention is directed at improving repair and maintenance turntimes.
For instance, improving the repair turntime of a major blade section by 20 per
cent can lower the capital investment on that inventory item (and its related
parts) by as much as US$5 million. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine the
optimal inventory policy for such parts. While some reworked blades do
become spares, there are just not enough spares to replace those sent for repair.
The problem is aggravated by an increasing number of older aircraft in
circulation and a declining amount of available spares. Hence, the need
sometimes to wait for the blade section to be repaired and maintained.
In sum, the three criteria that an airline customer looks for in a maintenance
provider are quality of repair, short turntime and competitive price. An
aerospace repair facility that is able to provide high quality engineering service
with a short turntime and at competitive prices is highly sought after. To this
end, application of TQM principles will prove useful[4,5].
A search of the relevant literature shows that TQM is already practised by
some aerospace companies in the USA and Europe, for example, General
Electric[6], Pratt & Whitney[7], TRW[8] and Allied Signal[9]. For these
companies, the decision to install TQM is motivated by a realization that the
companys survival is at stake. TQM has been implemented primarily to change
the existing culture and to improve their competitive advantage[10,11]. Some
tangible benefits arising from this implementation include a shorter
manufacturing cycle time, lower inventory, lower reject rate and increased
customer satisfaction.
Singapore, strategically located with geographical advantage and
technological superiority, is already a hub for aircraft components and engine
maintenance. The 56 aerospace companies located here are engaged in various
kinds of maintenance activity. They are extremely cost-efficient and offer
specialized maintenance and repair capabilities. However, competition from
other countries, including Japan and South Korea, is keen. Despite the growing
competitive pressure, TQM has not been implemented in any of the locally
based maintenance companies. Most still use ad hoc teams to combat TQM in
production problems. The reasons why TQM is not embraced and implemented aerospace
are not clear. Only a detailed survey on the use of TQM in the aerospace maintenance
industry will help uncover the reasons.
This paper describes the TQM implementation process in an aerospace
maintenance company in Singapore. Relatively simple total quality concepts
and tools were applied to improve the rework rate and repair turntime of the 5
blade section of the engine turbine. Using data collected between May 1994 and
January 1995, the nature of long repair turntimes and high rework rates and
their causes were identified and analysed. Specifically, quality improvement
teams were formed to help implement solutions in areas identified by
management. Preliminary results are encouraging. Repair turntimes and
rework rates have reduced markedly. Besides achieving the quality
improvement objectives, intangible benefits such as improved communication
and teamwork are observed. Problems encountered in the TQM implementation
and the success factors are also mentioned to bring the study into perspective.

Background
The company repairs and overhauls turbine components of commercial jet
engines. Its external customers include international and regional carriers like
Singapore Airlines, Korean Airlines, China Airlines and Sabena. The turbine
components operate in a high temperature and pressure environment. This
causes hairline cracks in the blade section of the turbines. Hence, these blades
need regular maintenance and safety checks. Also, turbines usually have an
operating life of ten years, after which an overhaul becomes necessary. The
customer would disassemble the turbine components at scheduled intervals
and send them to the company for maintenance and repair.
For the company, three factors are key to implementing TQM. First, TQM is
seen as the process of transforming an organizational culture from the present
reactive mode to a proactive mode, to reduce delays in maintenance and
overhaul. This is achieved by improving the repair and maintenance turntime
of aircraft components. Ultimately, the company hopes to shift to a continuous
improvement mode. Second, TQM is seen as a system to help the firm become
more efficient and effective, to respond better to customer needs. Finally, the
company wants to use a process improvement tool to enhance its competitive
advantage through improved quality, higher productivity and better customer
satisfaction. Through these, the company hopes to handle better the increasing
competitive pressure from local and overseas aerospace maintenance
companies.
The company already has a quality management system (QMS), based on the
aviation standards set by the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the UK
Civil Aviation Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. All
three standards are similar, and have some commonality with ISO 9000 and BS
5750. The QMS is audited annually to ensure compliance with regulations. It
contains procedures on matters concerning incoming material control,
JQME equipment and tooling, documents, people, products, processes and quality
2,2 audit. Recent aircraft crashes in the US and China, due to structural failure in
the air frame, led the FAA to impose stricter maintenance standards to
minimize the risk of further accidents from age related failures. However, this
QMS is procedural while the proposed TQM approach involves a change in
employee mindset and corporate culture. Hence, the need to move towards
6 TQM.
For reasons of brevity, we restrict the discussion of TQM implementation to
the maintenance and repair of the blade section of an engine turbine. Figures 1
and 2 show a typical blade.
The repair process involves stripping, polishing, welding, machining, heat
treatment coating, non-destructive testing (X-ray, ultrasonic, dye penetration,
and eddy current inspection), visual and dimensional inspection of the blade
section. First, the blade section parts are inspected visually. Parts damaged
beyond repair are scrapped. For those repairable parts, a routeing sheet is
raised to direct them through the various operations. Next, the parts are
polished to remove visual defects and to prepare for welding. Welding helps to
build up worn or damaged surfaces. This is followed by machining to bring the
part dimensions to specific tolerances. The blade sections are then put through
non-destructive inspection to test for surface and subsurface defects, and wall
thickness.

