Showing papers in "International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management in 2013"

The impact of TQM practices on service quality in cellular communication companies in Jordan

Abstract: The function of TQM is extensively recognised as being a critical determinant in improving service quality in service organisations. The purpose of this research is to conduct an empirical study on cellular communication companies in Jordan, in order to analyse the impacts of TQM practices on service quality. This paper only looks at TQM practices from the Jordanian service industries. This paper will help many organisations to identify the strength and weakness points associated with TQM practices, and to develop a new vision with a new philosophy and strategy in order to enhance its future competitiveness. The data are collected from 192 managers of cellular communication companies in Jordan. The data were analysed using correlation and multiple regression analyses. This research finds that leadership, information and analysis, customer focus, continuous improvement, and supplier quality management have positive effects on service quality as perceived by Jordanian cellular communication companies’s mana...

Relationships between total quality management and Six Sigma inside European manufacturing companies: a dedicated survey

Abstract: This paper investigates the relationships between total quality management (TQM) and Six Sigma as viewed by a sample of 176 European manufacturing companies. The purpose is to understand whether or not TQM has been pushed into the background by Six Sigma or whether the two models are used alongside each other in manufacturing companies. Findings from a literature review were transformed into a questionnaire; the questions represent the hypotheses to be validated. The quality managers of the 176 companies completed the questionnaire in an interview and the responses were analysed by the means of frequency tables and percentage pie-charts. Interesting findings concerning what the companies think about TQM and Six Sigma have emerged. In particular, the relationships between TQM and Six Sigma and corporate social responsibility, staff involvement and management of improvements. In this way the research tries to fill a gap existing in literature.

The impact of total quality management practices on employee empowerment in the healthcare sector in Saudi Arabia: a study of King Khalid Hospital

Abstract: The impact of TQM practices on employee empowerment has not been investigated in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this unique study is to examine the impact of TQM predictors (i.e., training, teamwork, top management commitment, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction) on employee empowerment in Saudi healthcare. A proposed research model and hypotheses are developed based on a comprehensive literature review and tested by using a questionnaire-based survey, distributed to collect data from employees working at King Khalid Hospital in Saudi Arabia. Results indicate that TQM practices when implemented have a favourable impact on employee empowerment. The study concluded that empowerment levels look healthy and stronger under existence of effective training programmes, cooperation and teamwork, committed top management, continuously improved process, and satisfied customers. The main limitation of this study is that it is conducted with one hospital. The academic and managerial implications of the findings for managers, decision-makers and researchers are discussed and further research directions are offered.

A framework for comparative evaluation of lean performance of firms using fuzzy TOPSIS

Abstract: Adoption of lean practices is considered a vital strategic tool for firms to thrive in today’s competitive times. Comparative evaluation of leanness of the companies has assumed crucial importance in the wake of increasing globalisation and phenomenal advancement in technology. Evaluation of policies and practices on an ongoing basis helps organisations identify the potential opportunities for improvement. Only limited efforts devoted to assessing the relative lean status of firms have been made so far and there is an express need to articulate a framework for measurement of lean adaptation. Here, a systematic fuzzy multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) evaluation model based on technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is proposed for relative lean ranking of firms. Fuzzy set theory concepts are used to deal with problems of vagueness, uncertainties, inexactness of data and the subjectivity associated with human judgment. An illustrative numerical example is included to elucidate the computational process. Sensitivity analysis is also carried out to demonstrate the robustness and efficacy of the adapted methodology.

Differences between Six Sigma applications in manufacturing and the service industry

Abstract: The purpose of the research presented in this paper is to investigate the differences between Six Sigma applications in manufacturing and the service industry. A review of the literature produced six research questions related to the effects of the kind of industry (manufacturing and service) on applications of Six Sigma. The questions focus on performance measures, the kind of statistical tools used (advanced and basic), the possibility of using different mapping tools, the Black-Green Belt training path and the organisational climate and human behaviour. In an original and new way, these six research questions were transformed into hypotheses then validated by means of a questionnaire and a chi-square test. Qualitative suggestions from the respondents were collected at the same time. Findings show that, comparing Six Sigma in manufacturing and service industry, there are many interesting differences. Managerial implications, recommendations and an agenda for future study are presented.

