From IMS and six sigma toward TQM: an empirical study from Serbia

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidosav Majstorovic ◽  
Tatjana V. Sibalija

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the current status of a quality management practice in Serbia, in terms of the development and application of integrated managements systems (IMS), and research and implementation of Six Sigma and the related techniques. Design/methodology/approach – Two main aspects of total quality management (TQM) have been considered: institutional (organisational or strategic) aspect that corresponds to standardised management systems and their integration, and technical (quality engineering) aspect whose main contributor is Six Sigma. The findings of a comprehensive study on IMS implementation in Serbia have been presented, based on the results of a questionnaire that was sent to 54 organisations during 2013. Also, the significant technical improvements and tangible benefits of a recently conducted Six Sigma project were shown, including the application of the advanced quality engineering techniques within DMAIC method. Findings – Good QM practice in Serbia is improving, both in terms of the organisational (IMS) and technical (Six Sigma) aspect, that server as a good basis for the adoption of TQM in manufacturing companies from various sectors. It could be anticipated that these results will facilitate the adoption of an overall TQM culture in Serbia and leverage its future sustainability. Originality/value – This paper offers key insights into IMS and Six Sigma implementation in Serbia. This could encourage manufacturing organisations in developing countries to adopt IMS and Six Sigma, in order to boost the overall TQM culture and gain a competitive advantage.

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 4058-4083 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maysoon Mohammed Yaseen ◽  
Rateb J. Sweis ◽  
Ayman Bahjat Abdallah ◽  
Bader Yousef Obeidat ◽  
Nadia J. Sweis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to establish practical guidelines for benchmarking eight total quality management (TQM) practices vital to pharmaceutical companies’ performance. The paper also proposes the use of an analytic total quality index (TQI) as a benchmarking tool and illustrates the importance and effectiveness of this benchmarking methodology by applying it in two comparative studies of three Jordanian pharmaceutical companies. Design/methodology/approach In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the data were gathered through a questionnaire that was used to evaluate the gap between the ideal and current status of the quality management system and distributed to the quality units from three companies: pharmaceutical manufacturing company, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company working in the same field and a pharmaceutical service providing research services to a pharmaceutical manufacturing companies. And the mean differences between the current and ideal states for the eight critical TQM practices were compared for these two comparative studies using the t-test. Findings Each of the two comparisons reveals statistically significant differences regarding the perceptions of actual and ideal scores for manufacturing and service companies on five out of eight critical factors and, on two out of eight critical factors for manufacturing and manufacturing companies. Practical implications The pharmaceutical companies, regardless of whether they are manufacturing or service company, can adopt benchmarking techniques which were applied in this case study to improve their performance and their product/service quality. Originality/value The consequences of this research can support organization managers and policy makers in effectively benchmarking the identified TQM practices in their organizations using the proposed TQI benchmarking tool.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (9) ◽  
pp. 1540-1555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhilash C.R. ◽  
Jitesh J. Thakkar

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to apply the Six Sigma DMAIC methodology in order to reduce the rejections experienced in the manufacturing of the doors belonging to a telecommunication cabinet. Design/methodology/approach The process involved joining of sheet metal and hinge using welding operations with the help of a fixture. The methodology used is the structured DMAIC method in order to identify the root cause for the rejections and solve it. Findings The paper provides insights about the identification of the root cause for the defects and the solution to overcome it, and also the benefits that were obtained as a result of the application of the solution. Research limitations/implications This methodology has been applied to the variation observed in the dimensions of a particular component to be welded with a main part. This approach can be used to find such dimensional variations. Practical implications This study has been successfully carried out in a medium-scale industry which has total quality management in practice. Originality/value Six Sigma DMAIC was necessary for the identification and reduction of the defects which arose in the sheet metal and welding operations, and had to be resolved in order to increase the bottom-line.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meryem Uluskan ◽  
Jeffrey A. Joines ◽  
A. Blanton Godfrey

