The key issues of a quality improvement process

SUMMARY A recent study of the quality improvement process in a cross-section of UK manufacturing industry has been carried out. This paper discusses how organizations become motivated to improve their product and service quality, the ways in which the quality improvement process can get started, the barriers to improvement, and the key factors for success. It is pointed out that the quality improvement process is a form of organizational change which requires the intervention of powerful change agents, of which demanding customers are the most influential. To succeed, quality improvement needs the commitment and effective leadership of the chief executive and his senior management team. The quality improvement process should be part of a wider business improvement strategy rather than a stand-alone programme.