Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found athttp://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ctqm20

Download by: [Anna University] Date: 30 November 2015, At: 00:28

Total Quality Management & Business Excellence

ISSN: 1478-3363 (Print) 1478-3371 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ctqm20

A review of the quality evolution in variousorganisations

V. Raja Sreedharan, R. Raju & S. Srivatsa Srinivas

To cite this article: V. Raja Sreedharan, R. Raju & S. Srivatsa Srinivas (2015): A review of thequality evolution in various organisations, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence,DOI: 10.1080/14783363.2015.1082421

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2015.1082421

Published online: 04 Sep 2015.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 79

View related articles

View Crossmark data

A review of the quality evolution in various organisations

V. Raja Sreedharan∗

, R. Raju and S. Srivatsa Srinivas

Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Anna University, Guindy,Chennai 600 025, India

As the world moves forward, quality has evolved drastically to meet the growingdemands in various organisations. As a result, various quality managementprocedures have been implemented in varied kinds of organisations. A review of thequality principles such as Total Quality Management, Lean, Six Sigma and Lean SixSigma is discussed in order to provide an understanding for implementing qualityprinciples in different organisations, which includes manufacturing, service,healthcare, government, non-profit organisations, transportation and logistics,process industry, etc. With the introduction of quality techniques, the effectivenessof organisations has improved. And these techniques are generic in nature and canimprove the efficiency of any organisation. But, the implementation policies indifferent organisations vary with the type of organisation. The consideration ofdifferent organisations provides useful guidelines for the application of thesemethods in unexplored sectors. Moreover, a brief summary of the key takeawaysand extensions for each of these applications in different types of organisations isalso presented. The effect of different quality procedures on people and theconsideration of environmental concept are proposed to be an area of future researchto improve the implementation effectiveness of the quality procedures in the existingareas.

Keywords: TQM; Lean Six Sigma; quality procedures; implementation; extensions

1. Introduction

Both Lean production and Six Sigma quality comprise production and management

philosophies and concepts, which have similar roots as that of the management philosophy

Total Quality Management (TQM). The policies of Lean production and Six Sigma qual-

ities should not be seen as substitutes to TQM, but rather as an assembly of concepts and

tools, which aid the overall principles and objectives of TQM (Andersson, Eriksson, &

Torstensson, 2006). These quality principles suggest simple and clear paths to follow

for businesses which have made up their minds to embark on a journey to achieve

world-class quality. If an organisation wants to achieve world-class quality, it should

understand that such simple roadmaps would never work without a company culture

characterised by the core principles of TQM. These roadmaps may be good to follow if

the right company culture were established from the top management to the middle man-

agement and to the shop floor level. For the automobile industry and other mass production

industries, the Lean production road map is the best preferred option to follow (Zhou,

2012). But, we may also debate that other simple techniques developed, such as Motoro-

la’s six steps to Six Sigma, have shown similar attractive results. The Lean manufacturing

procedures were started in Toyota and built to fit the auto assembly industry environment.

As both the Lean production methodology and Motorola’s Six Sigma process have the

# 2015 Taylor & Francis

∗Corresponding author. Email: rajasreedharan@hotmail.com

Total Quality Management, 2015

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2015.1082421

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

same origin (Japan), it is not strange to notice that the basic principles of the two compet-

ing quality improvement methodologies are the same (Bhuiyan & Baghel, 2005).

TQM, Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma are the quality policies applied in different

organisations over a significant period of time. The definitions of each of these philos-

ophies are discussed to provide an outline of these quality techniques.

TQM is an extended version of the classical production process involving the entire

organisation and all its functional areas (Ahuja, 2012). TQM is defined as a combination

of management ideas, intended to improve quality and process continuously to attain cus-

tomer fulfilment (Karuppusami & Gandhinathan, 2006). It has now become a part of the

business management jargon on a worldwide scale.

