TQM encompassed by LO LO11042

John Zavacki (jzavacki@wolff.com)
Mon, 18 Nov 1996 11:15:15 -0500

Replying to LO11030 --

John Farago writes:

> Dedication to continuous quality improvement linked with customer focus,
> which characterises 'TQM', needs to be underpinned by learning, but LO
> does not make TQM obsolete. Similarly BPR, much misused and derided, is
> not wrong when underpinned by learning culture, structures and systems.
> The main obstacles to continuous or radical improvement and change through
> learning are the mindsets and measures which prevent individuals and teams
> from diverting time and/or money from yesterday and today's objectives,
> targets and measures of success to thoughts and actions focused on
> creating a successful future.
>
> I realise that we have been around this loop before here on the list
> (Deming, etc.), but I would mourn TQM being consigned to history without a
> whimper.

The point I think Katheryn was making was that of TQM as a "named
strategy". As a quality professional with over twenty years in the field,
I have always striven to make myself obsolete as a "named strategist" if
you will. The Quality Department is obsolete. It is also expensive to
maintain as a separate entity. Using the LO as the baseline quality
system (actually, the baseline operating system) one makes quality
transparent. By understanding the need for TQM tools and techniques and
making them an integral part of infrastructure and daily management we can
eliminate a great deal of the misunderstanding that has been generated by
making quality "special".

--
jzavacki@wolff.com
John Zavacki
The Wolff Group
800-282-1218
 

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>