Chapter 3

The Introduction and a Framework for TQM

The introduction of TQM. It sets out by examining change and continuous improvement and
deals with how the improvement process is triggered, which is usually in combination: the Chief
Executive, competition, demanding customers, and fresh-start situations. Following this, the
chapter goes on to examine a range of approaches that can be followed in the introduction of
TQM. A framework to assist with the introduction of TQM is presented. The structure of the
framework consists of four main sections: organizing, using systems and techniques,
measurement, and feedback, and changing the culture. The framework has been used by
several organizations in both the public and private sectors and in manufacturing and service
industries to introduce the basic elements and practices of TQM and Strategic Process
Improvement.
Change and Continuous Improvement
In Japanese companies, the major motivations for introducing TQM and strategic process
improvement include:
 Environmental, national, and business factors and changing circumstances such as: the
second oil crisis, exchange rate of the yen, slow economic growth, and severe
competition.
 A lack of effective long-range planning.
 An organizational emphasis on defensive mechanisms.
 A need to develop new products which are attractive to the marketplace.
 Slow growth in sales and market, leading to stagnation of the business.
 Concerns about how to achieve the long-term plan of the organization and the
president’s plan on quality, cost, and delivery.
 Complacency about current profits and a failure to recognize the seriousness of the
situation.
 The written and verbal experiences of companies who were already practicing TQM.

Organizational, conceptual, and business weaknesses such as:

 Lack of advance planning for quality

 Lack of liaison between development, design, and manufacturing departments
 Emphasis on manufacturing for quantity without sufficient regard for quality
 Management policies were not universally understood throughout the organization
 A poor approach to the solution of problems
 The morale of workers was poor
 Only stop-gap measures were employed to cope with customer claims
 Chronic defects in the manufacturing process
 Problems at production start-up due to insufficient pre-production planning
Forces for Change
The chief executive officers
chief executives want tangible proof of the need for continuous improvement and for their own
involvement because they usually have several urgent matters which need their attention. Thus,
other factors must also be present, of which market pressure (e.g. intense competition,
demanding customers) has by far the greatest impact.
Competition
Competition is fierce in today’s business environment and quality is recognized as a key
consideration in many purchasing decisions. There is little doubt that quality is an essential part
of the marketing mix as companies seek ways to differentiate effectively their products and/or
services from those of their competitors. Many successful companies now advertise their
products and/or services on the basis of quality and reliability rather than price.
Demanding customers
Demanding customers with high product and service quality expectations and an established
reputation for quality can be very effective change agents. In addition to providing tangible
evidence of the value of reputation and standing, they have the potential for bringing about
radical and permanent changes in attitudes towards continuous improvement among their
suppliers through the requirements they place on them.
‘Fresh-start’ situations
The degree of entrenchment of attitudes, and hence the difficulty of changing them, is related to
the length of time an organization has been established, its size, staff turnover rate, managerial
mobility, markets, competitors, and many other factors which influence the ‘performance’ of an
organization. A fresh-start situation therefore provides excellent opportunities to make rapid,
fundamental, changes to attitudes and relationships.
How Do Companies Get Started?
Once change has been triggered, organizations need to translate enhanced quality awareness
and organizational need for improvement into effective action. At this stage an organization’s
senior management team ask questions such as:
1.What should we do?
2. What are the priorities?
3.What advice do we need?
4.Should the approach be top-down or
bottom-up? 5.Do we need an umbrella
term? 6.Do we have to use
the term TQM? 7.What
are the alternatives: quality improvement, continuous improvement, business improvement,
customer care, customer focus, customer first, excellence? 8.How do we apply
these tools and techniques? 9.How quickly
should we proceed? 10.What
courses and conferences should we attend?
11.Which network of companies should we attempt to join?
12.What training do we need?
13. What packages and programs should we buy?
Their dilemma is often compounded not just by a lack of knowledge of TQM and the
process of continuous improvement but also by a lack of experience in managing organizational
change. The overwhelming quantity and variety of available advice, which is often conflicting,
sometimes biased and sometimes incorrect and misdirected, simply adds to the confusion and
chaos. It is not surprising then that there is sometimes inertia on the part of senior management
teams who are faced with the task of introducing a formal process of continuous improvement in
their organizations.
Approaches to TQM
 Methods outlining the wisdom, philosophies and recommendations of the internationally
respected experts on the subject.
 Prescriptive step-by-step approaches.
 A listing of TQM principles which are presented in the form of a TQM implementation
plan and a set of guidelines.
 Non-prescriptive methods in the form of a framework or model
 Self-assessment methods based on the excellence models on which the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) and the European Quality Award (EQA) are
based.