Taiichi Ohno, former executive Vice President of Toyota, developed the Toyota Pro-

duction System, also known as Lean manufacturing (Womack, Jones, & Roos, 1990). The

Lean procedure was derived from the Toyota Production System. When the concept of

mass production was established in the factories in the early 1900s, Henry Ford systemised

the practice of Lean manufacturing (Bhuiyan & Baghel, 2005). The goals of Lean are

improving the quality and process speed, eliminating waste, reducing lead time and redu-

cing the total cost of the process. Six Sigma is an integrated approach for pursuing con-

tinuous improvement of customer satisfaction as well as organisational profits (Snee,

2004). Developed by Motorola in 1987, General Electric started implementing Six

Sigma in the mid-1990s (Van Den Heuvel, Does, & Verver, 2005). The roots of Six

Sigma can be directed back to two primary sources: TQM and the Six Sigma statistical

metric originated at Motorola Corporation.

Lean Six Sigma is a practice that was obtained by integrating two of the most common

practices for enhancing organisations’ performance in the 1990s. Its benefits include cost

control, advances in the quality of service and customer satisfaction. It is considered a

precise and effective procedure to support the development of a system of integrated

quality management in any business in order to perform virtually free of errors and

waste of time (George, 2002). It has been recommended that Lean Six Sigma can be suc-

cessfully implemented only if continuously pursued over a long time, and it depends on the

position of the organisation with respect to a Lean Six Sigma maturity model (Raje, 2009).

Many authors have provided different versions of the literature survey of the afore-

mentioned quality principles (Bhuiyan & Baghel, 2005; Andersson et al., 2006; Pepper

& Spedding, 2010). Though the literature reviews on the quality principles provide

useful information on the pros and cons of these quality principles, these do not address

the wide application capability of the continuous improvement initiatives in different

areas. Bendell (2006) compared the Six Sigma and Lean organisations based on the

approaches, theoretical background and practical consulting in all organisations. A

thorough study on the existing state of Six Sigma in service organisations is discussed

based on the past literature, both quantitatively and qualitatively based on the research

articles and their impact (Chakrabarty & Chuan Tan, 2007). These studies deal with the

review of quality procedures, their approaches to quality improvement. However, an

outline of the successful implementation of these principles to various sectors would

provide an insight into the capability of quality procedures and encourage future appli-

cations in unexplored sectors. Hence, an attempt is made through this study to bring out

the various facets of TQM, Lean, Six Sigma and their integration, along with their policies

in different sectors.

2 V. Raja Sreedharan et al.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

2. Quality policies in different sectors

Quality policies find their applications in various organisations. The implementation pol-

icies of these quality principles vary with different fields. TQM’s capacity to produce

results is not uniform in all organisations, but is dependent on parameters such as the

organisation’s size and subsector (Garcıa-Bernal & Garcıa-Casarejos, 2014). However,

there are enough evidences to suggest the successful implementation of this methodology

in different industries. A study in UK organisations showed a positive correlation between

Lean techniques and organisation performance in the manufacturing and service sectors

(Alsmadi, Almani, and Jerisat, 2012). Another empirical study focusses on Six Sigma

implementation in fortune 100 manufacturing and service organisations in Saudi Arabia

(Alsmadi, Lehaney, and Khan, 2012). The benefits obtained by the application of Six

Sigma in a non-manufacturing environment are potentially more than those of the manu-

facturing applications (Does, van den Heuvel, De Mast, & Bisgaard, 2002).

2.1. Manufacturing industry

The area of manufacturing is one of the first sectors to embrace quality control and quality

management practices. This sector has attracted continuous improvement procedures con-

sistently over a period of time because of the production of discrete units. With discrete

units manufacturing, it becomes easier to measure quality in terms of defects per unit.

However, the implementation of quality principles in manufacturing is required to meet

the ever-increasing customer expectations in the quality of products and to survive in

the intense competition among the various organisations. The major advantage of measur-

ing quality in manufacturing is the easiness of quantifying the quality of products. With the

arrival of recession at the onset of the twenty-first century, many organisations were

pushed into a corner, forced to reduce cost, eliminate waste and respond to customer

demands quickly. Lean manufacturing is perceived to have come up with solutions to

these problems (Bhamu & Singh Sangwan, 2014). McAdam and Evans (2004) presented

the obstacles faced in Six Sigma implementation in high-technology mass production

environments.

