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TQP Student Guide
0-5
Total Quality Process Student Guide
Your Total Quality Process CTOP^ Student Guide is written so you can easily follow
the class activities. In topics where there is detailed information, it is supplied for
you in the text, so you can concentrate on the class and not have to worry about
getting everything down on paper. There also is sufficient space for you to take
notes, if you desire to do so.
Table of Contents
Student Guide
Module 0: Introduction 0-1
Module 1: The Importance of Quality and the Quality
Relationship 1-1
Module 2: The Cost of Quality 2-1
Module 3: Quality Assessment 7.... .3-1
Module 4: The Total Quality Process CTQP) 4-1
Module 5: Practicing and Implementing the Total Quality Process
CTQP) 5-1
Module 6: What Can I Do? 6-1
Appendix A: Evaluation Materials A-l
"Memo to Myself
Session Evaluation Form
Appendix B: Class Tools B-l
Selection Matrix
Force Field Analysis
Fishbone Diagram
Measurement Worksheet
Appendix C: Corrective Action Request (CAR) Activity C-l
Appendix D: Articles D-l
Appendix E: Review Sheet E-l
Appendix F: Film Notes Sheet F-l
Appendix G: Glossary G-l
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Module 1:
The Importance of
Quality and the
Quality Relationship
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TQP Student Guide
1-1
MODULE 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY AND THE QUALITY
RELATIONSHIP
Module Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to do the following:
Qarify who your customers and suppliers are.
Better understand your customer/supplier relationships.
• Define quality in the NDPD customer/supplier context.
Develop strategies for establishing better customer/supplier relationships.
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1-2
TQP Student Guide
Hie Customer/Supplier Relationship
The customer/supplier relationship between NDPD employees and contractors is a
unique one. To more fully understand this relationship, let's begin this module by
defining what is meant by the terms "customer" and "supplier."
A customer
is someone to whom a product or service is provided.
A supplier
is someone who provides a product or a service.
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TQP Student Guide
1-3
Written Activity
Take a few minutes to answer the following questions about your
customers/suppliers.
• Who are: your customers/suppliers?
What are your responsibilities to your customer/supplier, as you understand
them?
What are your customers'/suppliers' responsibilities to you, as you
understand them?
How would you describe your relationship with your customer/supplier?
What would you like to change about that relationship?
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1-4 TQP Student Guide
What is Quality?
For the customer:
I QUALITY is meeting the customer's needs and expectations. I
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For the supplier:
QUALITY is clear communication of needs and expectations by die
customer to the supplier.
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TQP Student Guide
1-5
Customer's Needs
Are:
• Those items which are required for solving the customer's problems.
• Dynamic.
• As important for internal as for external customers.
Are Not:
Limited to items specified by the customer.
Necessarily consistent with the customer's expectations.
Previous class members have defined customer needs in the following ways:
"Quality, timely, cost effective, and consistent service." - George Kranich
"Follow through!" - Sandy Gill
"Our business is enabling our customers to use technology." - Charlie Webb
What are some of the needs of your customers?
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1-6 TQP Student Guide
Customer's Expectations Are:
* Conditioned by the marketplace and competition.
• Often not stated explicitly.
• Used to evaluate the final service or product.
Often the basis of decisions about future dealings.
.^b.
Influenced by supplier's expert knowledge.
As important for internal as for external customers.
What are some of your customers' expectations?
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TQP Student Guide
1-7
Supplier's Needs Are:
That information which is necessary to know to meet the customer's needs
and expectations. (Customer requirements.)
As important for internal as for external suppliers.
Requirements that are :
1. Clear and specific.
2. Communicated as early in the process as is feasible.
3. Achievable, given the resources available.
4. Not changed unnecessarily.
What are some of your suppliers' needs?
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1-8 TQP Student Guide
Supplier's Expectations Are:
That the customer:
1. Gives the information needed.
2. Trusts the supplier to do the job.
3. Empowers the supplier to make management decisions, be innovative,
and take the initiative.
4. Is supportive of the supplier's efforts.
5. Gives the supplier the freedom to fail.
What are some of the expectations of your suppliers?
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TJP Student Guide
1-9
What Really Matters
In the customer/supplier relationship, quality is built upon the entire business
transaction between the customer and the supplier.
Therefore, the focus must be on perfecting the relationship as well as producing
total quality in the tasks we do.
Quality activities must be based on trust. Without trust, quality results will be
difficult to achieve, if not impossible.
Give people the freedom to fail.
Don't "shoot the messenger."
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1.10 TQP Student Guide
EXERCISE: Customer/Supplier Role Play
Your instructor will give you instructions and materials for the role play activities.
Space is provided on the following pages for taking notes on each role play.
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T(}P Student Guide
1-11
Team 1 - Observer
/3 you watch the interaction between the customer and the supplier, make observations
about the following points:
* How can "seeking first to understand" a difficult person rather than just reacting to
their behavior help?
Are you currently involved in any win/lose or lose/lose scenarios? What are they
like?
How can detachment help?
Why is negative behavior less productive and efficient in a business setting than
treating people with dignity, trust, and respect?
What is the advantage in focusing on issues instead of personalities?
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1-12 TQP Student Guide
Team 2 - Observer
As you watch the interaction between the customer and the supplier, make observations
about the following points:
How would you describe the manager's preferred method of giving and receiving
information?
• How does his or her subordinate like to give and receive information?
What is your preferred method of giving and receiving information?
Do you work with anyone whose preferred method of communication is different
from yours? If so, what are you going to do to improve communication with that
person?
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1TJP Student Guide
1-13
Team 3 - Observer
As you watch the interaction between the customer and the supplier, make observations
about the following points:
* What do you think this manager finds irritating about this employee?
What does the employee find irritating about this manager?
• How can empowerment help both the manager and the subordinate?
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1-14 TQP Student Guide
Team 4 - Observer
As you watch the interaction between the customer and the supplier, make observations
about the following points:
What is needed before these two contractors can really begin to work effectively
together?
Stephen Covey developed the concept of the emotional bank account. He says that
people can begin to build thrust by making deposits to each other's emotional bank
accounts in the following ways:
1. Risking to share information first.
2. Helping when they can.
3. Not manipulating the other person.
4. Not intentionally hurting the other person.
What specific things could these contractors do to begin to build trust?
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TQP Student Guide
1-15
Team 5 - Observer
As you watch the interaction between the customer and the supplier, make observations
alxmt the following points:
• What is this manager's project management style?
What is the subordinate's work style?
What would you suggest as a strategy for meeting both the manager's and the
subordinate's needs so that a "win-win" situation is created?
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1-16 TQP Student Guide
Conclusion
In today's increasingly competitive marketplace, it becomes more important than
ever to maintain the quality of both our work and our working relationships. Both
NDPD employees and contractors are facing leaner budgets and increasing
organizational scrutiny. We all face the challenge or doing more with less. We
need to be able to work more efficiently together.
We must continually seek ways to improve our service and the quality of our
relationships. Good enough is never enough!
"We want to be the best that we can be in everything that we do." - Don Fulford.
We can achieve the best results when we work together as a team. By striving for
excellence in the quality of our work and our customer/supplier working
relationships, all of us at NDPD can be winners and enjoy working together!
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Module 2:
The Cost of
Quality
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TQP Student Guide
2-1
MODULE 2: THE COST OF QUALITY
Module Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to do the following:
Explain how the cost of quality impacts on profitability.
Define the two aspects of the cost of quality: the cost of nonconformance
and the cost of conformance.
List the key messages that Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award-winning
companies said were instrumental to their success in increasing quality and
reducing the price of nonconformance.
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2-2 TQi> Student Guide
How Profitability Works
• There is a dual impact of quality on any organization:
Top-Line Impact = increased revenue
Bottom-Line Impact = profits
"Quality is the one thing
that can attack both lines of profitability
to affect them favorably."
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TQP Student Guide
2-3
NDPD Achievement
NDPD personnel can benefit from quality improvement in the following ways:
Pride in a job well done.
• Annual Evaluations.
• Performance Awards.
• Agencywide recognition.
"We want to be the best of the best!"
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2-4 TQP Student Guide
Customers' Reaction to Poor Quality
Customers pay more attention to information than to
information.
When we lose a customer, we lose financially in two ways:
1. Lost from that customer.
2. Increased in acquiring a new customer
to replace the old one.
It costs to times more in marketing costs to replace a new
customer rather than to keep existing customers.
When we lose a supplier, we lose in several ways because of the time
involved to do the following:
1. Get used to the way a new supplier does things.
2. Develop in the supplier.
3. Learn how best to with the supplier.
Time that could be directed toward other activities must be spent in
establishing the new supplier relationship.
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TQP Student Guide
2-5
What Does Quality Cost?
Cost of Conformance
Cost of Nonconfonnance
Prevention
Inspection/
Assessment
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2-6
TQP Student Guide
Cost of Quality: Conformance
The cost of conformance includes prevention and assessment
PREVENTION
Goal: The goal of prevention is to make sure, in advance, that requirements are
met and that things do not go wrong and errors do not occur.
Cost: Prevention requires an investment up front.
General — Clear understanding of customer's needs and expectations.
Activities: - Clear requirements.
- Clearly defined, written specifications.
- Well-defined, proven process.
- Procedures standardized, written, and followed as written.
— Ongoing communication with customer.
- Pre-Project Planning.
— Design of features/services to meet customers long-term as
well as short-term goals.
— Supplier's ability to meet customer requests is communicated
to customer.
— Process modifications negotiated with customer, where
necessary.
— Use of higher quality components.
- Skilled, trained, experienced personnel.
— Training, skill development:
— Documentation content is agreed upon.
- Training courses and new processes are tested before being
used.
Your -
Activities -
Results Errors and failures are prevented.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.1
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Student Guide
2-7
INSPECTION/ASSESSMENT
Goal: The goal of inspection/assessment is to discover errors so they can be
corrected.
Cost: Cost is dependent on prevention. The fewer preventive measures we have
taken, the more mistakes we will find, and the greater the cost.
General
Activities:
Your
Activities
Frequent customer feedback.
Analyzing our delivery process.
Meaningful inspection.
Review of documentation and processes.
Testing.
Statistical process control, where applicable.
Incoming inspection of externally supplied materials (e.g.,
training materials).
In-process inspection.
Surveys and evaluations of service and processes.
Results: Errors and failures are detected and corrected before the product or
service is delivered to the customer.
"Design quality in instead of trying to inspect it in."
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2-8
TQP Student Guide
Cost of Quality: Nonconformance
The cost of nonconfonnance is the price you pay when a customer is or will be
dissatisfied and you have to correct the problem. It is the price of not doing things
right the first time. It includes fixing those failures and errors that were detected
in the assessment phase and detected by the customers.
