Encouraging the kaizen approach to quality in a university

Aston University has adopted the concept of kaizen -continuous incremental improvement in quality- into its long-term planning process. It is now at an experimental stage of a university-wide implementation of a total quality management programme. This is based on the premise that the principles and practices of quality management, as practised and taught by Juran, Deming and others, are as applicable to higher education as they are to any manufacturing or service industry. The methods and organizational structures being adopted are described.