Developing the TQM approach

The managing director (MD) first discussed the vision of a continuous
improvement culture with department managers. The MD mentioned the need
for the firm to improve and to meet the challenges presented by increasing

Seal

Airfoil

Figure 1.
Typical blade Root
 TQM in
aerospace
Region where dirt is deposited
maintenance

Direction of exit airflow

Figure 2.
Cross-section of blade
Direction of inlet airflow

industry competition. For example, the repair and maintenance turntime of the
blade section should be reduced further as customers were demanding more
expeditious repair. The MD also noted that co-operation and co-ordination were
poor across departments. There was much fire-fighting whenever a problem
arose. A TQM programme, with a top-down approach, was proposed and
adopted. The implementation process would be structured to improve the
quality of repair turntime, operations and interdepartmental co-operation.
Subsequently, a TQM steering committee comprising all department
managers was established. Its main function was to oversee, structure and
co-ordinate the planning and implementation of TQM. In particular, it was
tasked to:
(1) form quality improvement teams (QIT);
(2) select projects for the QITs;
(3) monitor the progress of the QITs;
(4) recognize group/individual effort and achievements in QI activities;
(5) provide training, resources and support for QI activities; and
(6) create a communication plan on TQM to employees.
Four QITs were formed, with four to six members per team. Better performing
employees were selected to the teams to ensure successful implementation.
Hopefully, the initial success would further encourage other employees
to participate in future improvement activities. All QIT members were sent to
the nations National Productivity Board for training. The training module
JQME included topics on basic SQC tools like data collection and analysis, Demings
2,2 plan-do-check-act (PDCA), cause-and-effect (CE) diagram, and Pareto analysis.
Other aspects of the training involved team dynamics (team building and
communications) and maintenance. The training was customized to equip the
QITs with necessary skills in data analysis and problem solving, suitable for
the local culture and business context.
8
Communication
The MD then met all QIT members together with the steering committee. The
need for the TQM initiative and its benefits were reiterated. Individual
department managers then briefed their supervisors and employees on the
TQM implementation. General information about the TQM process and
benefits was emphasized to employees. Apart from verbal communication, the
visual mode was also employed. A TQM notice board was put up, containing
each QITs team photograph, project write-ups, goals and milestone charts.
Posters on quality and teamwork were also placed in various parts of the
company.

Identification of problem areas

Experience revealed that there was an urgent need to reduce the blade section
repair turntime. Though the industry norm for maximum repair turntime is 45
days, the firm had, on some occasions, recorded longer turntimes. This was
unacceptable. Also, the repair turntime was often erratic. The steering
committee chose this project as they felt that the experience learned would help
to improve the turntimes of other product sections. As sales contribution from
the blade section was significant, improving the blade section repair turntime
was crucial to improving the firms competitive position. Productivity and,
hence, profit margin would improve.