Purpose – This study aims to provide a comprehensive insight into the role of the quality management (QM) systems in international suppliers (e.g. ISO, Total Quality Management, Lean and Six Sigma) on outsourcing decisions of buyer companies with regard to reshoring activities. Design/methodology/approach – By the means of a comprehensive survey data collected within USA textile and apparel industry, the authors identify four quality factors and compare these factors for international and domestic suppliers by the means of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and consequently define a reshore vector. Next, the most-effective QM system within international suppliers is analyzed by the means of a new application based on LDA. Findings – The results reveal that international suppliers perform worse for all quality factors compared to domestic USA suppliers, which may leave the door open for reshoring activities. Furthermore, it is shown that Lean and Six Sigma within international suppliers lead to superior levels of quality because they are aligned along the most opposite directions against reshore vector. Therefore, it is claimed that Lean and Six Sigma within the international suppliers can inhibit reshoring activities of US companies. Practical implications – The willingness of US textile companies to assist their international suppliers and the challenges on this subject are discussed on the basis that supplier development (or quality management) programs can be strong alternatives to reshoring activities. Originality/value – QM systems in suppliers are analyzed with a new method within a new context based on reshore phenomenon, which provides an essential point of view for academic and industrial environments.


2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1138-1151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilda Tri Putri ◽  
Shari Mohd Yusof ◽  
Alizar Hasan ◽  
Haesti Sujita Darma

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influences of TQM implementation on employees’ productivity in crumb rubber industry (case study conducted in the XYZ firm), and analyze the predominant factors affecting employees’ productivity in order to establish the success of TQM implementation. Design/methodology/approach Data used in the research was primary data obtained from interview and questionnaire, and secondary data obtained from the study of literatures, internet, and company’s documents. The number of respondents in this research was 191. The analysis was done through structural equation modeling (SEM) using the smart partial least square software. Findings The findings of this study showed that TQM implementation had positive influences on employees’ productivity in XYZ. Tool is the most predominant factor in order to achieve a successful TQM implementation in XYZ. Therefore, the XYZ company will need to work on improving the development and management of the tool which has been available to sustain the effectiveness of TQM practices. Research limitations/implications Using a large sample size in the SEM method could improve the results. The implications of this study can be demonstrated through how top managers in this rubber company can improve their employees’ productivity through total quality management practices. Practical implications This research is useful for manufacturing companies in Indonesia, especially in the crumb rubber industry. Originality/value This research used the variable based on the empirical research. TQM was measured using six indicators: human resources, standard, tools, organization, internal audit, and training and education. On the other hand, the work productivity of employees is measured by four indicators: work willingness, work ability, work environment, and work relations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 1034-1059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pankaj Kumar ◽  
J. Maiti ◽  
Angappa Gunasekaran

