The main internal quality measure is based on an audit process which simulates the first three months of ownership. This is scored and the measurement system benchmarked against competitors with targets set to 'best in class' levels. The Results Rover Group is a different company to the one which started a TQ journey in 1987. Survival is no longer the primary driving force, though a focus on efficiency and maintenance of a lean organisation remains relevant. Rover's business success in the 1990s has been firmly based on its Success through People philosophy.
Associates are well trained, highly motivated, and work in a much-improved industrial environment.
Since 1987, the Longbridge plant has achieved a reputation not only for the improved quality of its products but also for the associated improvements in the quality of industrial life. Indeed, a dramatic change has occurred in the attitudes of employees to the company. Investors in People validates the people strategy of Rover Group and it is an acknowledgement to the outside world of Rover's improvement and achievements. A clear strategy for the future of Rover Group is established, firmly based on TQ principles with the over-riding objective of becoming known worldwide for 'extraordinary customer satisfaction'.