FAILURES/ERRORS
Goal: The goal is to fix errors and failures.
Cost: The further along the line a problem is allowed to go uncorrected, the more
it costs. The "Rule of the Tens" applies. It states that you must multiply the
cost of correcting the problem by 10 for every step away from the original
design phase the correction is made.
General
Activities:
Your
Activities
Rework.
Design iterations.
Last minute changes or additions.
Unscheduled work impacts scheduled work.
Increased hot-line calls.
Additional customer contact costs (manpower, time, and
money).
Overtime.
Additional support needed.
Results:
Reputation is damaged.
Confidence is lost.
Additional costs passed on to the customer.
Dissatisfied customers tell others.
Lose contract.
"Pay me now or pay me later"
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TQfP Student Guide
2-9
Changing the Cost of Quality
Increasing Profitability by Decreasing COQ
25% - 40%
of Revenue
Inspection/
Assessment
Payback:
15% -30%
of Revenue
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2-10 TQP Student Guide
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
WHAT IT IS
The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was created in 1987 in
memory of the late Malcolm Baldrige, the Secretary of Commerce.
* It was started to encourage quality in American companies to make them
more competitive with foreign companies.
• It is the highest quality award that an American company can win.
AWARD CRITERIA
Companies applying for this award are judged on the following criteria:
Leadership
Senior management's success in creating and sustaining a quality
culture.
Information and Analysis
Effectiveness of the company's collection and analysis of information
for quality improvement and planning.
Planning
Effectiveness of integration of quality requirements into the company's
business plan.
Human Resource Utilization
Success of the company's efforts to utilize the full potential of the
work force for quality.
Quality Assurance
Effectiveness of the company's systems for assuring quality control in
all operations.
Quality Assurance Results
Company results in quality achievement and quality improvement,
demonstrated through quantitative measures.
Customer Satisfaction
Effectiveness of the company's systems to determine customer
requirements and demonstrate success in meeting them.
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TQP Student Guide
2-11
Malcolm Baldrige Award Video
As you watch the film, take notes on some of the key messages which were pivotal
to the success of the award-winning companies.
Motorola:
Westinghouse:
Globe Metallurgical:
MflUkc
Xerox:
IBM (Rochester):
Cadillac:
Federal Express:
Wallace Company:
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2-12 TQP Student Guide
Exercise: Destroy the NDPD and Unisys Financially
Generate a list of what you or your organization could do to destroy the NDPD and
its contractors financially.
* You will have 15 minutes.
* Write your ideas on a blank transparency.
• Keep these points in mind:
1. Be sure to include both NDPD and its contractors.
2. Consider internal and external customer and supplier roles.
3. Think of anything that will increase quality costs.
• This exercise utilizes contingency brainstorming. Contingency brainstorming
is
Why can looking at the negatives be so effective?
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T JP Student Guide
2-13
Conclusion
We can reduce the cost of quality most effectively through preventive
measures.
The earlier in a process that we fix a problem, the less expensive it is. (Rule
of the Tens.)
We can increase our quality and reduce costs by following the examples of
the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winning companies.
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Module 3:
Quality Assessment
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TQP Student Guide
3-1
MODULES: QUALITY ASSESSMENT
Module Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to do the following:
• Summarize the results of the Total Quality Process (TOPI Pre-Course
Questionnaire responses from your colleagues.
• Compare your perceptions of your quality-related behavior with the
perceptions of your colleagues.
Use the "SARAH" model to deal with negative feedback.
Use the questionnaire results as a baseline to determine your progress in
achieving the quality-related behaviors embodied in the Total Quality
Process.
The results of the questionnaire can also help you identify areas in which you
need to focus your quality improvement efforts.
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TQP Student Guide
Total Quality Process (TQP) Pre-Course Questionnaire
The questionnaire measures the following quality perceptions:
• Continuous improvement.
* Common quality culture.
• Measurement.
• Education.
• Process ownership.
Communication.
• Commitment.
Keep these points in mind as we review the questionnaires:
• The purpose of the questionnaire is not to determine whether you are a
"good" or a "bad" employee.
The questionnaire measures some broad categories of quality-related
behaviors based on the perceptions of colleagues.
The questionnaire categories are designed to align with the elements of the
Total Quality Process (TQP), which we will be covering in detail in Module
4.
The elements of TQP apply to both customers and suppliers.
This questionnaire provides a baseline measure.
You can measure your progress against this baseline measure.
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TQP Student Guide
3-3
The "SARAH" Model
Why was the SARAH model developed?
H
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3-4
TQP Student Guide
Questionnaire Summary Sheet
You will summarize the results of the questionnaire responses on this sheet.
Questionnaire Summary Sheet
Instructions:
Transfer the total number of "a"s only from each of the five Questionnaire Answer Sheets to
the Individual Questionnaire Scores spaces provided for each Category.
For each category, add the individual scores and divide by number of questionnaires recorded.
Enter the result in the space headed Ave. Org. Score.
Transfer the total number of "a"s only from the Questionnaire Answer Sheet completed by you
to the space provided for each category in the column headed Your Score.
Category
Individual Questionnaire Scores
123 45
Ave.
Org.
Score
Your
Score
L
J L
J
J L
I - Continuous improvement
11 - Common quality culture
III - Measurement
IV - Education
V - Process ownership
VI - Communication
VII - Management commitment
VIII - Leadership
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TQP Student Guide
3-5
Guidelines for Interpreting the Results/Conclusion
A difference of
or more between your score
and the average of the others indicates a significant difference in perception.
If your score is
application of quality practices that you perceive.
, you are perceived as being more advanced in
• If your score is
, you may not be making your quality efforts
visible, thus limiting your effectiveness as a role model.
• Examine any significant gaps to determine if they represent reality or
misconception.
If the response is reality, then change your actions to alter the reality.
If the response is a misconception, then alter the perception.
If you see
responses to those around you.
in responses, you may be sending inconsistent
Remember that this assessment will serve as a
against which you can measure your improvement as you begin to apply the
principles of the Total Quality Process to your everyday operations.
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Module 4:
The Total Quality
Process (TQP)
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TtJP Student Guide
4-1
MODULE 4: THE TOTAL QUALITY PROCESS (TQP)
Module Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to describe the bask elements of the
Total Quality Process (TQP):
• Management Commitment
» Common Culture and Language
• Meaningful Measurements
Education
• Communication and Recognition
• Process Ownership and Dependencies
• Continuous Improvement
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4-2
TQP Student Guide
Total Quality Process (TQP) Overview
Management Commitment
Common Culture and Language
Meaningful Measurements
Education
Communication and Recognition
Process Ownership and Dependencies
Continuous Improvement
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TQP Student Guide
4-3
Management Commitment
What would you consider to be the characteristics of a "quality" manager/leader
a manager/leader who does his job in a quality fashion?
If you are in management, which characteristics do you need to improve?
What can you do to help and support your own manager in attaining the
characteristics of a quality manager?
What help do you need from your employer to achieve these objectives?
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TQP Student Guide
Why Do We Need Management Commitment?
Management controls the
resources.
to processes used and the
Employees will modify their behavior only as a result of management
, not words.
Although quality is everyone's responsibility, we need
to make the process work.
The Growth of
Management's
Commitment to
Quality
Quality Behavior
Personal Involvement
Understand Concepts
Support Quality Activities
An example of management commitment:
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TQP Student Guide
4-5
(Common Quality Culture and Language
Generally speaking, culture can be denned as the basic beliefs, expectations (both
formal and informal), and behaviors of a group of people.
En a business context, these beliefs, expectations, and behaviors are driven by
leadership behavior and intended to guide employees' day-to-day actions within the
organization.
When we speak of a quality culture, it can include the language (definitions and
terms) we use to talk about quality and the policies and procedures that are used
to set the minimum level of quality for all activities, products, and services.
What are some of the beliefs, expectations, and behaviors (the culture) here at
NDPD?
BELIEFS
EXPECTATIONS
BEHAVIORS
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4-6
TQP Student Guide
Why Do We Need a Common Quality Culture?
1. To "speak the same language," so we can communicate effectively with each
other on quality topics.
2. To direct our energies toward activities which most benefit the organizational
quality goals.
3. To prioritize our efforts in accordance with our common quality values.
4. To achieve a synergy of efforts in which the sum of our efforts is greater
than the individual efforts.
(Svnergv means that the combined efforts of the parts is greater than the
individual pans would be able to produce by themselves.)
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TQP Student Guide
4-7
How Do We Bring About a Cultural Change?
1. If we are to switch from our current cultural value system to one that better
supports quality efforts, what must we do?
What happens when everyone sets separate objectives?
(Example: Marching Band)
Why do people tend to resist change, even when it is for the better?
"Remember that it takes time to make a cultural change.'
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4-8 TQP Student Guide
Meaningful Measurements
We need measurements to:
1. Evaluate how well we are cunently doing, fpasgljnp Measurement)
2. Track our improvement. (Results Measurement')
3. Enable us to make data-based decisions.
4. Set meaningful goals.
Why do you think developing measurements in a service environment is so
challenging?
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TQP Student Guide
4-9
of Measurement
The following fundamentals of measurement work for both service and production
environments:
1. Keep it simple.
2. Determine what the end goal or composite result should be.
3. Establish a
4. Use action-oriented measures.
5. Identify items or activities that do not conform to your customer's needs and
expectations.
6. Have dear priorities.
7. Select meaningful measures.
8. Measure what is pertinent.
9. Look for frequent performance problems.
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4-10 TQP Student Guide
Education
Education has a special role in the Total Quality Process. It serves as a
means to do the following:
Communicate the common quality culture and language.
Empower employees by giving them methods and tools with which to
implement the Total Quality Process and to do their jobs more
efficiently.
Develop teamwork in quality improvement exercises.
"The significant problems that we face today cannot be solved at the same level of
thinking that created them,"
- Albert E. Einstein
Education enables us to work "smarter".
Everyone can be a quality educator.
"Insanity is doing the same thing you have always done, but expecting different results."
- Anonymous
Education can give us the tools and the processes to do things better.
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Student Guide
4-11
Communication and Recognition
Why are communications and recognition so important to our total quality effort?
What kinds of communication and recognition would be most meaningful to you? To
your peers?
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4-12 TQP Student Guide
What is a Process?
Formal A series of steps to transform input(s) to output(s) (with input or
Definition output being information, product, or service).
Informal The steps used to perform work.
Definition
Some terms commonly used to indicate processes are:
• System
Method
Procedure
Technique
What are some processes in which you are involved every day?
