Title: Technical Report: New developments in Total Quality Management

Authors: R. Johnson, B.H. Kleiner

Addresses: Department of Management, School of Business Administration and Economics, California State University, Fullerton, CA 92634-9480, USA. ' Department of Management, School of Business Administration and Economics, California State University, Fullerton, CA 92634-9480, USA

Abstract: This paper considers the application of Total Quality Management (TQM) to the aerospace and defence industries. An introduction to the history, definition and principles of TQM is given first. Briefly, TQM involves a customer focus, the prevention of defects rather than the detection, reducing chronic waste in time and material, pursuing continuous quality improvements, employing structured problem-solving methods, using statistical tools to reduce process variation, and recognizing the importance of people in the total process. The role and importance of process variation in the quality of products or services is discussed. The circumstances of applying TQM to the organizations described is presented. An account of the experiences and results of some sample companies adopting the TQM philosophy is discussed. Many of the organizations considered are adopting this philosophy as a means of adapting to and surviving in a rapidly changing business environment.

Keywords: aerospace and defence industries; competition; management; process variability; productivity; statistical process control; SPC; training; total quality management; TQM implementation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1995.061938

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1995 Vol.16 No.2/3, pp.282 - 291

Published online: 28 May 2014 *

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