A model to assess the lean capabilities of automotive industries

Abstract: Changing customer and technological requirements force manufactures to develop lean capabilities. Many organisations have adopted lean thinking paradigm in their drive to optimise performance and improve competitive position. In this paper, the application of lean production systems is described in an automotive context. The results reported are based on the data collected from a survey covering around 15 manufacturing companies in India using a standard questionnaire. The study was driven by a conceptual model which relates lean practices to competitive objectives. The method of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to analyse and identify which among the various lean production tools and enablers are likely to have greater impact on realising a lean production system.

An analysis of the influence of organisational culture on TQM implementation in an era of global marketing: the case of Syrian manufacturing organisations

Abstract: Many recent research studies have examined the influence of organisational culture (OC) on the implementation of total quality management (TQM). However, research investigating the impact of OC on TQM implementation in developing countries has been relatively scarce, specifically in Syria. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature by empirically examining the influence of OC on TQM implementation in Syrian manufacturing organisations (SMOs). To achieve this, a questionnaire-based survey was developed and distributed to 350 middle managers in SMOs. The analysis of the collected data revealed that the adhocracy and group culture types are the most supportive cultures for the implementation of TQM practices. This paper presents new data and empirical insights into the relationship between OC types and TQM implementation in SMOs. The paper concludes with a discussion of the managerial implications of our findings, research shortcomings and suggestions for future research.

Systematic improvement of value streams – fundamentals of value stream oriented process management

Abstract: Improving processes is a daily base challenge for enterprises. In particular improvement attempts occur in various different levels of detail and are commonly not linked methodically. Process management systems in general are suitable approaches to manage process improvements. A systematic routine to improve processes and value stream mapping (VSM) are integrated into the organisational framework of process management in order to enable a methodically fostered improvement of value streams in different levels of detail. The outlined approach to systematise the application of VSM is the conjunction of volatile and short-cyclic improvements of a value stream and the determination of target-conditions in order to develop the value stream towards an ideal-state which is specified by productivity and quality criteria.

Soft TQM practices in Indian cement industry – an empirical study

Abstract: Total quality management (TQM) has evolved as a widely acceptable philosophy and practice for achievement of organisational objectives (Singh et al., 2011). It is a business strategy to achieve superior performance by offering quality product or services. The present research proposes a soft TQM framework and empirically tested the impact of soft dimensions of TQM on its performance in context to Indian cement industry. Indian cement industry is now becoming more competitive in order to sustain profitability by reducing cost by minimising wastages and improve market share by improving quality of the product and services offered to the customer. Here researcher(s) aim to propose a soft TQM framework which can help them to improve their 'return on investment' (ROI) which has been the subject of debate.

Productivity determinants in Oman construction industry

Abstract: Spectacular socio-economic development has taken place all around Oman during the last four decades. As a consequence, thriving construction industries are apparent everywhere in the country and not surprisingly, they are going through some productivity problems. Therefore, in light of improving productivity, this paper focuses on exploring the major determinants of productivity, their co-relationship, and the problem categories responsible for construction delay in the context of Oman construction industry. A semi-structured questionnaire approach is chosen as a method of survey from the parties involved in construction industry, such as, owners, consultants, contractors, and foremen/workers. Twenty five major factors of productivity, which are further grouped into ten critical variables by principal components analysis, are identified to be important in this study. Lack of professionalism, fairness in financial transactions, incompetent supervisors, lack of materials, and incomplete drawing are found as top five factors of productivity. In addition, management, people, collaboration, health and safety, logistics, commitment, operational activity, authority, quality, and financial matters are reported as critical variables of productivity. Owners and consultants are determined as top problem categories for construction delay. The comparisons of top five productivity factors found in this study to several other countries’ productivity factors are also shown. Overall, this study is expected to have substantial implication for policy makers and researchers in the area of construction productivity in Oman.