"Everything that we do is pan of a process.*
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TQ? Student Guide
+13
Identifying a Process
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Identifying a process helps us to perform the following functions:
1. Identify customer needs and expectations.
2. Establish common metrics for the supplier and the customer to measure
output.
3. Identify problems as soon as possible after their occurrence by monitoring
the output of subprocesses.
4. Communicate what is learned from each problem so the knowledge can be
shared with others encountering similar problems.
S. Take immediate action to identify and modify the "root cause" of the
problem.
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4-14
TQP Student Guide
Process Example: Teaching a Class
The following figure teaches the process for teaching a class.
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If expectations are known by both the customer and the supplier at each interface and
if measurements are established, it is possible to track the effectiveness of the process
and improve it.
It is possible to track the effectiveness of a process and improve it if the following are
true:
Expectations are known by the customer and the supplier at each
interface.
• Measurements are established.
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Student Guide
4-15
V/hat is Process Ownership?
ADVANTAGES:
PROCESS OWNERSHIP
DISADVANTAGES:
NON-PROCESS OWNERSHIP
•
Why is Process Ownership Needed?
• To understand the process.
• To focus responsibility for the process.
To empower someone to make necessary changes in the process.
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4-16
TQP Student Guide
Typical Process Problems
Following are some typical process problems:
Total Process Not Defined
Example:
Process Owner Not Identified
Example:
Subprocesses Optimized Instead of Total Process
Example;
Process Not Measured
Example:
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TQP Student Guide
4-17
Exercise: Improving Total Quality Process Elements In Your
Organization
In your organization, how could you improve the following Total Quality Process
elements?
Management Commitment
Common Quality Culture
Measurement
Quality Education
Quality Communications and Recognition
Process Ownership
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4-18 TQP Student Guide
Continuous Improvement
• The'"working" part of the Total Quality Process.
Utilizes the environment created by all the other elements to provide
improvement of systems and services in the advancement of quality.
Essential to attaining a competitive edge.
"If we are not improving, we are falling behind the competition."
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Student Guide
4-19
Seven Steps to Continuous Improvement
Chang*
Process Permanently
1
6
Evaluate
Effect* of
Change
Identify
Customer/Supplier
Relationships
Implement
Change In a
Controlled Environment
l
Determine
Customer
Define
Work
Process
Identify
Candidate
Procea* Change
NOTE: People have a tendency to want to skip the first three steps and go directfy to solving
a problem.
Make sure that you do qtt the steps.
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4.20 TQP Student Guide
Conclusion
MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT is the leadership, support, and consistency of
action which drives the quality process.
• A COMMON CULTURE AND LANGUAGE is necessary to provide a consistent way
of looking at quality throughout the site.
MEASUREMENTS that are meaningful to our environment and which are true
indicators of the quality of work that we are doing must be used.
EDUCATION is the main means of transferring the values, methods, and tools of
the Total Quality Process.
COMMUNICATION AND RECOGNITION communicates our quality values and
rewards individual and team efforts.
PROCESS OWNERSHIP and recognition of PROCESS DEPENDENCIES effectively
integrate all processes and cross-functional efforts.
We must CONTINUALLY IMPROVE what we do to meet the customer's
expectations better.
"Good enough is never enough!
Quality is a race without a finish linen.
-------
Module 5:
Practicing and
Implementing the Total
Quality Process (TQP)
-------
-------
TQP Student Guide
5-1
MODULES: PRACTICING AND IMPLEMENTING THE TOTAL
QUALITY PROCESS (TQP)
Module Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to do the following:
Follow the seven steps of the Total Quality Process.
Use the following Total Quality Process tools:
- Brainstorming
- Progressive Elimination Process (PEP)
- Affinity Diagram
- Selection Matrix
— Root Cause Analysis
— Flowcharts
- Force Field Analysis
— Fishbone Diagram
- Pareto Diagram
- Trend Chart
Use the Total Quality Process steps and tools to begin solving an actual
quality problem.
-------
5-2 TQP Student Guide
Total Quality Process Steps and Tools
Tools; Brainstorming
Progressive Elimination Process (PEP)
Affinity Diagrams
Selection Matrix
Root Cause Analysis (Causal Chain)
Step 1 - Identify customer/supplier relationships
Step 2 - Determine customer needs and expectations
Step 3 - Define the work process
Tool: Flowcharts
Step 4 - Identify candidate process change
Tools: Force Field Analysis
Fishbone Diagrams
Pareto Diagrams
Step 5 - Implement change in a controlled environment
Step 6 - Evaluate effects of change
Tool: Trend Chart
Step 7 - Change process permanently
Tool: Action Plan
*
-------
TQP Student Guide
5-3
Select and Prioritize Quality Improvement Issues
Keep the following points in mind when selecting and prioritizing quality
improvement issues:
• Do not jump in and try to solve the problem right away.
Agree on boundaries.
Segregate symptoms (effects) from real problems.
Combine similar or connected problems.
Narrow the list to the few most important problems.
Select the most important problem, based on feasibility,
impact, and urgency criteria.
-------
5-4 TQP Student Guide
Brainstorming
Purpose
* To generate a list of ideas about an issue.
• To permit open expression of ideas without fear of criticism.
Process
• Decide on topic.
• Each member offers an idea about the topic.
Record responses on a flip chart or in post-it notes.
• Continue the process until responses slow down.
Discuss and clarify issues on the list.
Remove redundant issues.
Look for issues that can be combined.
Guidelines
• Before you begin
Make sure no non-team members are present.
Limit time for input (10 to 20 minutes).
Getting responses
One suggestion at a time per person.
OK to pass when you do not have an idea.
Ideas offered only when it is your turn. (Write down ideas
between turns.)
Non-critical atmosphere.
Build on the ideas of others.
Keep pace quick.
Move on when ideas slow down.
Variation
Contingency brainstorming.
-------
TQP Student Guide
5-5
Progressive Elimination Process (PEP)
Purpose
Select a few items for consideration when there are many items to be
considered.
Process
Consider the feasibility, impact, and urgency of each item.
Select three items which you would rate highest based on a combination
of the three criteria.
Have each voter write down their three choices.
Select the five items that have the highest number of votes for further
analysis using the Affinity Program.
Guidelines
If there are over 30 items on the list, give voters a number of votes equal
to 10% of the total number of items.
Have each voter write down their three choices prior to voting (to avoid
the "bandwagon" effect).
Voters can vote for individual items or distribute their votes any way they
want.
Use this tool when you have a large list of items.
-------
5-6
TQP Student Guide
Affinity Diagram
Purpose
To group ideas.
Pi-
Write each idea on a self-adhesive note.
Spread notes on table.
Group similar ideas together.
After three minutes are up, discuss groupings and develop titles for
groups.
Eliminate obvious duplications.
Guidelines
Give the participants three minutes to group the ideas.
No talking is permitted while ideas are being grouped.
Make sure everyone knows the procedure being followed.
Do not permit one person to dominate.
Keep the group titles in the language of the original problem.
-------
TQtP Student Guide
5-7
Selection Matrix
Purpose
Another means of narrowing down items generated from a brainstorming
list to the most important items.
Process
List brainstormed items on a "Selection Matrix" form.
Determine your rating criteria (i.e., feasibility, impact, urgency, cost, etc.).
Rate each item (1-10, with 1 being low).
Determine ranking.
Select highest priority items for action.
Guidelines
Develop and define rating criteria which are meaningful to your situation.
<
Selection Matrix
Goal or Problem Statement
_ j _. ,~^ —
nopoMd Pn>)
-------
I
5-8
TQP Student Guide
Exercise: Vacation Choice
Time: 7 days, 6 nights
Funds: $3,000 per person
Choices:
• Mam, Hawaii
•Vale, Colorado
• Lizard Lick, NC
• Cape Hatteras, NC
•Washington, DC
• Disney World, Florida
1
<
Selection Matrix
Soal or Problem Statement
Proposed Project/Change Description
Fusibility
Impact
Urgency
Rank
-------
Student Guide
5-9
Root Cause Analysis (The "Why" Technique)
Purpose
• To get to the root cause of a problem.
Pn
Select a single item from the list of problems.
• Ask "Why?" until the root cause is found.
Guidelines
Remember that items may have multiple causes. The most common
mistake is thinking that there is a simple solution to a complex problem.
• Create separate chains when needed.
• Multiple items may have the same cause.
Do not jump the steps in the chain.
Fixing one problem may help solve other problems.
Root Cause Analysis
What is the apparent situation ?
User It unable to
log on to the
electronic mail
system.
Why?
User hat an
in correct
password.
Why?
User typed the
letter 'O* instead
of the number
zero.
Why?
Password list
did not differentiate
between the letter "O*
and the number zero.
-------
5-10 TQP Student Guide
Step 1: Identify Customer/Supplier Relationships
• Who are your customers?
• Are they internal or external or both?
What service or product do you provide to your customer as their supplier?
• Does everyone involved have a common understanding of the custom-
er/supplier relationships?
-------
TQP Student Guide
S-ll
Step 2: Determine Customer Needs and Expectations
Think of the customer/supplier relationship as a . The supplier can
best meet the customer's needs and expectations if the customer gives them
the dearest requirements possible. Customers need to talk and suppliers
need to listen!
Develop a common
of customer needs and expectations.
Try to think like your customer/supplier.
Share
Establish
Develop an attitude of
'Seek first to understand and then to bt understood.* - Stephen Covey
Ask your customers these key questions:
1. What do you need from me?
2. Are there any gaps between what I give you and what you need?
3. What do you do with what I give you?
• Try to determine the
needs and expectations that are not stated.
-------
5-12 TTy Student Guide
Step 3: Define the Work Process
• Before you can make meaningful changes to a process, you must first thor-
oughly understand it as it currently exists.
Establish the sequential flow of tasks.
Identify all inputs and outputs and where they occur.
Reexamine the customer/supplier relationships. Have any new customers or
suppliers been identified since the process has been defined?
* Determine how the process can be measured.
- What are the relevant, meaningful, and measurable things about the
process that indicate how well the process is working?
— What will our definition of success or improvement be?
Collect current data as a baseline of how well the current process performs.
-------
TQP Student Guide
5-13
Flowchart
Purpose
* To use symbols to depict the steps of a work process.
Process
• Gather a group of people who represent the various parts of the process.
Decide where the process begins and ends.
• Brainstorm the main activities and decision points in the process.
Arrange these activities and decision points in the proper order, using arrows
to show the direction of the flow of the process.
Break down complex activities to show their component parts.
• Review the process flow to insure accuracy and completeness in describing
the process.