Analysis of causes of long repair turntime

The aim was to reduce the maximum repair turntime to under 37 days. Some
typical repair turntime distributions before TQM implementation are shown in
Figure 3. A CE diagram was used to summarize the problem of a long turntime
and its causes (see Figure 4). Using a Pareto chart (Figure 5), queue time and
process rework were found to account for 80 per cent of turntime delay. Two
reasons for the long queue time were process layout and manufacturing flow.
The process layout then was to group similar machines doing similar
operations together. For example, welding, polishing, grinding and blasting
machines were located nearby. However, this layout also forced repair parts to
travel longer distances between operations, incurring longer travel times and
poorer visibility of the repair parts movement.
On average, the actual repair time was about 30 per cent of the total time the
parts were in the line. The other 70 per cent, which was non-value added,
consisted of queue and travel time. The practice then was to use a batch flow
approach. Repair parts were placed on trays. (Each tray contained a specific
 Frequency (orders) TQM in
7 aerospace
Key maintenance
6 November -1994
December - 1994
5 January - 1995
9
4

0
<32 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 >43
Turntime (days)

Notes:
Mean Standard
No. of turntime deviation Figure 3.
orders (days) (days)
Blade section repair
Nov 1994 16 37.5 3.9 turntime before TQM
Dec 1994 7 38.6 2.4 implementation
January 1995 29 37.6 5.0

Method
Man Machine
Queuing
Process
layout Breakdown
Lack of skills/
knowledge Batch flow Inadequate
tooling
Long repair
Lack of turntime
No coating communication Seal rework
powder
No metering Lack of accurate
plate schedule for Autoclave
planning rework

Material Figure 4.
Information Cause and effect
Process diagram for blade
rework section

quantity of parts, usually 20.) The trays followed a factory routeing which
specified the operations the parts had to undergo. At each station, a tray
would be worked on before being routed downstream. As processing was on a
JQME Percentage
50
2,2
45
40
35
30
10 25
20
15
10
Figure 5. 5
Pareto chart for blade 0
section repair turntime Queue Process Lack of Material Others
time rework information

last-in-first-out basis, trays located at the bottom of the stack were usually
returned late despite being placed first. Parts waiting for repair thus had to
wait.
There are two major process rework stations, seal repair and autoclave.
Autoclave is a complicated maintenance process to remove the internal cavity
dirt in the blades. This dirt formation is the result of air flowing through the
blade during engine operations (Figure 2). During the autoclave, the blades are
lowered into a pressure vessel containing a caustic solution and then boiled
under high temperature and pressure for 24 hours. Boiling under such
conditions loosens the dirt. A high pressure water wash is then used to flush the
loosened dirt. The cleaned blades undergo X-ray inspection to see if all internal
dirt has been removed.
In the past, the rework rate (i.e. the percentage of blades failing the X-ray
inspection to the total number inspected) averaged 30 per cent. This means that
some blades needed more than one cycle of autoclave operations to be
thoroughly clean. As each cycle took one and a half days (this included
handling and queuing), the additional autoclave cycles would increase repair
turntime. The CE diagram (Figure 6) shows that inconsistent operating
parameters (temperature and pressure), uneven concentration of the caustic
solution, lack of training in X-ray inspection and ineffectiveness of the water jet
machine contributed to the high reject rate.
Another process rework is at the seal repair station. Experience shows that
the high seal rework rate contributed to the long repair turntime. During an
overhaul, worn seals that are mounted on the blade need redimensioning. The
task of seal repair requires polishing the seals to prepare worn seals for
welding, followed by grinding the seal heights to the required dimensions. In
addition, the sides of the seal are polished to remove excess weld. After
redimensioning, the seals undergo a fluorescent penetrant inspection (FPI).
This inspection detects seal defects, namely, hairline cracks, pinholes and
 Man Machine
TQM in
aerospace
Lack of training
Water jet maintenance
machine
in X-ray ineffective
inspection

Dirty
blades 11
Uneven Operating
concentration parameters
of caustic temperature and
solution pressure not
optimum
Figure 6.
Material
Cause and effect
diagram for autoclave
Method rework