An integrated fuzzy AHP – fuzzy TOPSIS approach for AS/RS selection

Abstract: System investment decision has a very crucial role in any company aiming for efficient manufacturing. Multi-criteria decision making process is required to select the best among the alternatives. In this study, fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS methods are used in a two-step methodology to select the suitable automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) so as to satisfy the expectations of the company. Eleven criteria are used in fuzzy AHP to calculate the criteria weights. These weights are then used in fuzzy TOPSIS to rank three AS/RS alternatives. The proposed model is used for selecting the right AS/RS in one of the leading consumer electronics company of Turkey.

Unique TQM practices and logistics performance

Abstract: This research investigates the impact of the unique TQM practices of customer focus, product design, and statistical process control on logistics performance. Data were collected from 104 manufacturing managers, supervisors, and quality professionals and analysed using a path analysis methodology. The analysis suggests that customer focus directly and positively impacts logistics performance. With customer focus in the model, product design, and statistical process control do not directly impact logistics performance. Of the three unique TQM practices, customer focus is identified as the most important in terms of explaining variation in logistics performance, to the point that neither product design nor statistical process control has any additional explanatory power. Manufacturing managers striving to satisfy customers should first adopt a customer focus.

TQM tools and techniques in promoting team working culture in the manufacturing organisations

Abstract: Total quality management (TQM) is a management philosophy, a paradigm, a continuous improvement approach for doing business through a new management model. The TQM philosophy evolved from the continuous improvement philosophy with a focus on quality as the main dimensions of business. Under TQM emphasising the quality of the product or service predominates. TQM expands beyond statistical process control to embrace a wider scope of management activities of how we manage people and organisations by focusing on the entire process, not just simple measurements. TQM is a comprehensive management system followed by most of the organisations in the corporate world which focuses on customer focus, continuous improvement, involvement of every one and maximising the performances of processes. The effective use of various TQM tools and their correct use as a part of the company wide total quality initiative have an impact on the quality of the products and services offered by the organisations. In this paper, the concept, the need, the type of tools and the extent of implementation of this concept in various organisations in and around Bangalore, employee involvement levels and benefits obtained through this concept implementation were studied.

Multi-objective economic-statistical design of MEWMA control chart

Abstract: The various advantages of MEWMA control chart such as the ability to detect small shifts in the process with multiple quality characteristics have motivated users to apply this chart for process monitoring. Considering the high costs of implementing MEWMA control chart, the economic-statistical design of this chart has been increasingly investigated. In most of the previous studies the cost function has been considered as the objective function while the statistical properties have been modelled as constraints in a mathematical programming. According to the dependency of the cost function on statistical properties in the constraints, the results of these methods are not efficient enough. In this paper, two multi-objective approaches, an aggregative and a non-aggregative approach are applied and optimised using a genetic algorithm. The proposed approaches are evaluated through a numerical example from the literature and the efficiency of the multi-objective approaches are verified in comparison with the previous methods.

Total quality management and operational flexibility impact on hospitals performance: A structural modelling approach

Abstract: The study aims is to determine the impact of total quality management (TQM) and operational flexibility (OF) on a hospital’s performance. A model is proposed that links TQM and OF constructs to the hospital’s performance construct. The underlying dimensions of TQM, OF and hospital’s performance were empirically verified and validated through the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the reliability analysis procedure, and the construct validity procedures. A structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to test the model, drawing on a sample of 231 medical leaders. Data analysis revealed that, the TQM has a significant impact on the extent of the OF, and on the hospital’s performance. A significant relationship was also found between the level of the OF and the hospital’s performance results. Further, the TQM’s significant impact on the hospital’s performance was determined to be realised through the mediating role of the OF. The significant impact of the TQM on the operational flexibility and the hospital’s performance has been argued to be positive.