Guidelines
* Try to include all customers and suppliers, if possible.
Write these activities and decision points on post-its to make it easier to
rearrange them.
Flow Chart for Developing the Email Course
f Start J
•j.
Determine
Requirements
^
w
Develop
Course
Outline
*.
Test
Against
Requirements
Develop
Prepare
Prepare
Print Class
fe,
Material
r iv«*iii*kivii
Material
w
OTUuvm
Book Material
POORS ana
Transparencies
Give Course
to Students
•r
Evaluate
Course
Yes
-------
5-14
TQP Student Guide
Structured Flowchart
Purpose
• Graphically represents a process to make it easier to understand.
• A means of defining the work process.
• Identifies major activities.
• Identifies relationships with suppliers and customers.
Process
Determine which process you want to graphically represent.
» Determine how many different areas of responsibility you want to represent.
* Put headings on each column to identify responsible people, work groups,
organizations, etc.
Brainstorm for activities and decision points.
• Arrange process steps into proper order in the categories.
• Indicate flow of control and decision points.
Guidelines
* Get input from all participants in the process (customers and suppliers).
Break down complex activities into their component parts.
Structured Flow Chart for Developing the Email Course
Education Editorial/Graphic* Reproduction
•nc
-------
TQ? Student Guide
5-15
Step 4: Identify Candidate Process for Change
Analyze data from current process.
Identify and prioritize problem areas.
• Determine causes of problems.
Identify and prioritize potential process improvements.
Apply the "Rule of Tens."
Plan change implementation and verification:
— Identify measurements needed and how to collect them.
- If measurements are different from those identified on original
process, you may have to go back and collect additional data on that
process. _.. -
Establish a goal for the effects of change.
- If the goal is not met, try again.
Focus on prevention and root causes.
-------
5-16
TQP Student Guide
Force Field Analysis
Purpose
• To generate a list of driving forces and restraining forces.
• Identify means of changing the balance between the restraining and driving
forces.
Process
Draw a Force Field Analysis chart.
Write a description of the current situation at the bottom of the "brick wall."
Write a description of the desired situation at the bottom of the left-hand
margin line.
Brainstorm to generate a list of driving forces.
Discuss ideas for altering selected factors to increase chances of success.
Prioritize the factors in the order of impact in restraining or driving toward
the desired results.
• Brainstorm for ways of altering the high-priority factors, creating a problem
solution statement.
Evaluate the solution as to its viability.
* If the solution is viable, make a list of action items to alter the forces. If not,
develop another solution.
Guidelines
• It is easier to change restraining forces.
When driving forces are increased, people may feel pushed and resist change.
• If stuck, use negative approach.
DM
OHM
Force FieU
HMMInlnQ FOfOM
M Pi
Wen OB
1
1
«M
MH
Analysis
DIWWIQ FGVOWp
M
Hen
-------
TQP Student Guide
5-17
Force Field Analysis Example
Retraining ForcM
r BMVto* contact
unaura of wn*ra to direct <
Cuatamare aofnathnat ptA on
how whan ncoannm»>» are at
Mich, on break, or »fcfc
Driving Forces
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Currant Situation
CtMtomart wM In txcaat ol S
minutM b*tora they Utk to
•QfiwofM wno ctfi
qucttlons.
-------
5-18
TQP Student Guide
Fishbone Diagram (Also known as the Cause and Effect Diagram)
Purpose
• To generate possible root causes of a problem or an effect.
• Write a description of the problem/effect in the box.
* Determine what major categories of factions contribute to the effect or
problem.
• Write these categories in the boxes.
• Brainstorm for possible causes of the problem in each category.
Select and circle the most probable causes.
• Rank the causes in order of their contribution to the problem.
• Begin designing a solution.
Guidelines
• Works best after data has been collected and the problem is fairly well
understood.
These categories are used most often: methods, machines, materials, and
people.
Fishbone Diagram
CIUM
C*UM
DtttilX
p»unX
XX
7
Possible cause categories
Method!
Machine*
Materials
People
Rank causes
Select highest linked causes for action
Effect
(Problem)
-------
TQI» Student Guide
5-19
Fishbone Diagram Example
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knewNou*-
IBfTWf fWt D4MI Ofl npM
• ewtaln •mount el
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npraaaniathrMi know
«tttnto«ractalla
-------
TQP Student Guide
S-20
Pareto Diagram
Purpose
• Displays the relative importance of data.
Highlights the vital few in contrast to the trivial many.
Helps identify which problems, causes, or conditions are the most significant
or frequent.
Process
Collect data.
• Arrange data in categories.
* Create a bar chart in descending order.
* Group miscellaneous items to the right.
Look for the Pareto effect (80/20) to identify the major problem(s).
Guidelines
• Each bar represents a different category of occurrence.
• You must have valid measurements for this tool to work.
Example of Pareto Diagram
Numb* of
40
30
20
10
-------
ITQP Student Guide
5-21
MEASUREMENT WORKSHEET
(Adapted from Philip Crosby)
Candidate Process for Change:
Team Members:
1. Describe the process to be measured.
2. Describe the means of measurement.
3. Data collection:
a. By whom?
b. When and how often?
c. How?
4. Conduct a baseline measurement and record results.
5. Data dissemination:
a. Who records the data measured?
b. How is this data graphically represented?
c. Who needs to be aware of this information?
d. How is this information communicated?
6. Who will evaluate the effects of the change?
-------
5-22 TQP Student Guide
Step 5: Implement Change in a Controlled Environment
• Develop and adhere to an implementation plan.
Make sure that there is a common understanding and agreement between the
supplier and customer as to what is being implemented.
If new procedures are used, make sure that they are written and that they
are followed exactly as they are written.
Change the existing process temporarily.
If several areas use the same process, change only one thing at a time.
Simulation and/or modeling can be used but make sure that the real process
is being represented.
Implement the change in a controlled environment that resembles the real
work environment as much as possible.
• Assess the impact of undoing the change if it does not work.
Collect data according to the plan developed in Step 4 to ensure that the
"changed process" is being measured.
• Beware of any outside influences that may impact results.
-------
ITQI* Student Guide
5-23
Step 6: Evaluate Effects of Change
• Be objective.
• Analyze data.
Compare change and data collection with plan.
* Make a decision based on the data.
• If results are not satisfactory, do the following:
Document all results (positive or negative).
Reward participants for using the process.
-------
5-24
TQP Student Guide
Trend Chan
Purpose
• Graphically depict data over time.
Process
• Choose a pleasure and put it on a vertical axis.
• Choose a time interval for taking measurements and put it on the horizontal
axis.
• Enter the measurement (data points) chronologically on the chart.
Connect the data points by drawing a line.
Guidelines
Look for patterns or trends.
Trend Chart Example
!:=
I I I I I
January February March April May
(month)
Juna
Number of days to process an expense report at RTP
-------
ITQP Student Guide
5-25
Step 7: Change Process Permanently
Communication is the most important part of this step.
The following information needs to be communicated to all affected
processes and individuals:
of the change
for the change
for the change:
- Implementation
1. What?
2. To Whom?
3. By When?
4. How?
Implement change.
Make measurements to assure that planned improvements are still valid
when implemented in the "real" environment.
Do follow-up measurements at a specific time in the future to ensure that the
change is continuing to have the desired effect.
-------
5-26
TQP Student Guide
Action Plan
Purpose
» An Action Plan is an outline of who wOl do what, when, and by what
methods.
It ensures that nothing is left to chance when a change is implemented.
Process
Create a chart or flowchart that depicts the plan of action . Consider the answers
to the following questions as you develop your chart:
What needs to be done?
• When does each task need to be done?
* Who will do each task?
How will it be done?
What resources are needed?
Are there any special circumstances or needs that should be taken into
account?
Guidelines
• Put the plan in writing.
• Use a chart or a flowchart.
Action Plan for Developing a Technical Training Course Manual
Action
To Be Taken
Research
Training
Count
Develop
Training
Count
frj.»..-i
Review
Training
Count
Mutual
Insert
Review
Changes
Dvtn»
mm
Count
Manual
Date
Completed
4/4/92
3/30/92
*/15/92
6/20/92
7/1/92
People
Responsible
Educational
Service*
Department
Staff
ST. Training
Writer
Technical
n«n^^*
experts
Sr. Training
Writer
Publication*
Method
• Develop
Survey
• Conduct
Survey
Use standard
curricuhiin
lia • t !••• ^| I, 1 ••
ueugnmoori
Check
accuracy
again*
•^JM^MJW
mvi^sioc
manual
Mark off
change as
ills
entered
In-house
copier
Resource*
Needed
Desktop
Publishing
Desktop
Publishing
• Reference
Manual
• Proofreader's
•heel
Desktop
Publishing
»py
Special
Needs
• Data Analysis
Assistance
• Advice on
survey
questions
Clerical
support
Large print
(Uptste)
Clear editing
marks
Binders and
dividers for
manuals
I
-------
TQP Student Guide
5-27
Team Exercise
Select one of the following options:
Option 1
You may continue working on the process you flowcharted.
If time permits, try to do the following:
— Identify candidate process change (Step 4) and develop a set of
measurements.
— Develop an implementation plan.
- Develop a communication strategy for implementing the change.
(Since you cannot really test the change, for exercise purposes,
assume that the change was successful.)
Option 2
You may select another issue and take it through as many of the seven steps
as possible.
-------
5-28 TQP Student Guide
Conclusion
In this module you used the seven steps of the Total Quality Process and the
Total Quality Process tools to change a process.
You will continue to use these steps and tools as work on quality issues in
the workplace. They are the backbone of the continuous improvement
process.
-------
Module 6:
What Can
I Do?
-------
-------
It ?P Student Guide
6-1
MODULE 6: WHAT I CAN DO?
Module Objectives
By the end of this module, you will be able to do the following:
Describe the Circle of Concern and the Circle of Influence as they relate to
proactivity and reactivity.
• Identify proactive steps you can take to increase quality in your workplace.
Determine your own quality leadership style.
Explain the types of activities that take place in the four quadrants of the
Time Management Matrix and how they impact on working smarter as
opposed to working harder.
-------
6-2
TQP Student Guide
I
What Difference Can One Person Make?
How much difference do you think one person can make?
Circle of
Concern
Circle of
Influence
The Circle of Concern encompasses things over which we have no real
control.
The Circle of Influence encompasses things we can do something about.
-------
TQP Student Guide
6-3
Proactive People Versus Reactive People
Proactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Influence. They work on the
things they can do something about. The nature of their energy is positive,
enlarging, and magnifying, causing their Circle of Influence to increase.
