UK Quality Management

This SEPSU report presents a dispassionate analysis of the facts concerning the practice of quality management in the UK. With no axe to grind, but with access to all the relevant expertise, this is an authoritative account of the practical strengths and weaknesses of current approaches.;The report is based on data - systematic analysis of the surveys carried out to date, new surveys carried out for the British Quality Foundation, a series of interviews carried out with companies linked in customer/supplier chains, and evidence collected from numerous organizations and individuals. Small and large companies, from both manufacturing and services sectors, are covered.;A number of options for the future development of quality management policy are identified. Significant areas for attention are: the limitation as well as the potential advantages of third-party assessment based on formal standards; weaknesses in the infrasturcture supporting the standards-based approach; the scope for the leadership and co-ordinating role of Government; the role of education and training in disseminating a real understanding of quality management; the critical importance of paying attention to organizational culture; and new opportunities for companies to develop rigorous approaches to quality management adapted for their own individual circumstances, including a systematic self-assessment, the use of Quality Awards and partnership sourcing.;Financial support for this study has been provided by the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Electrical Engineers and the DTI.