Measuring and decomposing productivity change using Hicks-Moorsteen index numbers: evidence from Indian banks

Abstract: Bank productivity improvement is a vital instrument for economic development, and effective policy making in this area requires information regarding main drivers of productivity growth. Hicks-Moorsteen (H-M) index numbers as given by O’Donnell is a powerful method for measuring and decomposing total factor productivity (TFP) changes. This paper examines year-to-year TFP changes experienced by Indian banks (public and private) in the post liberalisation era (1991–1992 to 2007–2008) using H-M index numbers. The main finding of the study is that productivity (TFP) in Indian banks has remained stagnant since 1991 to 1992 with no significant differences observed in the three sub-periods studied and type of ownership has a significant effect on scale efficiency in Indian banks. Stagnation in productivity in Indian banks, resulting from technological regress, is a cause of concern and policy setting should be reshaped and re-oriented towards productivity enhancement.

A fuzzy multi attribute decision making approach for evaluating effectiveness of advanced manufacturing technology – in Indian context

Abstract: Globalisation has increased opportunities for the manufacturers, as it has increased the customer size but at the same time it has brought competition. Customers are enjoying the variety of products at the minimum cost. Because of this, manufacturers are striving to improve their flexibility, quality of product, delivery time, etc. Manufacturers are adopting advanced manufacturing technologies (AMT), so as to meet these requirements. Adoption of (AMT) is a colossal investment and decision should be taken with proper evaluation. From the literature survey, it is proved that traditional financial methods for evaluating the effectiveness of AMT are not enough as it also enhances many intangible factors like flexibility, quality, employees’ satisfaction etc. Therefore, in this paper an endeavour has been made to develop a model for the evaluation of AMT investments by using fuzzy graph theoretic approach (FGTA). FGTA quantifies the intangible factors and based upon these factors gives a single numerical index which is useful for managers to evaluate the effectiveness of AMT.

An AHP/DEA ranking method based on service quality approach: a case study in hotel industry

Abstract: For appropriate decision making in organisations, it is particularly important to identify strengths and weakness of the organisations and also their status versus other organisations. Understanding one's status in comparison with others can be effective and may lead to decision-making improvement. There are a number of criteria for evaluating, ranking and analysing efficiency of organisations. One of the most important approaches in service organisations is service quality, which evaluates the customer satisfaction from delivered services. In this paper, an integrated method based on AHP and DEA is presented to rank service units considering service quality dimensions. The

Labour productivity measurement through classification and standardisation of products

Abstract: In today’s competitive world, productivity is a fundamental concept in assessing economic performance of organisations. Due to the fierce competition and customer requirement variation, organisations should produce various types of products. This type of production requires a sophisticated productivity measurement system and organisations still confront with the challenges of lacking an appropriate system. Labour productivity is one of the most important indices among partial productivity indicators and plays a key role in the productions and services as outcome. In this paper, labour productivity issue is examined by nearest neighbour algorithm (NNA) in order to classify products. In the following, considering the required workforce for standard parts in each category and also their production processes, multiple regression method is applied to calculate the value of products and to standardise outputs. A case study is also presented to examine the validity of proposed method. Some advantages of this method include; increasing labour productivity, improving production system, a more precise planning and responding to market fluctuation.

Development and validation of an instrument for measuring critical success factors (CSFs) of technical education – a TQM approach

Abstract: Like other systems, technical education system is also dynamic in nature. It faces many challenges in responding to societal, technological and economic changes in the local and global environment. The issue today is to ensure quality education delivery system for technical education. The literature shows that many educational institutes have initiated efforts for quality improvements. However, there is neither sufficient literature (regarding identification of critical factors responsible for excellence in technical education), nor appropriate measures (research instruments) to determine those factors. In this context it is necessary to identify key critical success factors (CSFs), which may be given special attention for ensuring desired excellence in technical education. Though different authors have proposed different ways to address the quality related issues in various domains, on the basis of critical review of literature, this study proposes use of a new research instrument for identification of critical success factors by using total quality management (TQM) as the base. The developed instrument was assessed for its reliability and validity using standard methods. The results indicated that the developed instrument was reliable and valid, which can be used to identify the critical success factors important for excellence in technical education.