Reactive people focus their efforts in the Circle of Concern. They focus on the
weaknesses of other people .,. and circumstances over which they have no control.
Their focus results in blaming and accusing attitudes, reactive language, and
increased feelings of victimization. The negative energy generated by that focus,
combined with neglect in areas they could do something about, causes their circle
of Influence to shrink."
Stephen Covey
From The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
"Proactive or reactive? Which are you?"
-------
64 TQP Student Guide
Be Proactive by Taking These Steps:
• Take ownership.
Understand your process.
• Identify process problems and establish quality teams to resolve them.
Use the seven steps every day.
• Adopt quality as a passion.
• Be consistent.
Provide positive energy.
Set some goals — do something.
Ask "Why?"
Put yourself in your customer's/supplier's shoes.
Aim for "Win/Win" in all your relationships.
-------
TQP Student Guide
Is quality-driven or motivated in every effort.
Has a constant
focus.
6-5
Envelop Your Own Quality Leadership Style
Champion
• Views quality as a
Model
Makes quality part of doing the job.
Does right things right.
Mentor
Acts as a
to others.
what they know and what works for them.
Sponsors and supports the quality efforts of individuals and other teams.
-------
6-6
Student Guide
Working Smarter
We may not always be able to work longer, harder, or have more time to complete
a task. With declining budgets, we must learn instead to work smarter - to use the
time we have to the fullest advantage.
If we examine where we are spending the bulk of our time, we can identify ways
that we can make the most of the time that we do have.
There are four types of activities in which we spend our time:
Th
•
e Time Management Matrix
1 Urgent
Important
3 Urgent
Not Important
2 Not Urgent
Important
4 Not Urgent
Not Important
The 4 Time Activity Quadrants
(Concept taken from Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.")
-------
TQP Student Guide
6-7
Written Activity
Take a few minutes to list the activities in which you are involved in the appropriate
quadrants.
Quadrant 1: Urgent and important:
Quadrant 2: Not urgent, but important:
Quadrant 3: Urgent, but not important:
Quadrant 4: Not urgent and not important:
-------
6-8
TQP Student Guide
Making the Most of Your Time
The goal should be to work in Quadrant 2: Not Urgent, but Important
* Quadrant 2 is the proactive quadrant.
» If we do the planning, develop our assets, and invest in our relation-
ships, we will begin to see a decline in the amount of time we spend
in the other quadrants, especially quadrant 1.
Focusing on quadrant 2 activities makes you work smarter by enabling you to be
proactive in how you spend your time.
The Time Management Matrix
JL Urgent
Important
O Urgent
Not Important
2 Not Urgent
Important
4 Not Urgent
Not Important
Quadrant 2:
^ The
Answer
The Four Time Activity Quadrants
-------
1QP Student Guide
6-9
Memo To Myself
The "Memo to Myself' asks you to think about the following:
The three most useful insights gained.
Your rating of your own personal commitment to quality improvement in
your organization.
Three quality improvement initiatives that you will begin to implement in the
next 30 days.
Other insights and comments.
-------
6-10 TQP Student Guide
Conclusion
• Did you get what you needed?
What is next?
• Help us to improve.
-------
Appendix A:
Evaluation
Materials
-------
-------
TQP Student Guide
A-l
Memo to Myself
Date:
Dear
The three most useful insights I gained during the Total Quality Process dass were:
1.
2.
3.
I rate my own personal commitment to quality as
The three quality improvement initiatives that I will begin to implement within the next
30 days are
1.
2.
3.
I had the following other insights
Sincerely,
-------
-------
Total Quality Process (TOP)
SESSION EVALUATION FORM
This was a: Seminar (1 day)
Location (city.state): '
Facllltator(s):
.Workshop (2 days) Workshop (3 days)
Date:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Optional):
I am a: Professional Manager Exempt Non-exempt
Employed by: Unisys A Unisys Customer A Unisys Supplier
My organization Is:
Please read each statement carefully and circle the appropriate response:
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
1. I could frequently relate the session's content to
issues I face in my job.
2. The session provided me with practical and useful
ideas and techniques.
3. This was not just another abstract and theoretical
program which will be difficult to apply at work.
4. The value I received was definitely wonh the time
spent.
5. I will recommend this session to others.
6. If I could make the decision over again, I would
attend this session.
7. Overall, I think this has been an excellent experience.
8. The expectations I had prior to attending were well
satisfied.
9- The session materials used were of high quality and
professionally printed.
10 The materials will provide a useful reference guide
which I will use frequently.
11. If my manager hasn't/hadn't already attended this
session, I strongly recommend that he/she do so.
12. The facilitator(s) demonstrated an excellent
knowledge of the session content.
13. The facilitaior(s) presented the material in a clear
and interesting manner.
14. The facilitators) encouraged interaction and
participation.
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an*w«r th« questions on both »d«s ot this •valuation form. Thank you lor your h«lp in improving th«t« wtsions.
-------
1. The three most valuable parts of this session are:
a)
b),
c).
2. The three least valuable pans of this session are:
a) :
b).
c),
3. This session could have been more rewarding for me if: (comment on unfulfilled
expectations, potential additional topics, facility or environment in which the session was
held, etc.)
4. Things I tike / jjpn't like about the session materials and/or flow are:
5. When I get back to my job, the major action item(s) I intend to undertake as a result of this
session is/are:
-------
Appendix B:
Class
Tools
-------
-------
TQP Student Guide
B-l
1
<
Selection Matrix
Goal or Problem Statement
Proposed Project/Change Description
Feasibility
Impact
Urgency
Rank
Determine the goal or problem statement.
Brainstorm list of items that are possible causes/solutions (as the case may
be) to the problem or possible means of achieving the goal.
Rate each item according to your criteria on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 is low, 10
is high).
Average the criteria ratings for each item and place this number in the
"Rank" column.
Address the item with the highest ranking.
-------
B-2
TQP Student Guide
Force Field Analysis
-*•
-*>
+>
-*•
•*•
DVWIHQ POfCtS
CcMidKlon
Common
Write a description of the current situation at the bottom of the centerline
in the "Present Condition" field.
Write a description of the desired situations at the bottom of the left-hand
margin line in the "Desired Condition" field.
Brainstorm and list possible restraining forces.
Brainstorm and list possible driving forces.
Discuss ideas for altering selected factors to increase chances of success.
Prioritize the factors in the order of impact in restraining or driving toward
the desired results.
Brainstorm for ways of altering the high-priority factors, creating a problem
solution statement.
Evaluate the solution as to its viability.
If the solution is viable, make a list of action items to alter the forces. If it
is not viable, develop another solution.
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TQP Student Guide
B-3
FISHBONE DIAGRAM
(Cause and Effect Diagram)
METHODS
I MACHINES
MATERIALS
PEOPLE
Effector
Problem
Brainstorm for possible causes in each category.
List possible causes on chart.
Rank causes (using Selection Matrix).
Take action on highest ranked cause.
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B-4 TQP Student Guide
MEASUREMENT WORKSHEET
(Adapted from Philip Crosby)
Candidate Process for Change:
Team Members:
1. Describe the process to be measured.
2. Describe the means of measurement.
3. Data collection:
a. By whom?
b. When and how often?
c. How?
4. Conduct a baseline measurement and record results.
5. Data dissemination:
a. Who records the data measured?
b. How is this data graphically represented?
c. Who needs to be aware of this information?
d. How is this information communicated?
6. Who will evaluate the effects of the change?
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Appendix C:
Corrective Action
Request (CAR)
Activity
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TQP Student Guide
C-l
CORRECTIVE ACTION REQUEST ACTIVITY
INTRODUCTION
Unisys is committed to total customer satisfaction and the delivery of error-free
products and services on time, every time. To promote this policy and to ensure
that its concepts are made an integral part of our ongoing management and work
processes, we will continue to implement the Unisys Ouality/Productivitv
Improvement Process (O/PIP). This process is based on the Philip Crosby quality
assurance principles which are used nationwide by many of America's largest
corporations.
IPuipose of the Corrective Action Request (CAR)
The EPA NDPD Facilities Management (FM) Project recently added a new
component to Q/PIP: an activity called Corrective Action Request (CAR1. The
purpose of this activity is to identify and remove basic, root causes that contribute
to the repetition of the same problem.
Corrective actions can be achieved when the following activities take place:
1. The individual affected identifies and reports'the cause.
2. Formal corrective actions are taken at whatever levels are required.
In addition to correcting problems, the CAR activity also ensures a "hassle-free"
environment in which all project employees are encouraged to do their best at all
times.
Advantages of CAR
The current programs and activities comprising Q/PIP emphasize quality service
through daily attention to identifying, analyzing, and resolving a wide variety of
problems; however, there remains a major need for a simple and easy-to-use
method whereby each employee can invoke a formal, systematic process to identify
and resolve problems that prevent optimum personal performance in the workplace.
The CAR activity provides such a method.
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C-2 ^ TQP Student Guide
The CAR activity has the following advantages:
• CAR asks employees only to identify and report the problem. Employees do
not need to provide a proposed solution (although recommendations are
solicited).
• It encourages resolution at the lowest possible level while ensuring escalation
of the matter to whatever level is required to eliminate the root cause. CAR
goes well beyond the routine "quick fix" and helps remove recurring barriers
to excellence.
• CAR emphasizes shared responsibilities by the individual employee and
project management to provide a cooperative environment.
• It enables each employee to initiate constructive change and to contribute to
total program excellence through improvement of the function each knows
best: his or her own job.
• CAR is the fundamental weapon against repeated problems and errors, thus
reducing frustration and waste.
ESTABLISHED BASE FOR THE CAR ACTIVITY
The EPA FM Project already has in place a set of strong, fully operational quality
and productivity enhancement processes. These processes, however, generally
address operational problems that are typically nonreperitive because they involve
such a large number of variables (including different customers, individual
expectations, and changing needs). These current processes include the following:
• Centralized Problem Management System (CPM)
Change Management Procedures (CMP)
Telecommunications Service Request (TSR)
MVS Integrated Control System (MICS)
In addition, there is an employee suggestion system to convey constructive ideas and
to voice concerns to management. It is sponsored and assisted by the FM Project
Employee Relations Council.
Note that the CAR activity will not supplant any of these vital programs, some of
which are designed primarily for the user community. Instead, the CAR activity will
encompass those problems and quality assurance issues not included in the other
programs but still necessary to promote productivity and to enhance the working
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Student Guide
C-3
environment and relationships. Working from the established base, a comprehensive
corrective action program will be built to ensure that tasks are performed correctly
the first time, every time.