insufficient weld. In each month, as many as 800 seals are inspected. If a seal is
tested defective, rework is needed.
Seal rework requires repolishing the seal to remove hairline cracks and
pinholes. This is followed by rewelding to strengthen areas where seal material
has been removed during polishing. The seals are then machined to the right
dimensions and undergo an FPI again. Such rework is counterproductive and
costly. Repair turntime is increased and employees usually have to put in
overtime to meet customer deadlines. Seal rework also generates additional
non-value added work for other workstations.
Before TQM implementation, the average monthly seal rework rate was 24
per cent (see Figure 7). (Data for December were unavailable as the station was
closed for its annual maintenance.) Pareto analysis revealed that hairline
cracks, sustained during welding and grinding, account for 90 per cent of the
rejections during FPI. Unable to estimate accurately the required amount,
welders often apply too much weld-metal. The other factor causing the high
seal rework rate was the grinding process after welding. The feed rate and
inadequate cooling during grinding were identified as the main culprits. Figure
8 shows the causes of the high seal rework rate. The QIT decided to halve the
seal rework rate.
Data collection
To measure adequately the effectiveness of any programme, it is necessary to
collect data before and after implementation. QITs needed to obtain accurate
data about the current situation and compare the results obtained after
implementation to determine the level of improvement. In this study, the
historical repair turntime and rework data were culled from the company
database and any available rework record. As each QIT was allowed to operate
independently, data were collected at different periods in time. Post
implementation data were obtained from the checksheets of shopfloor
JQME Percentage of rework
2,2 60

50

12 40 37.5

30 29.52
24.87

20.64
20 18.87 19.25

11.13
10
Insp:758 Insp:830 Insp:785 Insp:1,000 Insp:788 Insp:539 Insp:644
Rej:143 Rej:245 Rej:162 Rej:375 Rej:196 Rej:60 Rej:124

0
Figure 7. May June July August September October November
Monthly seal rework 1994
before TQM
implementation Notes: Average 24 per cent; Standard error 3 per cent

personnel. Prior to actual collection, shopfloor personnel were briefed on the

data needed. The data were then collated by the second author for analysis.
However, the analysis of the projects was performed in June 1995, after all QITs
had implemented their programmes.

Implementation of solutions
Relayout of repair area
It was decided to rearrange the blade section repair area from a process based
layout to a manufacturing cell layout. In a cell layout, the machines are arranged
in sequence based on the factory routeing. The new layout reduced the travel
distance during repair by almost 40 per cent. Parts flowed sequentially through
the manufacturing cell and it was easier to track the parts. This change in the
layout was implemented in February 1995.
One-piece flow
Besides the manufacturing cell layout, a one-piece flow model replaced the
batch flow. In the one-piece flow model, workers removed the parts from a tray
and passed the tray to the end of a series of operations. The first worker would
process one piece and then pass that piece along the line for the next operator to
begin work. Implementing the one-piece flow with cycle time balancing has
reduced queue time. Pieces are now worked on once they reach a station. Again,
the change to the repair flow pattern was implemented in February 1995.
 Fixture Machine
TQM in
aerospace
Locator not
working properly
Grinding
feed rate
maintenance
creates uneven too fast
seal thickness

High seal
Coolant Excessive
rework rate 13
Insufficient insufficient welding
dressing coollant nozzle of seal
of wheel tip too small

Grinding Coolant
wheel Figure 8.
Cause and effect
Tooling diagram for seal rework

Autoclave rework
The QIT found that inadvertently blades with a greater amount of internal dirt
fail X-ray inspection and require more cleaning cycles. There was nothing
wrong with the autoclave process. The proposed solution introduced an X-ray
inspection before the autoclave cleaning. This divided the blades for
maintenance into two categories, those with excessive dirt and those with less.
Blades with a less than acceptable level of dirt undergo only one autoclave
cycle while blades with more dirt undergo two autoclave cycles before X-ray
inspection. Subjecting only dirtier blades to a longer autoclave cycle results in
time savings and higher productivity. Now, after each cycle, there is no need to
load and unload the blades, heat up and cool the autoclave equipment, reroute
the blades for X-ray inspection and return rejected blades to the autoclave
process again. The waiting time for the X-ray inspection and autoclave process
has been reduced drastically. This procedural change in the autoclave process
was implemented in January 1995.

Seal rework
The factors causing seal cracks were excessive welding of the seal, inadequate
cooling during grinding, and high grinding-wheel feed rate which resulted in
greater heat generation and so led to cracks. Excessive welding uses more weld,
and more material had to be removed during grinding. The excess heat
generated also tends to cause cracks on the seals. The QIT recommended that
the grinding-wheel feed rate be reduced from 0.77 in./min. to 0.57 in./min., the
coolant flow be increased during machining, and the wheel be dressed more
often (after every 20 blades). In addition, a template was fabricated to help
welders to judge the amount of weld required. These changes were implemented
in January 1995. The average monthly seal rework rate has since fallen to 5.6
per cent (Figure 9).
JQME Percentage of rework
9 8.43
2,2
8 7.66

