Applicability of Total Quality Management to a Store in Mackay - Case Study Example

SUMMARY. Total quality management (TQM) is a process through which management of a given company or firm improves quality of its products or services based on the mode of production, organization, management, planning and record keeping (Ortmeier 2001). To implement TQM to the store, a steering committee should be established and trained. The committee should then come up with ways of implementing TQM. It should explain why it came up with these ways, expected outcomes and who should be responsible. It should then explain measures that should be used to determine achievement of TQM. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION. 1 IMPLEMENTING TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT. 2 ACTION PLAN PROCESS. 8 MEASURES TO DETERMINE ACHIEVEMENT OF TQM. 10 CONLUSION. 11 RECCOMMENDATIONS. 12 REFERENCES. 12 INTRODUCTION. This is a report describing applicability of TQM to a store in Mackay. It shows why TQM should be implemented on the chosen areas, who is responsible for implementing TQM in these areas, duration of implementing and expected results after implementation. It also describes ways in which achievement of TQM in the store should be measured. It has a conclusion describing benefits of implementing the program to the store. A recommendation at the end of the report shows what should be done to implement TQM effectively to the store. Mackay General Suppliers and Stationers Ltd is a company in Australia. It has a large store in Mackay. Its main offices are in Melbourne. The store supplies stationery, office equipment, computer and computer accessories. Its major customers are various offices, schools and institutions of higher learning. The company also has a small industry that produces writing materials and stationery glues. The industry also brands logos and writings on various products as per customer requirements. It is situated next to the store in Mackay. The company’s staff is made of about 150 members most of whom are casuals. It has various sections each headed by a section head. These sections help in day to day running of the company. Section heads are under company manager at Mackay. IMPLEMENTING TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT. To implement TQM in the store the following should be required for a successful process; 1. Commitment of resources – adequate funding should be availed by the store. The fund should be used in training of the steering committee and development of the projects (Winchell 1993). 2. Organization wide steering committee – in the store, the steering committee should be chaired by the store manager. The members should be the section heads who would facilitate the implementation process. The store should also consider training of the committee. 3. Planning and publicizing – after the committee is selected it should be actively involved in developing vision statements, objectives plan and how they should make it aware to the store employees (Oakland & Morris 1997). The committee should then be involved in developing strategies of how training of its members would be created. Necessary component of an infrastructure that supports deployment and continuous improvement in the store include: 1. Procedure- the store should operate according to procedures. If the procedures do not support TQM, they should implemented again. 2. Organization – the store should change the organization so that the organization fully supports the implementation process. 3. Union considerations – the store should consider the union. It should explain the benefit the benefit so that the union members can see benefits of TQM. 4. Role of top management – top management in the store should do the following to fully facilitate the TQM implementation process; a. Have a direction b. They should be courageous and trustworthy c. Should set visions, set the course and help the staff do their job as dictated. 5. Role of middle management – middle management should be actively involved in the implementation process. They should; a. Have good leadership qualities to help people do their jobs as assigned. b. Deal with all equipment and facilities as put by the top management for training. c. Help, encourage, praise and listen to all staff. d. Be good team leaders willing to define, characterize and determine ways to improve processes. In the implementation process, the following should be avoided in the store during the implementation process; 1. All the staff should not be trained at once as some feels disappointed for being trained without applying the learned skills. 2. The store should not rush to implement TQM by putting many people in the process. 3. The store should not implement TQM without delegating it first. 4. The store should not start TQM without being fully being prepared. 5. The store should not worry about the many teams formed. 