Centralized Problem Management System
The Centralized Problem Management (CPM) System provides an orderly means by
which the users of NCC resources may enter defined problems into the CPM System
for review, timely resolution, and follow-up. (The CPM system is described in detail
in Report 271/001, EPA Centralized Problem Management System User Guide.")
CZhange Management Procedures
Change Management Procedures (CMP) relate to the management control of the
operating environment at the EPA's National Computer Center and its remote logical
mainframe sites. The Change Management Council provides a visible forum for
coordination, communication, and control of all significant changes to the NCC
operating environment. (The CPM is described in detail in Report 245/001 A,
Change Management Control Procedures Manual.)
Telecornmunications Service Request
The Telecommunications Service Request (TSR) provides an orderly method for the
user to request input changes to their telecommunications environment. The TSR
is a problem elimination process because it facilitates control of capacity, growth,
and implementation of new technology. (The TSR is described in a formal TSR
procedure and is available in the revised NDPD Standard for Telecommunications.)
MVS Integrated Control System
The MVS Integrated Control System (MICS) is a tailored, automated tool used to
support and validate the management decision-making process at three levels:
strategic, tactical, and operational. It provides improved communications, better-
informed decisions, avoided costs, and historical records and trends. Though not
a problem resolution system itself, it provides a basis and supporting data for the
total monitoring, evaluation, and decision-making environment. (MICS, along with
CPM and CMP, is described in Report 354/001, Decision Support System Guided
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C4
TQP student Guide
Employee Suggestion Program
The Employee Suggestion Program, administered through the FM Project Employee
Relations Council fERO. provides strategically located suggestion boxes in which
employees may place improvement ideas and suggestions. The ERG then reviews,
analyzes, and refers these items to management for further consideration. The
program is highly useful for informal communications, especially those involving
anonymous concerns and personal ideas for improving the working environment.
Related Activities
Ad hoc and regularly scheduled meetings conducted throughout the project are a
further source of problem identification and resolution. These meetings serve for
communicating problems, sharing ideas, and providing timely "fixes" for ongoing
operational concerns.
In addition, many employees attend training courses and professional meetings and
conferences. A basic purpose of such attendance is to increase the employee's
awareness of problem identification and resolution and to develop better work
products and methods.
COMPONENTS OF THE CAR ACTIVITY
Levels of Activity
The Corrective Action Request Form (Form N 424) is basic to the CAR process. The
forms are available from each departmental secretary. (There is a copy of this form
at the end of this document.)
Employees should complete the form and submit it through normal supervisory
channels for priority attention.
Within the CAR process, identified problems must be documented and resolved
formally. The most efficient method is through five established levels of activity:
1. Within the Work Unit. Meetings are held, as necessary, to examine reported
problems and to determine methods of eliminating causes. If a problem is
not resolved at this level, it becomes a matter for departmental consideration.
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TQP Student Guide
C-5
Within a Department. Supervisory and managerial staff hold weekly
meetings to review problems which were unresolved within the work unit.
Members of other departments involved with the problems also attend the
meetings.
a. If the problem is resolved satisfactorily, the Corrective Action Form
(Form N 424) and a copy of the problem's resolution are forwarded
to the Quality/Productivity Improvement Team (Q/PIT) for closure
and record purposes. Most problems will more than likely be resolved
at these first two levels.
b. If the problem cannot be corrected within the work unit or depart-
ment, the submitter completes the Corrective Action Form (Form N
424) and forwards it to the department Q/PIT.
Q/Prr Weekly Meetings. The department Q/PIT holds weekly meetings
during which a standing agenda item is to review any unresolved problems.
Items reaching this level should be specific. Those requiring complex or
long-range action are assigned to an ad hoc corrective action team.
Ad Hoc Teams. Ad hoc corrective action teams are appointed by the Q/PIT
and consist of responsible members of each affected work area, with one
member appointed coordinator. The tasks are specified by Q/PIT, along with
associated completion times. The ad hoc team is dissolved when the problem
is resolved and closed by Q/PIT.
Site Q/PIT. If department Q/PITs are unable to resolve the problem
satisfactorily, Corrective Action Request Form (Form N 424) is forwarded to
the site Q/PIT for appropriate action. They, in turn, may "bump" the
problem through the site manager to the System Development Group's O/PIT
Council, as necessary.
Corrective Action Flow
The following corrective actions are used by Q/PIT and the ad hoc corrective teams
to resolve problems:
1. Complete CAR Request Form. The Corrective Action Request Form (Form N
424), submitted via the supervisor and manager, should include the
following information:
a. A detailed account of action taken to date.
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TQP Student Guide
b. Reasons for the inability to resolve the problem at the lower levels.
Upon receipt by the department Q/PIT, the team reviews the problem and
logs the problem onto the CAR Status Log fForm N 425). Q/PIT takes the
following actions:
a. Retains a copy of the request.
b. Provides a copy to the ad hoc corrective action team, if one must be
appointed.
c. Reports back to the submitter within two weeks the status of the
action taken to that point.
2. Appoint Ad Hoc Team and Coordinator. For problems that cannot be quickly
resolved by Q/PIT, the Q/PIT appoints an ad hoc team to represent any
department connected with the problem. The member who is appointed
coordinator, reports the status of the problem to Q/PIT weekly.
3. Follow Ad Hoc Team Procedures. Using the Corrective Action Request Form
(Form N 424), the ad hoc task team reviews the reported problem. Then,
using a CAR Worksheet (Form N 426), the team analyzes and researches the
problem. The worksheet provides a checklist of each step taken and gives
the results derived during analysis, research, and implementation of
corrective action.
The ad hoc team first defines the following items:
a. The scope of the situation.
b. The processes involved.
c. The specific nonconformances.
A solution is applied, if necessary, to bring the existing problem back to
conformance. Then, the team works to find the root cause of the problem.
Once the root cause is revealed, corrective actions are determined to
eliminate it and to prevent its recurrence.
At this point, Q/PIT reviews the recommended corrective actions and either
approves implementation or requires that further work be done by the ad hoc
team. One member (usually the coordinator) assumes responsibility for
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TQP Student Guide
C-7
evaluating the effectiveness of corrective actions. The follow-up time is long
enough to determine whether or not the problem has been eliminated.
If the ad hoc team determines that the corrective action was not effective,
the team reassembles and again researches possible root causes. This process
continues until the problem is eliminated. A monthly report will be
developed by Q/PIT to monitor the status.
When the evaluation and follow-up is complete and the problem has been
eliminated, the ad hoc team ensures that all applicable documentation
(system documentation, procedure manuals, etc.) is updated and then
requests Q/PIT to close the task.
If the ad hoc team requires information not readily available to them, they
may request the information from Q/PIT by submitting an Action Item
Request (Form N 427). Q/PIT will then assign the action item to one of its
members within the area of expertise.
Close the Corrective Action Task. Once all the preceding requirements in the
corrective action flow have been completed and the documentation submitted
to Q/PIT, the ad hoc team is disbanded and the corrective action task is
dosed. Q/PIT updates the CAR Status Log (Form N 425) to reflect the
closure.
Site Q/PIT Procedures. If the problem is forwarded to the Site Q/PIT for
resolution, they will log the problem onto their own CAR Status Log (Form
N 425) and follow the same procedures as outlined in numbers 2, 3, and 4
above.
Training
To ensure the most effective use of the CAR activity, each site Q/PIT member
provides training to all employees represented by that member. The training covers
the following topics:
Corrective action flow.
• Corrective Action Request forms.
• Ad hoc team appointment.
Q/PIT involvement.
Corrective Action Request activities' place in the overall quality and
productivity improvement process.
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TQP Student Guide
Disposition of CAR Problem
The chairperson of Q/PIT (or his or her designee) personally contacts the original
submitter of the problem and makes certain that it has been resolved. If it has not
been resolved, the problem becomes a priority item on the agenda of the next Q/PIT
meeting.
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CORRECTIVE ACTION REQUEST (CAR)
TC-. Q/Prr
THROUGH: Supervisor
Department Manager
Date:
FROM:
DESCRIPTION OF NONCONFORMANCE:
Ha:; a Problem Management (PM) number been issued? If so, give PM number.
What "fixes" have already been applied?
Does a clear, written requirement exist? If so, where?
Whom does the problem impact?
Who, other than yourself, might help identify the root cause?
How will we tell when the root cause of the problem has been eliminated?
How urgent is it to resolve the problem? For example, what is the "cost" of its continuance?
What alternatives may be feasible?
COORDINATOR TO COMPLETE:
E'ate Logged:
Log Number:
Due Date:
The necessary actions are completed and submitter indicates satisfaction:
Date:
^Signed: Q/PIT Chairperson
M424
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CAR STATUS LOG
CAR*
DATE
SUBMITTER
NAME
DUE
DATE
CAR TEAM
COORDINATOR
DATE
COMPD
DATE
CLOSED
N425
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CAR WORKSHEET
A. IDENTIFY PROBLEM/DEFINE SITUATION
1. What is the scope of the problem?
2. What is the specific nonconformance being corrected?
3. Have the criteria for solution been defined? If so, what?
B. FIX PROBLEM
What" fixes" have (or will be) applied to avoid further complications by this problem?
C. DETERMINE ROOT CAUSE
1. List all possible reasons for the nonconformance.
2. Investigate all the opportunities for error listed in item Cl.
3. Determine the primary root cause.
N 426 (page 1 of 2)
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CAR WORKSHEET (Cont.)
D. DETERMINE CORRECTIVE ACTION
1. Which process will be changed?
2. What input of the process will change?
a. Equipment
b. Facilities
c. Procedures
d. Performance Stds.
e. Training
f. Consumable Input
g. Other
3. Who will approve the change of the process?
4. When will the change be implemented? _
5. What documentation changes will be required?
6. Who must be informed and concur with the changes before they are implemented?
7. Implement Corrective Action. Describe.
E. EVALUATE AND FOLLOW UP
1. Who is responsible for monitoring the situation?
2. What specific actions are to be performed for evaluation?
3. How long will the evaluation and follow-up continue?
4. Completion Date:
N426 (page 2 of 2)
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ACTION ITEM REQUEST FORM
Date:
CA#
Requestor:
E>escription of Information Needed
1.
Date Needed
5.
O/PIT Action
Assigned to Q/PIT Member _
Date Received by Ad Hoc Team
N427
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Appendix D:
Articles
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1'aken from Quality Improvement through Defect Prevention by Philip Crosby
Before leaving the subject of Zero Defects, another view is helpful. The following
section is adapted from "Quality is Free." It explains the concept of Zero Defects and is
helpful in explaining it to others.