Ahuja (2012) conducted a study in a public sector undertaking of India, to exhibit the

outstanding potential of TQM initiatives in addressing the organisational concerns of tack-

ling high levels of process defects. An empirical research was conducted in an Indian

radial tyre manufacturing firm, where the opinions of a group of experts were collected,

to form an interpretative structural model of the critical success factors. This work indi-

cated that an organisation’s financial capability drives the top management commitment

to incorporating Lean manufacturing practices in a tyre manufacturing organisation

(Gupta, Acharya, & Patwardhan, 2013).

A model for the application of Lean procedures in a textile environment was developed

after a thorough research, through interviews, plant tours and case studies (Hodge, Goforth

Ross, Joines, & Thoney, 2011). A case study conducted in a Swedish telecom manufactur-

ing industry showed that the application of Lean Six Sigma ensured flexibility, robustness

and efficiency of the organisation (Andersson, Hilletofth, Manfredsson, & Hilmola, 2014).

A summary of the diverse applications of quality policies in the manufacturing sector is

presented in Table 1.

The application of quality principles in manufacturing could be further extended to the

food processing industry, fashion and apparel divisions within the textile bandwagon and

other discrete components production.

Total Quality Management 3

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

2.2. Small and medium-sized enterprises

As far as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are concerned, the implementation

and follow-up of quality procedures are much easier when compared to that in the indus-

trial powerhouses in the manufacturing, service and other sectors. However, the initiative

to apply such effective quality procedures is very minimal owing to the lack of awareness

and funds. These are organisations that are in the growth stage of their life cycle and

cannot afford to compete with the many established organisations. Dramatic improve-

ments were achieved in terms of cost savings and process improvement as suggested by

the past literature discussed in this section. In this type of sector, the organisations typi-

cally concentrate on ‘focussed’ customers and try to meet their expectations of quality.

Dramatic improvement and cost savings were observed after the implementation of the

Lean Sigma framework in the die-casting unit of automobile accessories (Kumar, Antony,

Singh, Tiwari, & Perry, 2006). A survey of the SMEs in the USA showed that Lean as a

business strategy is adopted to reduce cost, improve profit margin, improve utilisation of

facilities and maintain a competitive position (Zhou, 2012). The state of Six Sigma enact-

ment in UK’s SMEs was obtained through empirical observations and descriptive statistics

was used to obtain the results. Management participation and commitment, linking Six

Sigma to customers and business strategy are the most important factors in the successful

application of Six Sigma in SMEs (Antony, Kumar, & Madu, 2005). A summary of the

applications of quality policies to the SMEs is presented in Table 2.

In the case of SMEs, awareness and education of the quality principles are necessary in

order to ensure effective understanding and application. Moreover, the applications can be

Table 1. Summary of the applications of quality policies to the manufacturing sector.

Authors and year Observation Policy Division

Chen and Lyu(2009)

Six Sigma DMAIC approach forenhancing quality in touch panelproduction

Lean SixSigma

Touch panelmanufacturing

Hodge et al. (2011) Lean principles appropriate for textileindustry

Lean Textile industry

Vinodh, Gautham,and Ramiya(2011)

Benefits of employing Lean Six Sigma inautomotive valves manufacturingcompany

Lean SixSigma

Automotive valves

Bilgen and Sen(2012)

Reduction in energy cost by theoptimisation of material transferringheat loss

SixSigma

Automotive supplierindustry

Wang and Chen(2012)

Lean Six Sigma methodology forcontinuous improvement inforecasting production costs

Lean SixSigma

Panel equipmentmanufacturing

Ahuja (2012) Reduction in process defects of carbonbrush shop

TQM Carbon brush shop inpublic sector

Habidin and Yusof(2012)

Relationship between Lean Six Sigmaand organisational performance

Lean SixSigma

Automotive industry

Gupta et al. (2013) Lean performance assessment of a tyremanufacturing firm

Lean Radial tyre

Vinodh, Kumar, andVimal (2014)

Implementation benefits of Lean SixSigma in rotary switchesmanufacturing company

Lean SixSigma

Rotary switches

Andersson et al.(2014)

The positive effect of Lean Six Sigma intelecom manufacturing

Lean SixSigma

Telecommanufacturing

Note: DMAIC, Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control.