6 5.5
14 4.84
5

4 3.85
3.17
3

2
Insp:1,009 Insp:433 Insp:626 Insp:854 Insp:830 Insp:473
1 Rej:56 Rej:21 Rej:48 Rej:72 Rej:32 Rej:15

0
Figure 9. January February March April May June
Monthly seal rework 1995
rate after TQM Notes: Target 12 per cent; Mean 5.6 per cent;
implementation Standard error 0.8 per cent

Evaluation of results
Re-organizing the blade section repair line to a manufacturing cell layout,
implementing the one-piece flow concept, and improving the seal repair and
autoclave process stations reduced the repair turntime to less than 37 days
(Figure 10). Since implementation, only one repair turntime was greater than 36
days. In the three months prior to implementation, there were 32 such cases.
Also, the spread in the repair turntime is reduced to seven days. Since April
1995, the longest repair turntime is only 36 days. Thus, the objective of a
turntime improvement has been achieved. The average turntime is now 33 days
instead of the previous 38 days.
The initial success of the cell layout concept has already prompted
management to adopt the same concept for the other product lines, effective
from March 1995. The turntime improvement has also led to better sales
reporting by the marketing department, and overtime by employees has
decreased.
Similarly, in the first six months of implementation, the average monthly seal
rework rate was 5.6 per cent. This value was much better than the target of 12
per cent. Figure 9 shows that in May and June 1995, the actual rework rates
were 3.85 per cent and 3.17 per cent respectively. Comparing these values to
rework rates for May (18.9 per cent) and June (29.5 per cent) 1994, there is an
improvement of 79.6 per cent and 89 per cent respectively. Further, the variation
in the monthly rework rates has reduced from 9 per cent to 0.64 per cent, an
improvement of 93 per cent. Non-value added work has also been reduced,
contributing indirectly to the lower overall repair turntime and reduced cost.
 Frequency (orders) TQM in
10 aerospace
Key
9 maintenance
February 1995
8 March 1995
7 April 1995
May 1995 15
6 June 1995
5
4
3
2
1
0
<32 32 33 34 35 36 37
Turntime (days)

Notes:
Mean Standard
Month No. of turntime deviation
in 1995 orders (days) (days)
Figure 10.
February 22 33.2 1.6 Blade section repair
March 27 33.3 1.7
April 32 33.1 1.7 turntime after TQM
May 31 33.1 1.6 implementation
June 33 33.0 1.7

In dollar value terms, the TQM exercise has been rather expensive. Re-
organizing the blade section repair line alone cost about S$300,000. Most of the
cost went towards the purchase of new machinery and the physical relocation
of existing machinery. A rough estimate provided by the finance department
indicated that the cost saving is 20 per cent to 30 per cent of total operating
costs. An exact figure is not possible as not all blades undergo the same degree
of rework. The savings are due to the reduction in employee overtime, raw
materials (weld and ceramic coating), industrial chemicals (autoclave) used and
fewer penalty payments to customers. Although the savings are insufficient to
offset the cost of implementation, the cumulated savings over time should more
than outweigh the implementation cost. Table I summarizes the results and the
corresponding percentage changes.

Success factors for TQM

Several factors are necessary to ensure the success of TQM. They are now
mentioned briefly.