The services and products of business are not good enough. Customer complaints are
rising; there is too much waste. Those products that work trouble free do so because of
iin investment in test, inspection and service that is out of proportion. Many companies
spend 20 percent of their sales dollar on reprocessing scrap, rework, warranty, service,
test and inspection. The errors that produce this waste are caused directly by the
jjcrsonnel of the company, both employees and management.
To eliminate this waste, to improve the operation, to become more efficient, we must
concentrate on preventing the defects and errors that plague us. The defect that is
prevented doesn't need repair, examination or explanation.
The first step is to examine and adopt the attitude of defect prevention. This attitude is
(ailed, symbolically, Zero Defects. Zero Defects is a standard for management, a
standard that management can convey to the employees to help them decide to "do the
job right the first time."
People are conditioned to believe that error is inevitable. We not only accept error, we
anticipate it. Whether we are designing circuits, programming a computer, planning a
project, selling the product, typing letters, completing an account ledger or assembling
components, it does not bother us to make a few errors and management plans for these
errors to occur. We feel that human beings have a "built-in" error factor.
However, we do not maintain the same standard when it comes to our personal lives. If
we did, we would resign ourselves to being shortchanged now and then as we cash our
pay checks. We would expect hospital nurses to drop a certain percentage of all
newborn babies. We would expect to go home to the wrong house by mistake
periodically. As individuals we do not tolerate these things. Thus we have a double
standard-one for ourselves, one for the company.
The reason for this is that the family creates a higher perform- ance standard for us than
the company does.
In short, we must determine if we, as management, have made our desires clear to those
who look to us for guidance and direction. We must provide an understandable, constant
standard for quality performance.
Consider the three basic areas of performance in any organiza- tion: cost, schedule and
quality. All these are vital for success. Each requires the establishment of a
performance standard that cannot be misunderstood.
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Take cost. Everyone understands what $2.35 looks like. There may be some argument
about what to do with the ,money, but everyone understands its substance. A budget is
set, and the standard is to make the job and the funds come out together.
Schedule also has an understandable common base: time. We all use the same standard
calendars and clocks. Delivery and completion dates are specified in contracts and
requirements. We either meet the dates or we do not.
Now what is the existing standard for quality? Most people talk about an AQL^-an
acceptable quality level. An AQL really means a commitment before we start the job to
produce imperfect material. Let me repeat, an acceptable quality level is a commitment
before we start the job that we will produce imperfect material. An AQL, therefore, is
not a management standard. It is a detennina-tion of the status quo. Instead of the
managers setting the standard, the operation sets the standard.
Consider the AQL you would establish on the product you buy. Would you accept an
automobile that you knew in advance was 15 percent defective? Five percent? One
percent? One-half percent? How about the nurses that care for newborn babies?
Would an AQL of three percent on mishandling be too rigid?
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Why is service so bad when we all know it's so important?
Maybe because we try to manage
and deliver services as if they were products.
THE EMERGING ART OF
SERVICE
MANAGEMENT
BY RON ZEMKE
know the litany by now We live
and work in a service-centered, ser-
vice-sensitive economy In North
ifrica. 80 percent of the jobs and 60 per
of the gross national product come
from the performance of services rather
thar the production of products Organiza-
tions thai deliver high-quality service in-
crease or maintain market share and have
a h gher return on sales than do their
competitors Clearly, service quality is
critcal for success in these recessionary.
post-industrial times
Yet most of us find out even day thai
service in North America is. at best.
mediocre The pages of the daily newspa-
per are filled with titillating tidbits about
bad service: Airlines can't get you there
safely, on time, with your luggage intact
FD -it shops can't fix it. and they blame you
for expecting them to. Hospitals treat pa-
tients like meat. Restaurants treat diners
like mental patients. Banks tell you. "Put it
in the mail or use the money wall or phone
it in, but don't talk to me. pal. I'm too im-
portant to deal with customers." These
scenarios are telling moments of truth.
and all-too-familiar features on the land-
-cape of the serviceless service economy
Why is service so bad when we all
know it's so important' The emerjjmp an-
>*er seems to be that we try in manapt.
l-'oduce and deliver services uV samr
v ay wt- managf. produce and deliver
i'"oduos. And tht m> an- as different as
t:.e farm is from uV facton
THE DIFFERENCES
Hard-core quality assurance and total
quality management (TQM) advocates
have long contended that differences be-
tween products and services are trivial.
They have insisted that proper adherence
to W. Edwards Deming's philosophies and
Joseph M Jurans statistical process con-
trol procedure will cure service quality
problems—just as they have "cured"
North American manufacturing. But even
among the most steadfast supporters of
TQM. doubts about that tenet are appear-
ing
A November 1991 article in Quality
Progress magazine, the official organ of the
American Society for Quality Control, de-
clared that the differences between prod-
ucts and services are real Ignoring them
contributes to lack of quality- in both.
While the distinctions may have been
lost on some old-line quality assurance
types, they have not been missed by a
good number of market researchers. A.
CParsu") Parasuraman. professor of mar-
keting at Texas A&M University, is clear
about the differences and adamant about
their importance.
Services are performances, rather than
objects, he says. "Quality of service has to
occur in real time as opposed to being
composed in a factory. Service organiza-
tions don't have the luxury of a factory act-
ing as a buffer between production and
consumption " Consequently, you car.'i
control the quality of service "perfor-
mances" using the same techniques you
use to control product quality.
Patrick Townsend. president of Avitar
International Inc.. a consulting company
in Holden. MA, agrees that the difference?
between services and products require a
different approach to management. He
points to measurement as just one exam-
ple that highlights the differences. "In
manufacturing, the specifications (of the
product] are the source of the measure-
ment. High quality is a three-step process:
Figure out what the customer wants, cre-
ate a set of specs, and measure your pro-
duced products against the specifications.
Zero deviation from the specs equals per-
fect quality."
But in service delivery, he says, even
the description of the process is only an
approximation, conditional upon the vary-
ing expectations of individual customers.
Forget about specs. Customers carry the
specs around in their heads, and service
providers have to adjust delivery to ac-
commodate the customer on the spot.
Joan Gebhardt, also of Avitar Interna-
tional, and coauthor with Townsend of
Commit to Quality (Wiley Press, 1986).
calls the management of quality service
"management plus." She explains: "Every-
thing you hear people saying about man-
aging and leading for high quality in man-
ufacturing probably appbes to service or-
ganizations, with modification, plus a
whole lot more."
Undoubtedly, there are as many ways of
IW2
3T
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describing ihe "plus" as there are willing
describers. Bur five general categories
cover many of the pressure points critical
to managing service delivery.
1. Focusing on What's Important
: One of the clear differences between
service and product management involves
the definition of what constitutes a "quali-
ty" outcome. Most manufacturers, for ex-
ample, consider 100 percent adherence to
specifications throughout the production
stream their guiding light. This is what
quality guru Philip Crosby terms "zero de-
fects."
Service quality experts are beginning
to eschew the "defects" model of quality as
their absolute guide and look to customer
retention instead. This view, termed a
"zero defections* approach to quality by
Frederick E. Reichheld of Bain & Co.. a
Boston-based management consulting
firm, and W. Earl Sa
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custom*? satisfaction and repeat business:
"Customer satisfaction is not a goal, it is
an obligation,* he says. In most surveys of
customer satisfaction, about 85 percent of
an orgiinization's customers claim to be
'satisfid'd" with the service they receive.
but stil] are willing to wander away to oth-
er providers if the mood—and the price-
is right
Peterson believes we've underplayed
the etriDtional aspects of customer service
because we try to make service measure-
ments seem more like product quality
measurements. Since we discount the inv
«ol the "affective" component of cus-
er service, we fail to ask about it in
omer research, he contends To deal
with the customer's affective agenda.
words like "love" and "hate" must be op-
tions en customer surveys. We need to ex-
ceed 'satisfaction* as a goal and incorpo-
rate nuch stronger feelings than "like"
and "satisfaction" in our objectives.
Valme Ziethaml. associate professor of
business at the Fuqua School of Business
at Duke University, maintains that useful
service measurements are rare because
they differ so radically from product quali-
ty measurements. "It's harder to create
servire measurements that are effective."
she says. "With a physical product quality
is measurable with engineering measure-
mem tools and techniques. Useful service
quality standards look at employee behav-
iors ;ind customer perceptions. Those are
harder to measure with engineering preci-
sion, but they're more important things to
measure nonetheless."
Tie net result Managers end up man-
aging for trivial outcomes—things that are
easy to measure, but not very important
to accomplish. Typical low-value measure-
merits, says Ziethaml. are things like the
r of limes phones ring before they
answered, the length of phone calls
and even the number of shipments out the
back door.
"You want the measures to be cus-
torrer-dnven." she explains. "Satisfaction
with the information received or problem
discussed during a phone caD is hard to
measure, but h's more important than the
number of minutes and seconds a phone
call lasts." Likewise, she says, fining out
if shipments arrived at their destinations
on time is more important dun knowing
they left your shipping dock when you
wanted them to.
She points to Federal Express, which
measures hundreds of things about its
service delivery system, as an organiza-
tion that has hs priorities straight "For aD
trot Federal Express measures," she says,
"everyone knows that the percentage of
packages arriving at or before lOJO am
is the make-it or break-it measure for Fed
Ex's priority mail service."
Creating standards to apply to service
quality measurements is more like a psy-
chology experiment than an engineering
task. ZiethaVnl cites an example from per-
sonal experience: "I was inadvertently a
subject in a standards-setting exercise
not too long ago at the airport in
Raleigh/Durham. NC. As I queued up to
check in, an airline employee gave me a
card with the time stamped on it 1 went
through the queue, checked in. and as I
started to walk away, another employee
stopped me, stamped my card again.
turned the card over and asked me to an-
swer three questions on the back. 'How
fast did 1 think I went through the line?'
'What did 1 think of the overall quality of
the airline?' 'Would I fly that airline
again?'"
By simply plotting and analyzing this
data, she says, the airline gets a gut feel
for the "right" amount of waiting time.
"That's the son of detail you need and the
sort of process you have to go through."
Does all this mean that managers in
service organizations should never use
number of phone calls, length of conversa-
tions, shipments out the door and other
such measures as management tools?
Certainly not. But. as Ziethaml puts it.
"You have to start with the customer's re-
port card and work backwards to create
useful measurements." Otherwise, she
adds. "You risk making improvements
(that can be measured], but not really af-
fecting anything that makes a difference
for the customer. You're managing the
wrong things."