Purpose Within the operations management literature, quality management (QM) has been one of the most popular research areas over the last few decades. The impact of QM systems on firm performance has been the subject of constant interest and challenge among researchers. Last such review was done in 2002 based on QM-related articles published between 1994 and 1999 and these were primarily on Total Quality Management (TQM). In the last 18 years, a large number of empirical studies have been attempted to investigate QM system-performance relationships in different contexts, covering not only TQM but also other QM systems such as ISO 9001, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Lean Manufacturing, Theory of Constraints (TOC), and Six Sigma Continuous Improvement projects. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Based on an extensive review of 263 papers published in 17 reputed journals during the period 2000 to 2017, this paper shows the reflections of QM systems with respect to study of different QM systems, type of research designs being used, performance categories and metrics being used, and application of tools/techniques. Findings The literature review has revealed several gaps in research in the area of QM and calls for research on: empirical longitudinal case studies; implementation of multiple QM systems; identification of leading indicators of firm’s performance; standardization of performance measures; safety, environment and health-related performance measures; the differences in the QM systems on firm’s performance for manufacturing vs service organizations; application of QM systems in developing countries including Asian countries; and impact of ISO 9001 QM system on firm’s performance. Originality/value The literature reviews in the past had considered only the TQM-related articles published in reputed journals and did not cover other QM systems such as TPM, TOC, Toyota Production System, Six Sigma, ISO 9001 QMS, etc., which have also been widely used in many organizations, more so in the last 15 years.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianwen Yan ◽  
Kexin Zhang ◽  
Weiwei Zhu ◽  
Yu Fan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to frame an empirical model with the priority of implementing soft critical successful factors (CSFs) of total quality management (TQM) in Chinese manufacturing companies. Design/methodology/approach In total, 23 hypotheses regarding the relationships among TQM factors and business results have been developed through literature review and are tested using the structural equation modelling (SEM). The data used in this study are collected from 228 manufacturing companies in the central area of China. Findings Of the 23 hypotheses, 11 were statistically significant, and according to the empirical results a conceptual framework complying to Chinese condition is constructed and discussed in the finding parts to group soft CSFs of TQM into different levels of importance. Research limitations/implications Researchers can use the framework to further study soft CSFs of TQM in detail, and extend it to explore their impact mechanism for a clearer and deeper understanding of the TQM. Practical implications The empirical framework for soft CSFs of TQM provides a new perspective for managers to implement the soft CSFs and optimise the quality management system of their manufacturing companies. Originality/value This research uses multiple, distinct indicators for each soft factor to test an elaborate SEM model of the relationships among them, according to the empirical results constructs a holistic framework classifying the importance level of soft CSFs of TQM, which is novel and subjected with Chinese condition and manufacturing characteristics.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 488-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rateb J Sweis ◽  
Hala Jamal Al-Ghawi ◽  
Noor Abdel-Aziz AlSaleh ◽  
Zu'bi M.F Al-Zu'bi ◽  
Bader Y Obeidat

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of internal benchmarking through the evaluation of quality management in two quality departments (Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)) in a pharmaceutical company by utilizing total quality index (TQI). Design/methodology/approach – In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose a structured questionnaire was used to assess the gap between the ideal and current status of the quality management system. The mean differences between the current and ideal states for the eight critical factors were compared for the two departments using t-test. Findings – There is difference in the actual and ideal scores on three out of eight critical factors between the QA and QC departments. Practical implications – The internal benchmarking process which was applied in this case study can be applied in other pharmaceutical companies in order to improve the status of the quality management system and achieve competitive advantage. Originality/value – Benchmarking of total quality management (TQM) can improve the performance of organizations. The benchmarking tool used in this study TQI is an information technology-supported tool that helps managers assess a TQM program by enabling the cost-effective measurement of key organizational processes. TQI measures the ideal and actual quality management along eight critical factors synthesized by Saraph et al. (1989).


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mulugeta Kebede Adem ◽  
Sandeep Singh Virdi

PurposeThis study is aimed at examining the effect of Total Quality Management (TQM) practices on the operational performance of ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturing companies in Ethiopia.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey was conducted to meet the purpose. Primary data was collected from the managers and senior experts working under the production and quality management units of the surveyed firms. Data was obtained from a survey of 302 participants found in 73 ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturing organizations. Both EFA and CFA were applied to validate and confirm the instrument, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results revealed that among the practices of TQM used in the model only supplier quality management, continuous improvement and process management were found to have significant and positive effect on the operational performance of the ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturing organizations in Ethiopia.Research limitations/implicationsFuture studies are suggested to consider some contextual variables such as firm age, scope of operation, firm size and firm strategy while addressing the objective.Practical implicationsThe study will encourage managers of manufacturing companies in Ethiopia to utilize a reliable and valid framework of TQM practices for better operational performance results.Originality/valueThe fact that Ethiopian manufacturing organizations are required to improve their product's quality in order to improve their productivity and enhance their competitiveness in a global market is the rationale of this study. Even though several studies have evolved to scrutinize the link between TQM and operational performance across the world, nearly nothing, is known about this linkage in Ethiopia. Thus, the study represents one of the first attempts to empirically investigate this linkage in Ethiopian context.


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