Only three organizations needed to be contacted as each agreed to participate. Interviews were based loosely on a set of open-ended questions. Through People respondent was asked to frame each question in terms of a specific quality initiative related to a systems development project. Review of company documents, and follow-up telephone calls were included to resolve inconsistencies. Discussion Consistent with the interviews, a primary measure of quality success is customer satisfaction.
Total involvement is also critical.
However, worker involvement requires a paradigm shift in the traditional style of management. Managers must act as facilitators rather than autocrats. Creative input from line workers must be nurtured and encouraged. We found that all three organizations believed that total involvement of workers, project managers, and top managers was important for successful TQM implementation. Discussions with respondents from the three organizations confirmed that communication, training, and employee involvement are critical to success.