Frameworks and models

A framework or model is usually introduced to present a picture of what is required in

introducing TQM and strategic process improvement. They are the means of presenting
ideas, concepts, pointers and plans in a non-prescriptive manner and are usually not
considered to be a ‘how-to’ guide to TQM introduction and subsequent development.
They are more concerned with the destination than the route to it. A framework allows
the user to choose their own starting point and course of action and build gradually on
the individual features and parts at a pace which suit their business situation and
available resources. Aalbregtse et al. (1991) provide an excellent description of what a
framework should consist of and its objectives. A number of writers (e.g. Mohammad et
al. 2011; Yu et al. 2012; Bon and Mustafa 2013; Ahmad et al. 2014; Mishra and Kumar
Sharma 2014) have proposed a range of TQM improvement frameworks. A typical
framework for managing continuous improvement is the improvement framework
described in the following section.

Systems and Techniques

This pillar of the framework involves the development of a quality management system
to provide the necessary controls and discipline, and the standardization of
improvements. It also involves the use of quality management tools and techniques to,
for example, aid quality planning, listen to the ‘voices’ of customers, capture data, control
 processes, make improvements, solve problems and involve people. Key actions at this
stage include:

 The tools and techniques applicable at different stages of the improvement

process should be identified.
 The right type of training targeted at the right people should be developed; it
should emphasize the why and how of the tools and techniques and the benefits
of their use
 The use of a formal quality management system should be considered, if one is
not in place.
 Any other systems and standards which may be required as part of future
contractual or legislative requirements, or simply in order to compete in certain
markets, should be identified and implemented.
 Process analysis and improvement should be a continual part of the
organization’s improvement process.

Changing the Culture

Organizations attempt to change culture for different reasons. Changing the

culture is a key element in TQM and has wide-ranging implications for the whole
organization; it requires the introduction and acceptance of individual, group, and
organizational change. TQM provides the opportunity to make and influence
behaviours and attitudes which have real effects on internal and external
relationships and the way the organization conducts its business.
Culture change is not just relevant to TQM, although the increased emphasis on
customers and their needs makes some form of culture change a must for most
organizations.

Use of the Framework

The framework should be used as part of an eight-stage process:

 Review the organization’s adoption of TQM to date

 Customize the framework to suit the individual organization.
 Present and debate the customized framework.
 Assess which features of the framework are already in place.
 Prioritize the features which are not already in place.
 Develop plans to introduce the prioritized features of the framework identified in the
previous stage.
 Communicate the details of the framework and the plans derived from it down through
the organization.
 Identify any potential problems in putting the plans developed at stage 6 into place.

Outcomes
 The following are the outcomes derived by those organizations that have used
the framework:

 Developing the framework provides a mechanism for debating TQM and continuous
improvement strategies, plans, actions and initiatives and helps to generate a common level of
understanding and reconcile views and opinions
 The framework, once developed and customized, becomes a reference point for current
and future improvement initiatives.
 Use of the framework requires all members of senior and middle management to be
involved in the planning process, thereby developing ownership of the resultant plans.
 The framework provides a means of communicating, in the organization’s own language,
what is involved in TQM and provides the essential logic of why the organization is adopting and
progressing TQM.
 In a multi-site operation the framework provides a common approach and language for
all businesses, and those likely to be acquired in the future. In this way it avoids confusion with
common suppliers and customers and presents a consistent approach and TQM image to both
employees and the marketplace.
 It can be used not only to assess the maturity of TQM but also to audit whether or not
certain features of the framework are firmly in place. In this way the next set of priorities can be
identified.
 The correct use of the framework ensures that an organization puts in place the key
features of TQM and a process of continuous improvement.