Survey of Total Quality Management (TQM) Resource Centers

摘要

This document describes a study of various models of Total Quality ManagementResource Centers that have been established, and is intended to assist in the development of a design for a Department of Defense (DoD) TQM Resource Center. The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) surveyed eight organizations with TQM Resource Centers for their designs and operations. While a precise set of organizations models did not emerge from the data collected, three critical design issues did--the level of activity, the degree of centralization, and the philosophy of operation. Moreover, the data from the study did not argue for or against the establishment of a DoD TQM Resource Center, nor was IDA asked to make this determination. Although the organizations surveyed have successfully used TQM Resource Centers to improve quality, at least two organizations who were winners of the prestigious Baldrige Award for Quality did not invest in TQM Resource Centers. Further study is required by the DoD to determine whether a DoD TQM Resource Center is needed and who its customers would be.