Table I.
and results
Summary of solutions
Objective Proposed solution
To improve Change blade line layout from
repair turntime process to manufacturing cell
to less than Change batch flow to one-piece
37 days flow
Reduce rework at seal and
autoclave stations
To reduce seal Use template to eliminate
rework rate from excessive welding
24 to 12 per cent Reduce grinding-wheel feed
rate to 0.57in./min.
Increase coolant flow during
machining
Dress the wheel after every
20 blade repairs
To reduce Do x-ray inspection before
autoclave work autoclave cleaning
Put dirtier blades through
two autoclave cycles
Implementation
date Results
Februay 1995 After March 1995, maximum
turntime is 36 days
Spread in turntime reduced
to seven days
Mean turntime is 33.1 days,
standard error is 0.1 day
Improvement within three months
January 1995 Average seal rework rate is
5.6 per cent, standard error is
0.8 per cent
Improvement within two months
January 1995 No rework needed
Immediate improvement
2,2
16
JQME
Percentage change
97 per cent reduction in
cases of turntimes
longer than 36 days.
44 per cent reduction in
spread in turntime
12.6 per cent reduction in
mean turntime
76.7 per cent improvement
in rework rate
100 per cent improvement
Long-term focus TQM in
Management realizes that TQM is not a quick fix solution. Instead, it demands aerospace
long-range thinking and forward planning. Hence, the focus is on using the maintenance
TQM process to change the culture, not just to emphasize the achievement of
objectives. As such, the steering committee patiently had to facilitate, coach and
motivate the teams. The committee also made sure that they were not seen as
too result oriented, expecting results too quickly or appearing to be pushy. 17
Set attainable goals
In the initial planning stage, the steering committee realized that they needed
realistic and attainable goals. Setting unattainable goals can squash the TQM
programme at the onset. Hence, realistic goals were needed to ensure an
achievable success rate. The initial success of the TQM implementation can
then motivate the teams to further the TQM effort in future.

Composition of QITs
The selection of QIT members is critical to the success of QI activities. Only
those considered good performers in the firm are selected. Members chosen
must also have the necessary technical expertise to guide the projects. The
steering committee considers the initial TQM projects as showcase efforts, to
draw more people into the TQM way of life.

Ownership
Employees can improve the work processes only if they are given the necessary
authority, resources, training, direction and freedom to contribute. In the TQM
programme, QIT members, after being trained, were given autonomy to
propose and carry out improvements with minimal intervention from the
steering committee. While ultimate responsibility lies with managers, the
availability of a channel to suggest significant improvements on the shopfloor
and to be able to implement some of the changes gave employees a sense of
ownership. This was evident from the enthusiasm shown by the QITs.
Employees were actually earnest about their work and new tasks[12].

Company-wide visibility
An area has been set aside to highlight the TQM projects. QIT photographs and
projects are posted on the notice board. The board also updates information on
the targets, CE diagrams and QIT progress. The heightened visibility has
motivated the teams and others in quality improvement.

Top management support and commitment

The MDs support and commitment remains vital to the success of TQM
implementation. The MD created a vision of the TQM culture and made the
decision to implement the TQM programme. Support for TQM was through
activities like funding the TQM programme, and attending QIT and steering
committee meetings to monitor their progress. Financial support was crucial as
JQME capital investment was required to buy new machines when the manufacturing
2,2 flow was changed to a one-piece flow.

Problems in implementation
No implementation of change, process or organization is trouble free. The main
problems encountered in the TQM implementation are mentioned briefly to
18 offer a balanced perspective.

Lack of initial support

At the start of the TQM programme, it was announced that some steering
committee members would be attached to the QITs to provide necessary initial
guidance. However, not all members attended the meetings initially. The
improvement teams interpreted this as a lack of commitment by management.
After the feedback, the steering committee made it a point to reschedule
whatever meetings they had to support the TQM effort fully.

Absence from meetings

Initially, QIT leaders reported that some members were absent from meetings.
This was because their supervisors did not want to release them at the expense
of missing production schedules. After this feedback, departmental managers
re-emphasized to supervisors that employees involved in QI activities should be
released to attend meetings.
Reluctance to disclose information
During brainstorming, members were hesitant to disclose problems and causes
in their work areas. To them, if a problem existed, it implied that they were no
good. The steering committee assured the QIT members that no one would be
blamed and highlighted that brainstorming was to target potential areas for
improvement and to solve them with collective effort and wisdom. Given this
assurance, there was a greater willingness to disclose and share information on
the cause and effects of quality-related problems.

Intangible benefits
Besides achieving the measurable QIT objectives, there are other intangible
benefits. These are highlighted below.
Improved communication and co-operation
As the QI effort progressed, communication between QIT members and the
steering committee improved. There was greater willingness to share
information between the steering committee and the team members, and
among team members. This environment of open and honest communication
and greater trust, a necessary ingredient for successful TQM implementation,
is vital to the continuation of the TQM initiative.
Change in management behaviour TQM in
There is a visible change in management behaviour, from directive to aerospace
participative. Through the TQM experience, management realizes that teams maintenance
formed by employees are powerful vehicles to solve organizational problems.
Management have also honed their skills to manage better teams and facilitate
them to achieve group objectives.
19
Improvement in skills of team members
The team members through working together have also developed skills on
how to:
maintain and control meetings with clear action, objectives and
responsibilities;
improve communication and, to work across departments, as a team;
be effective group leaders especially for those being appointed group
leaders;
involve members in discussions and to avoid isolating the individual or
disregarding ideas.

