Key readings
Meeting customers' requirements and what can be expected
Gabor S. Aschner, The TQM Magazine, Vol. 11 No. 6, 1999
Recounts several personal instances of receiving poor response when goods or service failed to meet performance standards and had to be returned or complained about, where resorting to faxing the CEO was the only way to resolve matters. Draws common threads from these occasions to discuss product quality and customer requirements, and the imperative for firms to take full responsibility for keeping the customer happy if they are the interface point– even with goods that are not directly manufactured by them. Points to customer awareness and choice increasing as the global village shrinks through electronic networks, the Internet making distance no barrier to goods acquisition. Mentions the requirements for continual improvement and customer focus in the new ISO 9000:2000 standard, depicting the model. Declares firms better get on board, as customers will need satisfying in the future as they never have before.
quality focus says:An original article combining personal experience with current and future expectations for consumers.
Service quality and satisfaction – the moderating role of value
Albert Caruana, Arthur H. Money and Pierre R. Berthon, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 34 No. 11, 12, 2000
Puts forward a model to show the interrelationships between service quality,satisfaction and value. Begins by reviewing the literature on service quality,customer satisfaction and the concept of value and then goes on to develop a research model. Tests this by means of an exploratory research design involving personal interviews with a cross-section of 80 senior managers among clients of a major auditing firm. Based on the findings, suggests that the effect of quality on satisfaction is moderated by value such that if prices are high, this may result in a negative effect on satisfaction even though service quality is perceived to be high.
quality focus says:Although rather theoretical in the beginning, this article goes on to provide a worked example as well as a number of practical implications for further research or implementation.
Internal service recovery: developing a new construct
David E. Bowen and Robert Johnston, International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 10 No. 2, 1999
Introduces the concept of "internal service recovery" described as how an organization endeavours to make front-line employees recovering external service failure more able to deal with dissatisfied customers in the future. Examines the idea of service recovery and looks at the importance of internal customer service. Describes an exploratory study involving in-depth interviews with selected managers and staff at a UK retail bank. Draws on the findings from these interviews to develop a model of internal service recovery and discusses issues associated with implementing such a strategy in practice.
quality focus says: This article explores internal service recovery by way of a case study. Ideal in terms of originality and research implications, but presents more questions than answers.
Measuring and managing service quality: integrating customer expectations Marco Antonio Robledo, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 11 No. 1, 2001
Briefly traces the literature on customer perceptions and expectations of service quality, questioning whether the effects of the latter are fully understood; undertakes a study of assessments of service quality among customers of three airlines using six questionnaires based on weighted and unweighted versions of three different approaches - SERVQUAL, a measurement of the disconfirmation in a single questionnaire (SERVPEX) and a measurement of performance only, based on perception models (SERVPERF) to test the validity and reliability of each. Discusses the three factors identified as influencing customer evaluations tangibles, reliability and customer care and spotlights the unweighted SERVPEX model as superior; offers a model by which such companies can manage customer expectations, based on research into perceived service quality,level and sources of expectations, and management of those expectations through such tools as promotional campaigns, service guarantees and consumer education programmes.
quality focus says: This survey contains practical tips on how to manage customer expectations effectively.
Implementing an industrial continuous improvement system: a knowledge management case study
Alan J. Beckett, Charles E.R. Wainwright and David Bance, Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 100 No. 7, 2000
Describes the practical application of an information system designed to support continuous improvements in an industrial manufacturing setting. Explains how this system, based on a quality monitoring system, differs from conventional applications by seeking to support both quality conformance and continuous improvements to design and research activities. Shows how such activities traditionally fall outside the quality management function, but are encompassed within knowledge management goals and techniques, which are used in this research to construct a system framework. Applies the principles to a case study involving a medium-sized (unidentified) manufacturing company producing complex electrical machines. Concludes that knowledge management principles can support a wider application of continuous improvement to obtain benefits for organizations, by providing higher quality information, and increasing the levels of organizational expertise.
quality focus says:Follow this case study and discover a number of implications when setting up a CI system which can be applied to both the industrial and service market.
The role of performance measurement in continuous improvement
T.C. Bond, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 19 No. 12, 1999
Considers the application of kaizen continuous improvement and radical re-engineering as approaches to enhancing process performance, examining the way in which performance measures are actually used by a world class manufacturing company to foster the improvement process. Presents a case study of a leading edge international manufacturer of surgical products which sought to make improvements in five particular areas: customer satisfaction; quality; employee involvement; overhead cost reduction; and integration with the customer. Describes the division of key performance factors into six categories: quality;delivery reliability; customer satisfaction; cost; safety; and morale. Illustrates how performance measures were used in four distinct phases:maintaining process status quo; process improvement; process re-engineering; and achieving process stability. Shows that these phases represent the process life cycle.
quality focus says:This case study is characterized by succinct and digestible defining categories. Describes the four levels of process management crucial to success.
Development of a continuous improvement self-assessment tool
Sarah Caffyn, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 19 No. 11, 1999
Presents a research-based continuous improvement (CI) self-assessment tool aimed at helping users to make an objective assessment of CI in their company. Provides an overview of self-assessment in the field of CI before describing a capability model which supports the proposed self-assessment tool. Outlines the findings of research undertaken between 1992 and 1997 which produced the capability model that sets out key behaviours essential for long term success with CI. Describes how the self-assessment tool was developed, the content of the tool in the form of a booklet, and how the tool is used to achieve:constructive dialogue between key players in the organization; consensus about the current state of CI; and a firm base for planning actions to further develop CI. Calls on the experiences of three companies in the financial sector,pharmaceuticals and pipeline industries to illustrate the use of the tool in different environments.
quality focus says: This article provides practical advice and illustrates how this tool has been utilized by other organizations.
Strategy and continuous improvement in small-to-medium Australian manufacturers
Ross Chapman and Paul Hyland, Integrated Manufacturing Systems, Vol. 11 No. 3, 2000
Examines some of the approaches to developing manufacturing strategies and analyses how small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have linked their continuous improvement (CI) processes to these strategies. Notes that, while Australian firms have generally recognized the value of CI in improving performance, many have yet to develop systems to ensure that these CI programmes focus their efforts on strategically important issues for the company. Reports the application of a case study methodology, based on a CI Maturity Index, to the investigation of five SMEs based in Sydney, Australia. Identifies three distinct organizational approaches adopted by the companies: laissez-fairestrategy development, relatively tight control and structure, and loose control structure with overarching values.
quality focus says:Although technical in nature, this survey and case study is presented in a very reader-friendly format with a concise conclusion of the findings.