6. The store should not start TQM without knowledge of it. Steps of implementing TQM For the store to fully implement TQM, it should follow certain steps. These steps should be implemented in phases (Martin 1993). If each phase is carried out properly, TQM should be successfully implemented. These phases and steps are; 1. Preparation phase – this should be the initial phase and the most crucial for the store. It sets the foundation for the implementation of TQM in the store. These steps should follow one another. Step1- the store CEO and the manager should take the initiative and discuss need of implementing total quality management in the store (Kanji & Asher 1996). Step 2 – selection of steering committee – selection of steering committee should be done in this step. The stores manager selects the steering committee. He then chairs the committee. The members should be the section heads. Step 3 - steering committee team building – after the committee is selected, team building should follow. A consultant should be hired to facilitate team building (Mabey, Skinner & Clarck 1998) . This can be done outside the store. Step 4 – steering committee training – a consultant should then be hired to train the committee. Training should arm the team with tools and techniques of the program. Step 5 – development of vision statement and guiding principles – the steering committee should then develop stores vision statements and guiding principals that they should use. This is done exclusively to get everyone on board and to encompass company visions (Winchell 1993). Step 6 – establishment of broad objectives – the committee should then use the developed vision statements to develop wider objectives (Johnson &Kazense 1993). Step 7 – communication and publicity – the stores steering committee should take the initiative to make the employees are fully aware of the guiding principles, objectives and the program that is to be implemented. Step 8 – identification of organizational strengths and weakness - the committee should then highlight stores organizational structure strengths and weaknesses. Step 9 – identification of advocates and resistors – the steering committee should then select who among them can be company’s advocate and those who might resist the program implementation. Step 10 – baseline employee satisfaction/ attitudes – the committee should use a hired consultant or human department to determine the current status of employees. Whether they are satisfied with their current status. Step 11 – baseline customer satisfaction – the committee should then use customers relations department of the store to analyze customer feedback. 2. Planning phase. Step 12 – plan the implementation approach (PDCA) – this is where steering committee should start implementing the project. The committee should use the step for correction and adjustment of the project process. Step 13 – identification of the project – the committee should come up with projects where total quality management should be implemented. It should be based on company’s strength, weaknesses, objectives, visions and probable successes. Step 14 – establish team composition – team steering the selected projects are then selected. Team leaders should be the section heads. Step 15 – provide team training – the team selected to implement TQM on the projects are then trained based on the projects specifications. 3. Execution phase. Step 16 – team execution and direction (use of PDCA cycle) – the committee should then give each team its directives and works on them. Each team should work on the projects as per their training for the specific project. They should then use the cycle to gauge their progress in implementation process within their projects. Step 17 – team feedback loop to the steering committee – the projects team leaders should then give their feedbacks and results to the committee. The feedback should be in monthly basis and the committee should use these results to determine areas where they should change. Step 18 – customer satisfaction feedback loop – the projects teams should then be used to obtain customers feedback information. The feedback should be in external and internal. For external customers they should be analyzed annually while internal should be done continually. Step 19 – employee satisfaction feedback loop – on of the projects team should be used to determine store staff‘s attitude and satisfaction concerning the project. Step 20 – modify infrastructure as necessary – the steering committee should use various teams’ feedback to carry out changes in their processes, systems and the store organizational structure. Wider changes should be made by the manager while the section heads should implement in their areas. ACTION PLAN PROCESS. This should fully describe the process of implementing the strategy. It should explain the steps involved by describing how the step should be implemented, who should implement duration of implementation and the results that should be expected. plan person responsible time frame location reason outcomes/ results executive initiative CEO and stores manager 1 day store should give the manager a go ahead CEO and manager should initiate TQM process. Formation of total quality management steering committee. CEO and manager 1 week store To have a team to help implementation process. Good committee with enough members. steering committee team building hired consultant 1-3 days outside the store encompass all the committee members in the team committee that has the drive to carry out the process training of TQM committee hired consultant 2- 3 days store gives technical skills necessary to the team develop a competent team creation of vision statement and guiding principles steering committee 1 day store develop guidelines and principles that will guide the committee Capture committee's thoughts and make them aware of store's objective and principles. establishment of broad objectives steering committee 1 week store develop strategic objectives best longtime objectives communication and publicity steering committee and CEO 18 