Applying quality to Leavitt’s framework to solve information technology problems: A case study

Uses Leavitt’s framework as an instrument for solving the long product cycle time related problems experienced in a manufacturing information resource management function. A multi‐disciplinary quality team employing the framework and total quality principles abstracted the function into five related organizational factors of task, technology, people, communication and organizational structure. The team, aided by the framework, quality tools and DSS software, was able to understand fully how problems relating to the five factors contributed to the long product cycle time. The team was successful in reducing the cycle‐time from an average of 12 days to three days.