4 V. Raja Sreedharan et al.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

extended to divisions within the SMEs other than manufacturing. This might include small

business units that provide various ranges of services to people.

2.3. Service industry

The stakes are high for service operations as they deal with the perceived value of custo-

mers. Another important consideration in service operations is the measurement of quality

as it cannot be measured in discrete units very easily. The perception of quality from the

customer view matters much more than the structured measure of quality from the point of

view of the industry. The ultimate aim of any service operation is to meet or exceed cus-

tomer expectations. Some of the critical success factors are customer focus, change man-

agement, top management commitment and direction, etc. Most of the service activities

deal with customers first hand. As a result, major defects in the service might lead to

goodwill loss that cannot be repaired. The quantification of service quality cannot be

very accurate and some variance exists in the quality metrics.

Antony (2004) reported that the most commonly used tools and techniques in the

service organisations are brainstorming, process mapping, affinity diagrams, root cause

analysis, control charts, benchmarking, Pareto analysis and change management tools.

Improvements in the operation of call centres were noticed with the application of

Lean Six Sigma in the organisations. The improvements include an increase in the first-

call resolution ratio, reduction in operator turnover and streamlining of processes

(Laureani, Antony, & Douglas, 2010). The applicability of Lean Six Sigma in financial

service organisations was discussed with respect to the benefits and difficulties in the

application (Delgado, Ferreira, & Castelo Branco, 2010). A qualitative methodological

approach was used to examine the critical factors affecting the application of Lean Six

Sigma in an airline industry. Primary data (interviews with managers) and secondary

data (analysis of the company’s written procedures and quality assurance policies) were

used to find the factors that affect its implementation (Psychogios & Tsironis, 2012).

Table 2. Summary of the applications of quality policies to the SMEs.

Authors and year Observation Policy Division

Antony et al. (2005) Analysis of Six Sigmaimplementation in UK SMEs

Six Sigma Manufacturing

Kumar et al. (2006) Reduction of defects inautomobile accessories usingLean Sigma framework

Lean Sigma Die-casting unit,manufacturing

Khamalah andLingaraj (2007)

Employment of TQM in smallbusinesses and its effects

TQM Service

Kumar, Antony, andTiwari (2011)

Development of Six Sigmaimplementation frameworkfor SMEs

Six Sigma Generic

Zhou (2012) Reduction in cost through Leanimplementation

Lean Manufacturing andservice

Panizzolo, Garengo,Sharma, and Gore(2012)

Investigation of the adoption ofLean philosophy by theIndian SMEs

Lean Manufacturing

Gnanaraj, Devadasan,Murugesh, andSreenivasa (2012)

Sensitisation of SMEs throughthe DOLADMAICS model

Lean Six Sigma Manufacturing

Total Quality Management 5

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

A process optimisation system for the production fluctuations of G bank’s Information

Technology Service Management with the Lean Six Sigma policy was presented to over-

come the problems faced by the organisation (Xu, Zhang, & Ye, 2013). A summary of the

diverse applications of quality policies in the service sector is presented in Table 3.

Generally, the service sector comes in direct contact with people and need arises to

apply the quality improvement programmes to different subdivisions within the service

sectors such as supermarkets, retail stores and other forms of customer services.

2.4. Healthcare sector

Healthcare quality is the most important of all the applications of the different quality

improvement initiatives. The cost of defects in the healthcare operations, especially

those associated with humans, can lead to terrible consequences. As a result, proper organ-

isation and implementation of quality procedures in the healthcare sector are necessary to

minimise or eliminate problems confronting the human community.