Change in employee mindset

Initially, employees viewed QIT projects as an additional burden over their
normal line responsibilities. Now, however, employees are more receptive to QI
ideas. There is greater willingness to accept the extra responsibility of and
commit additional time to QI activities. The employee mindset has shifted from
one of fear to a growing acceptance of continuous improvement. This is a
significant milestone in the companys TQM journey.

Conclusion
Despite impressive preliminary results, this companys TQM implementation is
not complete. Management knows that the TQM journey is a long and slow one,
and continuous improvements have to be made along the way. Deming[13]
suggests that it takes ten years to implement TQM fully.
With hindsight, perhaps the TQM project could be done in stages. For
example, the re-organization of the material flow could be implemented first
and savings derived from this exercise measured to evaluate actual
productivity gains. Also, in the area of training, management could provide in-
house training on basic TQM tools to shopfloor personnel. This would allow
employees to apply their training hands-on. Furthermore, departmental
managers and supervisors should first be sent for TQM training to garner
middle management support for the implementation. Support distilled in the
right places is instrumental to the success of any programme.
To sustain the TQM initiative and to instil the TQM culture, management
intends to:
JQME involve more employees in improvement activities through QITs;
2,2 provide additional training and resources;
identify more areas for significant improvement;
set up a system to communicate progress, results and successes of TQM
projects;
20 set up a formal recognition system for TQM effort;
formalize top and middle management commitment to TQM; and
develop long-term TQM strategies to institutionalize the TQM process.
Given the current climate and employee mindset, and the positive spirit to
improvement, the signs for a continued presence of a TQM culture are
promising.

References
1. Tan, M.J.N., Air travel in the Asia Pacific, Economic Bulletin, February, 1995, pp. 2-5.
2. Bailey, J., Business opportunities in Asia, Economic Bulletin, February, 1995, pp. 8-10.
3. The aerospace industry, EDB Industry Report, Vol. 1 No. 1, 1992.
4. OLone, R.G., Aerospace adopting TQM to remain competitive, Aviation Week and Space
Technology, Vol. 133 No. 3, July, 1990, pp. 70-1.
5. Smith, B.A., Competition and tighter budgets push aerospace firms towards TQM,
Aviation Week and Space Technology, Vol. 135 No. 23, December, 1991, pp. 56-7.
6. Stanley, W.K., GE restructuring yields dividends, Aviation Week and Space Technology,
August 1994, pp. 56-8.
7. Stanley, W.K., Sweeping realignment boosts Pratts outlook, Aviation Week and Space
Technology, February 1995, pp. 64-6.
8. Honeycutt, A., Total quality management at TRW, Journal of Management Development,
Vol. 12 No. 5, 1993, pp. 3-11.
9. Shah, S. and Woekli, G., Aerospace industry finds TQM essential for TQS, Quality, Vol.
30 No. 3, March 1991, pp. 14-19.
10. Oakland, J.S., Total Quality Management the Route to Improving Performance, Pitman,
UK, 1993.
11. Williams, R.L., Essentials of Total Quality Management, AMACON, a division of American
Management Association, New York, NY, 1994.
12. Caudron, S., The importance of being earnest, Electronic Business, Vol. 17 No. 19, October
1991, pp. 150-4.
13. Deming, W.E., Quality, Productivity and Competitive Position, MIT, MA, 1982.
This article has been cited by:

1. Mahmood Khalid, Mahmood Ahmad Qureshi Ilyas, Nisar Asim. 2014. An empirical study on measurement of performance
through TQM in Pakistani aviation manufacturing industry. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management 31:6,
665-680. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
2. E. Vassilakis, G. Besseris. 2010. The use of SPC tools for a preliminary assessment of an aero engines' maintenance process and
prioritisation of aero engines' faults. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering 16:1, 5-22. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
3. E. Vassilakis, G. Besseris. 2009. An application of TQM tools at a maintenance division of a large aerospace company. Journal
of Quality in Maintenance Engineering 15:1, 31-46. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]