Cost modelling in maintenance using time-driven activity-based costing

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the possibility to use time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) in maintenance cost modelling. It deals with three questions: how maintenance activities could be described? How could TDABC system model the complex maintenance processes? How could TDABC improve maintenance decision-making? This contribution is illustrated using the experience of a materials production company. The model is proposed using the process approach to describe maintenance process. The research illustrates that maintenance process cannot be modelled as a function but as a set of sub-processes. This document is one from the few papers that experiment TDABC in industrial sector. The proposed model can be used to support managers initially to identify maintenance activities and organise maintenance department. The model provides the possibility to predict the benefit costs for improvement actions before their establishment. This paper complements current discussion on the use of TDABC in the industrial costing especially maintenance costing.

Performance improvement and cost minimisation for manufacturing components in a fabrication plant by the application of Lean with TRIZ principles

Abstract: Lean manufacturing is presently an emerging philosophy for reducing the wastages and theory to resolve inventive problems (TRIZ) is an inventive problem solving tool in the times of economic recession. Individually, there have been a lot of papers discussing the implementation of the above concepts. But there has been no report of implementing Lean in TRIZ. To trounce this, a synergistic approach of Lean with TRIZ has been employed. This concept is developed after studying the research reports of Lean and TRIZ separately, and their essence is combined to solve the problems in a better way. Now, as there is an inevitability of reducing the cost of the product, in this paper Lean has been utilised to identify the wastages and TRIZ is used to find the optimal way to reduce wastages by solving the contradictions. This synergistic concept is illustrated with a case study done in a fabrication sector and have visualised improved results.

Interpretive structural modelling of enablers of quality technical education: an Indian perspective

Abstract: With more than 5,000 technical institutions set up in India to impart technical education, this education sector is booming like never before. However, at the same time, the reports published by AICTE in 2012 indicate that more than 130 technical institutions have given application for closure. With more than one million students appearing for the engineering entrance exam, the failure of these institutions can be attributed to the non-compliance to provide quality education for producing quality graduates. Most of the technical institution still do not understand the main quality technical education enablers and how these are interrelated to each other. If, this is known prior to management, then they can plan their policies in right direction. The endeavour is being made by the authors through this paper to identify the enablers through literature survey and discussions with experts. ISM methodology and questionnaire survey has been performed to understand the intervening effect of these enablers with each other. It is found that the two enablers namely ‘Stakeholders’ view point’ and ‘Financial Position’ have high driving power and therefore deserve great attention. This study concludes with practical implication.

A signalling framework for drivers of ISO 9000 certification in services and manufacturing

Abstract: This empirical study compares the drivers of ISO 9000 certification between services and manufacturing by adopting a signalling framework. The econometric analysis is based on a representative dataset for the service-intensive Luxembourgish economy, which provides original and relevant settings for the comparison. Probit model estimates show that ISO 9000 certification in services, unlike manufacturing, neither has quality signalling effects on the international market nor signals superior quality intangibles connected to innovation activities. The presence of co-terminality in services may explain the lack of effectiveness of ISO 9000 as a signalling device for service companies. The findings contribute to the debate on the general applicability of ISO 9000 across sectors, suggesting that services peculiarities should be considered for ISO 9000 customisation. Results also indicate that certification is not an effective quality signal in consumers markets and that it does not fill reputation gaps for newly established companies.

TQM practices in electric fan manufacturing industry of Pakistan

Abstract: This study aims to descriptively analyse and rank the TQM practices, activities, critical success factors, barriers and business outcomes in electric fan manufacturing industry of Pakistan according to company size and on ISO-9000 certification basis. SMEs of electric fan manufacturing industry of two industrial cities of Gujrat and Gujranwala of Punjab province of Pakistan were selected as unit of analysis and both ISO and non-ISO certified firms were approached. An adopted/bilingual questionnaire was used for data collection using snow ball sampling technique, resulting in 89 completed questionnaires for data analysis. Data was analysed in terms of mean differences among firms both size wise and certification (ISO-9000) wise. The results demonstrate that large sized and ISO-9000 certified firms are more actively involved in TQM practices and activities. However, the small and medium sized firms do not differ significantly in different TQM practices and activities. Top management commitment is considered as the most important success factor by ISO-certified firms while top management training is considered as most important factor by non-certified firms. Lack of resources is the most crucial barrier for both certified and large firms. However, all type of firms consider profit making and decrease in unit cost as desired business outcomes in manufacturing industries. Large companies/ISO-9000 certified companies observed high business outcomes from their counterparts.

