No abstract

No abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the origin and evolution of total quality management (TQM) and lean manufacturing (LM) in the automotive industry globally and specifically in Malaysia; and selective studies on effective performance measurement for future integration of TQM and LM. The paper examines critical success and failure factors of the implementation stage based on established quality criteria, such as in the Deming Prize Award, Malaysian Prime Minister Award, ISO/TS16949, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, SAEJ4001 and Toyota Production System.Design/methodology/approachThe paper takes the form of a review of the literature on TQM and LM, utilizing journal articles, reports, books and theses.FindingsBased on reviewed papers, it was noted that TQM and LM originate from Japan. TQM started from a Company Wide Quality Control Program initiated by Deming, while LM originated from the Toyota Production System. Both terms were coined by the west for global acceptance in 1985. It was also gathered that the evolution of LM started much earlier than that of TQM. Since then, voluminous studies have been conducted on TQM and LM but mostly independently. It was found that an integrated approach combining both TQM and LM has not been fully explored. This is especially evident in the context of the automotive industry in Malaysia. It is then believed that the need to examine this integrated initiative in the Malaysian scenario is imminent. This review paper is a preliminary work for future study to establish the standing of the automotive industry in Malaysia with respect to implementing integrated TQM and LM practices.Practical implicationsSuitable for implementation by practitioners, especially in the Malaysian or Asian automotive industry.Originality/valueThe paper is the first to study the Malaysian automotive industry, which integrates ISO/TS16949 with four TQM awards and two LM systems.

Lean Total Quality (LTQ) Leadership Management System is a system whereby Leadership Management practices is integrated to Lean Manufacturing (LM) and TQMs’ principles. The main goal is to achieve total Leadership Management efficiency by optimizing financial and non-financial profits. A survey questionnaire was developed and analyzed by SPSS. 30 highly active automotive companies in Malaysia had participated in the surveys. The results suggest that all the companies are highly implementing the leadership attributes in LM and TQM. It was also discovered that most companies agreed on the need for effective leadership in managing a systematic manufacturing operations. The proposed Lean TQM Leadership framework (a synergy from 4 awards practices and 4 systems) established in this study based on the results obtained, is believed to offer a preliminary insight on the level of Leadership Management. Companies may use the framework as the initial steps towards more improvement in managing a profitable performance. Future studies can be steered to access the status of Leadership Management practices in other companies and industries.

Green Lean Total Quality (GLTQ) Suppliers, Organization and Customers Management System (SOCM) is a system comprises the interrelated linkages between suppliers; organization and customers in Environmental Management System (EMS) practices which are integrated to TQM with Lean Manufacturing (LM) principles. SOCM is essential especially in dealing with inefficient suppliers chain and customers management. The ultimate goal of this system is to focus on achieving total SOCM efficiency that uses EMS and Lean TQM System. A survey questionnaire was developed and distributed to 30 highly active automotive companies in Malaysia and the results analyzed by SPSS. The results suggest that the level of EMS SOCM implementation is low among the 1st tier automotive companies. This shows that LTQM SOCM is more implemented than EMS SOCM among suppliers. Based on the response given, it can be deduced that a high focus and concentration were given to managing suppliers. This is believed due to the LTQM effects on the product quality. It seems that EMS SOCM has no direct impact on the product quality. EMS SOCM mainly caters for the suppliers surrounding rather than that of the customers and final product. The proposed Green LTQM SOCM framework, established in this study based on the results obtained, is believed to offer a preliminary insight on the level of SOCM. Knowing their level, the companies can embark on a new journey to enhance their SOCM. The current proposed framework is a synergy of 4 awards practices and 5 systems. Future study can be conducted to access the status of SOCM in other companies and also extended to other industry.