3. Managing Employees As Part of
the Product
According to Parasuraman. employees
serve different functions in service and
manufacturing businesses. Factory work-
ers are a means to an end—finished
goods But in a service business, front-line
providers are ends in themselves. The
consumer purchases performance from a
physician or a tax consukam or a water or
waitress. When performance is Or prod-
uct, people are critical
Professors Leonard Schlesinger and
lames Heskett of the Harvard Business
School also believe that wen-managed.
successful service companies operate on
a model hi which human resources are a
key focus. In an article in the Septem-
ber/October, 1991 issue of the Harvard
BustHas Review, they write: "to companies
that are truly customer-oriented, manage-
ment has designed the business to sup-
port front-fine workers' efforts and to max-
imize the impact of the value they create."
They argue convincingly that the env
ployee-as-disposable-tool model which
leads to job oversimplification and idiot-
proofing,« very costly to a service organi-
zation. Schlesinger and Heskett suggest a
"new model" that includes these elements:
• Valuing investments in people as
much as investments in technology.
• Using technology to support, not to
replace, front-line people.
• Putting as much emphasis on selec-
tion and training for salesclerks and
housekeepers as for managers and execu-
tives.
• Unking compensation and perfor-
mance for employees at every level.
Like Parasuraman. they believe that
front-line people are a service organiza-
tion's "product" and make a critical differ-
ence between success and failure. They
conclude by warning. "These front-of-the-
house jobs cannot be done by incompe-
tent uncommitted workers. They require
men and women who can take responsibil-
ity, manage themselves, respond well to
pressure from customers—in short, the
kind of people who rarely come to mind
when most service managers think about
candidates for front-line service jobs."
This new understanding of the human
resource role in service delivery has led to
an emphasis on finding and retaining qual-
ity people, training and supporting new
employees, involving and empowering ex-
perienced personnel and providing boun-
tiful rewards and recognition for sterling
performance.
The importance of the human element
also means that managers must be more
vigilant It's tricky stuff. Consider the num-
ber of contacts you have with an airline's
service people when you take a flight says
Parasuraman. Your experience at one
stage sets your expectations for later
stages. "If a ticket agent is very cordial and
very personable and so forth, that can set
your expectations for in-flight service at
quite a high level. It might not be fair to
the in-flight staff, but the customer could
come away disappointed through no fault
of theirs."
JANUARY 1992
39
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Thus, "manage carefully" is an impor-
tant admonition, but also one thai can lead
managers astray. Avitar's Gebhardt wor-
ries lhat just talking about "service man-
agement* as a unique management prac-
tice sends the wrong message. "I'm un-
happy with the (implied] paradigm. It
connotes top-down management a return
to 'getting the front-line squared away.' [It
implies! getting someone else to do the
right thing instead of trying to involve peo-
ple in the job to be done.' >he says. "It has
the potential to go the way that too much
TQM has: into a new form of Theory X
management. A small group of people at
the lop of the organization make all the de-
cisions about what customer* want to ex-
perience and how to measure it. then they
defects.'" the manufactur-
ing quality focus). But when treated as either/or viewpoints, they put unnecessary
blinders on your quality effort
Here are 10 ways that "iero defects" differ from the "zero defections" view of
quality:
ZERO DEFECTS IS ABOUT...
Technical quality.
Precise standards and performance.
Treating errors as mortal sins.
| Minimizing the human element.
Creating standards and protocols for
every aspect of a transaction.
procedures, rate and drOL
Production quality.
Developing satnfetory and mutual^
ZERO DEFECTIONS IS ABOUT...
Customer quality.
Transactions mat delight the customer.
Treating errors as opportunities to
excel
dDd2aa^9H2 QO ittf IHlQtiaD
Standards tor technical quaBty;
etopowerneot and recovery strategies
for customer quafity.
Speed, flexibility and abuTty to respond
refiabry to unique demands.
quail*
er
Customer
.
Rg^uikuj vruj po&:> and procedure
toper
taking measured risks, and then
In service delivery,
toe fix'
sometimes lies
in doing
a better job
of managing
ihe customer.
service management is the need to man-
age not only employees and processes but
customers as well. Service organizations
must find ways to manage their cus-
tomers' perceptions of processes and out-
comes.
A case in point is waiting time. Theme
parks—like Disneyland and Walt Disney
\Vorld-work hard at minimizing waiting
time and minimizing the perception of
waiting time. They do it in several ways:
The lines curve to provide changes of
scene and a sense of progress: sidewalk
entertainment diverts customers from
concentrating on the wait: and reminders
are posted—"20 minutes from this sign"
"10 minutes from thi* sign"—to let cus-
tomers know how much longer they will
have to wait. It helps, too. that covering
uV distance from tht "20 minute" sign to
the "10 minute" sign actually takes only
seven minute*.
One of the most frequent complaints in
health care is about—you guessed it—
waiting time "1 had a 2 p.m. appointment
and she didn't get to me until 3:30!" pa-
tients complain. A recent study in a family
practice clinic found that if the doctor or
other primary care provider walked into
the examination room, made immediate
eye contact, smiled, shook hands and
touched the patient in a friendly manner
(pat on the shoulder, placing the left hand
on top of the handshake, and so forth), pa-
tient estimates of time spent waiting de-
creased by half.
Customer education and information
giving are frequently used customer man-
agement techniques (see "Customer Edu-
ealiun: Some AssrtnbK Required." TRAIN-
ING. December 1991). For example, at
Riverside Methodist Hospital in Colum-
bus. OH. a surgery liaison relays informa-
tion on operations, explains normal hospi-
tal procedures, and keeps everyone aware
of how long it win be before the patient is
returned to his room. Before the position
was created. Riverside received an aver-
age of 22 surgery-related complaints each
40
JAM ARY 1992
-------
month. In the 18 months that followed it
received just one complaint — and more
than two dozen compliments.
In sei-vice deliver)-, the fix" sometimes
doing a better job of managing the
Mrr, not in improving the core pro-
or the performance of the people
delivering the service.
5. Mariner Ai Hole Model
In service organizations, front-line em-
ployees mend to the rules, but watch the
person?] performance of their manager to
define ihe "real" norms of the organiza-
tion. If their manager takes the time to lis-
ten to customers and employees without
impatjexe. so will they. If their manager
focuses his or her energy on things, that
say "quality" to the customer, so will they.
"The manager has to be very visible to
employees, has to set an example, ha* to
mingle with customers and with employ-
ees," says Texas A&M's Parasuraman "In
a factory, you can lay out a set of specifica-
tions and you don'i have to see the em-
ployees for hours — or even days In ser-
vice (organizations], managers have to be
in constant contact with employees and
customers to have a firsthand feel for
what's ftoing on ."
St. John's Scheuing agrees with the
leaders hip-by-exampie model, but add* a
dimension. "In addition to being a role
~ •!.' he says, "the manager has to be
support and guide and direct— to
otr a role model and an enabler. Your
employees are. after all. adults They need
leadership and trus: once they understand
the jobs and have acquired the right
dull*.'
Towrisend adds a question "Too many
manag?rs see their job as getting some-
one the to change their behavior 1 ask.
'What have you done personalty to im-
prove service qualify in your organization
today'1 If the answer i< 'I'm not personalh
in a poiibon u> do thai' or 'My job is to in-
spire and encourapt.' you can be pretty
sure there isnl much service quality im-
provement going on anywhere n the orga-
Thai concept is not news to managers
in organizations that have earned reputa-
tions for delivering outstanding service.
When Edward Crutchfiekl. chairman and
CEO oi First Union Corp. of Charlotte, NC.
was asked his banking corporation's ser-
vice "ascret," he responded succinctly: Ifs
no secret at all. "Service sinks in when
managers think and act service, service,
service, day in and day out. in obvious and
ways."
STOKING A BALANCE
Of course, we cm make too much of tine
differences between product and service
businesses. By doing so we risk needless
conflict with quality mavens who sub-
scribe to the notions of weigh, measure
and chart In fact, few marketplace offer-
sots are "pure" services. Most are made
IB? of a bit of product and a lot of service.
And quality of service does count to auto-
mobile manufacturers and consumers,
last as productike specifications such as
Bang prtacriptions accurately are critical-
V important to quality health-care deliv-
ery.
So why bufld a case for the unique as-
pects of service management7 In Zn and
rVsig suggests that one of the primary
barriers to quaEty thinking, work and out-
comes is value rigidity. He tells this story
to drive home his point
In southern India, where monkey is an
epicurean delight, the monkey trap is de-
BghtfuDy simple. It consists of a hoDowed-
out coconut chained to a stake. The co-
conut contains rice that can be grabbed
through a small hole. The hole is big
enough so that the monkey's hand can go
in. but too small for his fist with rice in h to
come out. The monkey sees the rice,
reaches in. grabs h up and. suddenly, is a.
captive. He's not a captive of the rice or the
trap or the chain or the stake, but of his
own rigidity. If he opens his hand, he's
free. But he can only discover that fret if
he gives up rigidity and sees the rice and
the coconut—«nd the advancing villagers
intent on fresh monkey—in a different
way. Letting go of the rice is a little thing.
but h produces a big result.
Gaining the flexibility to look at service
quality and service management just a lit-
tle differently may not have the same con-
sequences for managers that it does for
that monkey. But in terms of customer sat-
isfaction and return business, it produces
big results. IE
Ron Zemke is senior editor of TRAINING
Magazine.
^&
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Appendix E:
Review Sheets
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TQP Student Guide
E-l
DAY 1 REVIEW
are the five most important things you learned during the first day of class?
4.
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E-2
TQP Student Guide
DAYS 1 AND 2 REVIEW
What are the five most important things you learned during the first and second days of
class that you would ...
A. Like to share with vour manager?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
B. Like vour peers to know?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
C. Remember and use yourself?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Appendix F:
Film Notes
Sheets
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r
TQP Student Guide
F-l
Film Notes fWhv Oualitv?"^
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F-2
TQP Student Guide
Film Notes (The Oualitv Connection"!
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Appendix G:
Glossary
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TQP Student Guide
G-l
Glossary: Our Common Quality Language
The following terms are part of our common quality language:
Culture
Empowerment
Prevention
Quality
Rule of Tens
Synergy
TQP
The basic beliefs, expectations (both formal and informal), and
behaviors of a group of people.
Giving a person the power or authority to do certain tasks or make
certain decisions.
The proactive method of preventing errors in the first place to achieve
optimal quality.
For the customer, quality is meeting customer's needs and expecta-
tions.
For the supplier, quality is the clear communication of needs and
expectations by the customer to the supplier.
Every time an error propagates to the next step in the process, the
cost to correct the error multiplies by a factor of ten.
The sum of the parts is greater than the individual parts.
The Total Quality Process which enables us to achieve continuous
improvement with the commitment of management.
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