Ranking the branches of a private bank through the service quality gap approach and by using multi criteria decision making

Abstract: Nowadays, service provider companies play a crucial role in the economic progress in many countries. They are responsible for the gross national product, though due to its role in supporting other industries, banking is of critical importance among other service providers, it is vital for all the banks to satisfy their customers. In order to evaluate service quality and to attempt to improve it, it is possible to evaluate service quality gap, which is defined as the gap between the customers’ expectations and the customers’ perception on Parasuraman model and also includes five main dimensions of tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. In this paper, Parasuraman service quality model is employed to evaluate the service quality gap in the seven branches of a private bank and also two methods of multi criteria decision making (MCDM) is used to rank them. Finally, the merged result along with sensitivity analyses, applied on service quality dimensions, revealed that the reliability gap is the most important dimension among five other ones.

A combination model using strategic alignment model and balanced scorecard and strategies’ prioritisation based on TOPSIS technique

Abstract: Globalisation with development of information technology (IT), information systems (IS), and network marketing has influenced on organisations’ performance. In planning and management of IT, there is alignment and levelling off of business IT strategies. In this regard, the strategic alignment model is recognised as the major trend in making levelling off between business areas and the IT. Also, the balanced scorecard (BSC) and strategy map are considered as powerful tools for managing strategies and as supportive systems for decision making in field of strategic management, short-term purposes, and making balance among external stakeholders and internal factors. Thus, in the current paper, a combination of strategic performance and strategic management models is used. Then, the TOPSIS technique is applied to categorise priorities for sources’ optimisation. The results of the present research show that the proposed model could be used to assure that strategies of organisations will lead to mission, perspective and macroeconomic policies. Also, the combination of the two mentioned models make operational integrity in organisations and could be useful in focusing on value creative strategies with presenting patterns for PR prioritising strategies.

Doing more with less: a pharmaceutical supplier case

Abstract: This paper examines the extent to which Lean principles can improve the performance of the operations in a pharmaceutical warehousing and distribution company. A systematic methodology and specific Lean thinking tools are suggested to identify value and to eliminate non-value adding processes. Our research methodology includes the following: determination of appropriate value stream mapping tools through the value stream analysis tool (VALSAT), application of the process activity mapping tool and the identification of the value stream to be studied. Moreover, a three day Kaizen is conducted to identify the current and the future state maps and to design the value stream project plan for implementation. Finally, the impact of the value stream project on the operations’ performance is estimated for the determination of the optimised state map by the company.

A model to derive software maintenance policy decision

Abstract: The problem of software maintenance is gaining considerable importance both for the user industry and the service providers. The area of equipment maintenance is very well developed one, but the same is not true for the software maintenance. In this paper, a model is developed and solved for deriving software maintenance decision. This model uses two criteria of maximum availability and minimum maintenance cost to make a decision between corrective maintenance and preventive maintenance. The model was used to obtain the appropriate maintenance policy and also for performing sensitivity analysis, the results of which are presented in this paper. The model presented in this paper has significant potential for application and further research.

Implementing TQM initiatives in public service organisations: case of academic libraries

Abstract: The paper seeks to discuss the development, main beliefs, and stages of total quality management (TQM) in a case of academic libraries by explaining their present strengths, weaknesses, possibilities and threats while implementing TQM initiatives. It also makes a comparison on how case organisations think about the definition of quality and TQM philosophy along with its applicability within the public sector. The study is qualitative. According to the results the most vital issues in TQM initiatives are its comprehensiveness, and its application in such a way which is appropriate for the organisation, with a logical way of operation and the participation of management and personnel. TQM is seen as quite applicable to the service sector however, it requires being reconciled with strategic management initiatives. The study could be quite valuable from a strategic perspective in providing guidelines to build up a proper plan for TQM initiatives more promptly.