months store avoid confusion among workers make all the employees fully aware of the program to be implemented identification of store strength and weakness steering committee 1 day store to indentify areas where TQM should be implemented develop best TQM approach and indentify problems to be corrected identification of advocates and resistors steering committee several hours store indentify those against the program help in projects identification and election of teams. baseline employee satisfaction hired consultant or human resource office after 1 year store gauge general employee attitude help to determine employee attitude later baseline customer satisfaction steering committee related to customers after 1 year store obtain general customer feedback determine customer's satisfaction plan the implementation approach steering committee 1 day store indentify project areas new projects should be created identification of the projects steering committee 1 day store indentify weaknesses in projects successful projects establish team composition steering committee 1day store determine those for the TQM implementation develop good teams provide team training team committee member 1 day - until team experienced outside the store arm the teams with suitable tools competent team developed team activation and direction (PDCA cycle) steering committee 1 week store guide teams on how to work teams work according to knowledge acquired team feedback loop to the steering committee project team 18 months store determine whether projects are in track feedback information used successfully in implementing the project customer satisfaction feedback loop project team 18 months store determine level of customer satisfaction fully satisfied customers employee satisfaction feedback loop project team 18 months store determine attitude of employees create employee who are for the project modify infrastructure as necessary steering committee and project team 18 months store implement the feedbacks successful projects MEASURES TO DETERMINE ACHIEVEMENT OF TQM. To continuously maintain customer satisfaction and product quality, the manager should implement measures to determine achievement of TQM. Appraisals should be used to measure achievement of TQM in the store (Tennant 2001). The appraisal should be done on areas where TQM has been implemented and on the results obtained after implementation of the program. Exclusive scrutiny should be done on results when appraisal of outcomes is to be carried out. This should be done by use of graphs, charts and other TQM analytic tools (Kumar 2006). The quantity of products produced by the industry, sold (supplied) by the store should be continuously recorded. A time dependant graph or charts should be developed from these results. Comparison between the time the program was implemented and current time should be made. Appraisals should be done on long-term policies developed to determine their progress (Sallis 1993). Appraisals should also be done on areas where TQM was implemented (Oakland & Morris 1997). These should include leadership and systems and working environment in the store. Analysis should be done on how working environment has improved since implementation of TQM. Analysis should also be done on leadership and employees themselves. It should check whether the targets set during implementation of the program are met by the leaders and employees. Customers or external organizations should carry out the process. They should be invited into the store and allowed to carry an audit on areas where TQM is implemented (Ortmeier 2001). The store should then use the results of audit to improve areas where auditors feel unsatisfied with. CONLUSION. Increased production and quality products and services should be realized if TQM is implemented in the store. Quality products and services should maintain and attract customers. It should be implemented stepwise as dictated by the steering committee. If all the staff is actively involved in the implementation of TQM, the steering committee will find it easy to implement it and the store will provide quality products and services. Cooperation of all members is needed for implementation process. RECCOMMENDATIONS. All the store employees should be actively involved in implementation of TQM. Results obtained after every audit should be used by the section heads in the store to improve their sections. Adequate funding should be availed by the store to facilitate implementation process in training and improving working environment. REFERENCES. Johnson, SR & Kazense, LE1993, TQM: The mechanics of quality processes, ASQC Quality Press, Michigan. Kanji, GK & Asher, M 1996, 100 methods for total quality management, Sage Publishers, London. Kumar, S 2006, Total quality management, Laxmi Publications, New Delhi. Mabey, C, Skinner, D & Clarck, T 1998, Experiencing human resource management, Sage Publishers, London. Martin, LL 1993, Total quality management in human service organizations, Sage Publishers, London. Oakland, JS & Morris, P 1997, TQM: A pictorial guide for managers, Butterworck – Heinemann, Burlington. Ortmeier, PJ 2001, Security management: An introduction, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Sallis, E 1993, Total quality management in education, Kogan Page Ltd, London. Tennant, G 2003, Six sigma: TQM and SPC in services and manufacturing, Gower Publishers, Surrey UK. Winchell, W 1993, TQM: Getting started and achieving results with TQM, SME, Michigan. Read More