bs2914 quality management & customer care 10: shortcomings of tqm

BS2914 Quality Management & Customer Care

10: Shortcomings of TQM

BS2914 Quality Management & Customer Care 10: Shortcomings of TQM

The benefits of TQM were said to be…• Lower costs• Lower cycle( throughout) times• Lower employee turnover• Higher employee satisfaction• Higher productivity• Greater customer focus should lead to

maintenance of market share in a rapidly changing global market


The disadvantages of TQM were said to be…• TQM is only a passing fad or ‘latest

management snake-oil’• Only 20% Fortune 500 companies are satisfied

with TQM initiatives• Malcolm Baldridge award itself never conferred

any prestige• 73% electronics programmes have quality

programmes but more than half show less than 10% improvement


The barriers to TQM’s success are:• Lack of management commitment• Inadequate knowledge or understanding of

TQM• Inability to change the organisational culture• Lack of proper planning• Lack of continuous training and education


The barriers to TQM’s success are:

6. Inability to build a learning organisation

7. Incompatible organisation structure and isolated individuals/departments

8. Insufficient resources

9. Inappropriate reward system

10. Use of a pre-packaged programme or inappropriately adapting TQM to the organisation


The barriers to TQM’s success are:

11. Ineffective measurement techniques and lack of access to data and results

12. Short-term or ‘sticking plaster’ approach

13. Paying inadequate attention to external and to internal customers

14. Inappropriate conditions for implementing TQM

15. Inadequate use of empowerment and teamwork


Some views of why TQM fails…

• Misalignment may be evident between the ‘teamwork’ approach demanded by TQM and the ‘control culture’ of some organisations

• TQM is seen as a quick fix (along with SPC.JIT etc.)

• Companies want ‘instant results’ i.e. within six months – otherwise programmes will be dropped


Some views why of TQM fails…

4. Aim of business is to make profits and not institute the most technically elaborate quality system

5. Most CEO’s do not the ‘religion’ of quality6. Lack of understanding in that TQM is used to fix

problems rather than a way to assist the development of services


Quality cultures

TQM often concentrates upon• Systems• Processes• Statistical data• Mechanisms

Thereby losing some of the essence…


Quality cultures

A quality culture implies:• Sharing of vision• Real not token commitment• High degree of professionalism and commitment• Increasing standards of performance


Is TQM exploitative ?There is not much hard data to suggest that the employees who make most of the adjustments actually share in whatever benefits TQM is said to bring…

It could be argued that as ‘slave drivers went out of fashion not because they were cruel but because they were inefficient’ that TQM is only a way of ensuring maximum productivity from a workforce


The ‘WISE’ approach:

• Watch and be observant within the organisation• Inspire more easily said than done• Support teams where possible• Enjoy and be enthusiastic


Concluding observations…

• Does every performance indicator become ‘perverse’• Is quantification over-used• Do ITC tools hinder or help• Does ‘customer care’ actually work within an organisation ?

bs2914 quality management & customer care 10: shortcomings of tqm

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