IntroductionCurrent theory indicates that, for TQM to succeed, all of the four "S"s in Figure 1 need to be in place [1][2][3]. A TQM programme needs to be founded on a strategic evaluation of the company's quality performance compared to its own mission statement and the performance of its competitors. Leadership is required to set direction and specific goals for the programme. Management then interprets strategy into specific plans for people, resources and processes. Clear procedures are set with the aim of consistent, reliable service to the customer, perhaps using the BS 5750 guidelines [1]. Statistical controls need to be in place to measure success and feed results to improvement teams [2]. These teams then build on the successes reported, solve any problems highlighted and create new procedures in order to achieve greater satisfaction next time around [3].Evidence from current practice has established that measurement is the weak link in many TQM programmes in the UK [4][5][6]. Many resources have been directed at the systems approach and achieving BS 5750 [4]. More recently, many companies have launched sociological initiatives to achieve the necessary cultural change, using quality circle and teamwork techniques [5]. However, statistics have often been ignored and without this factual foundation, the initial enthusiasm of a TQM programme has lacked direction and failed to achieve results [6].The aim of this article is to explore the role of measurements in a TQM programme. The method used is to establish the most appropriate types of measure of TQM success and to assess by how much the rate of success improves when these measures are used.A study at Colt International carried out in the third quarter of 1992 addressed this problem. The Baldrige framework [7] was used to identify six key measures of TQM success:(1) management involvement;(2) strategic quality planning;(3) employee involvement; (4) training;(5) process capability; (6) customer perceptions. Methods of measuring each of these six key factors were established, choosing simple methods with a reasonable correlation to the factor to be assessed, rather
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