Total quality management sustaining audit tool: Description and use

This paper describes a tool, along with the methodology used for its application, which has been designed to audit the issues which impact negatively on the sustaining of total quality management (TQM). The sustaining issues have been identified from fieldwork carried out in six different manufacturing organizations (12 sites), reflecting a variety of perspectives on business operation Including continuous improvement, organizational behaviour, human resources management, industrial relations and the labour process. In turn, the issues have been grouped into a five-part classification of internal/external environment, management style, policies, organization structure and the process of change. The tool has been piloted at seven manufacturing sites and in each case it was successful in identifying a number of issues which were impeding the sustaining of TQM.