The healthcare sector requires regular innovative efforts to remain competitive and

cost-efficient. The cost of healthcare is increasing worldwide, and the need arises to

implement methodologies to cut down costs and obtain process improvement. The

common process improvement projects in the healthcare environment are listed as

follows (Langabeer, DelliFraine, Heineke, & Abbass, 2009).

. Improving operating room throughput

. Improving emergency department throughput

. Reducing medication errors

. Reducing patient wait times

. Reducing other turnaround times

. Reducing other non-medication errors

. Best practices of care

Table 3. Summary of the applications of quality policies to the service sector.

Authors and year Observation Policy Division

Delgado et al. (2010) Increase in production with Lean SixSigma implementation

Lean SixSigma

Financial servicesorganisation

Laureani et al. (2010) Increase in the first-call resolutionratio with Lean Six Sigma

Lean SixSigma

Call centre

Wang and Chen(2010)

Improvement in banking serviceswith an integrated Lean Six Sigma– TRIZ approach

Lean SixSigma

Banking services

Psychogios andTsironis (2012)

Critical success factors for theapplication of Lean Six Sigma

Lean SixSigma

Airline industry

Xu et al. (2013) Process optimisation system forproduction shifts

Lean SixSigma

Banking

Burch, Strawderman,and Bullington(2014)

Application of Lean Six Sigma forruggedised handheld deviceselection and implementation

Lean SixSigma

Global service-basedlogisticsorganisation

Prashar (2015) Integration of Six Sigma and othertools for process

Six Sigma Service company(energy meter)

Improvement in energy meter readingin public utilities context

Note: TRIZ, Theoria Resheneyva Isobretatelskehuh Zadach.

6 V. Raja Sreedharan et al.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

A case study on the implementation of Six Sigma at the Red Cross Hospital in the

Netherlands indicated that this methodology provided solutions to many of the problems

faced at the hospital. It was also established that Six Sigma projects in healthcare comprise

both medical and administrative problems (Van Den Heuvel et al., 2005). The benefits and

issues faced in the application of Lean Six Sigma at the same hospital were discussed

(Koning, Verver, Heuvel, Bisgaard, & Does, 2006). Furterer (2011) described a case

study where a cross-functional team successfully applied the DMAIC principle of Lean

Six Sigma in an acute care hospital to significantly reduce the loss in linen. A study

carried out in the Netherlands showed the usefulness of Lean Six Sigma to decrease hos-

pital stay by enhancing the discharge method of patients in the care processes (Niemeijer,

Trip, Ahaus, Does, & Wendt, 2010).

Successful implementation of the Lean Six Sigma project for the reduction of Regu-

lated Medical Waste was discussed. Detailed mapping of the process, and Kaizen and stat-

istical tools were used to solve the problem in this study (Stonemetz et al., 2011).

Emergency Departments face problems with cost control, overcrowding, delays and

patient safety. Holden (2011) suggested an approach called Lean thinking to address the

issues in these departments. Implementation of Lean in 15 emergency departments in

the USA, Australia and Canada was described. A summary of the various applications

of quality policies for the healthcare sector is presented in Table 4.

The application of quality principles in the healthcare sector could be further extended

by considering ergonomic (physical and cognitive) factors in patients’ management and

integrating healthcare operations of ambulance services and treatment of patients. There

is also tremendous scope for improvement in the management of healthcare wastes gen-

erated from hospitals and other healthcare units.

2.5. Governance

The application of continuous improvement initiatives like TQM, Six Sigma and Lean Six

Sigma within the government is very important as it involves the citizens of the country

and best services need to be provided to them. The overall development of any country

can be achieved only with the effective functioning of the government and its allied

departments. With proper framing and implementation of policies, high-quality services

can be provided to the people of a country.

With the emergence of issues related to Governance and Development, it becomes

absolutely necessary to embrace quality policies to achieve enough process improvements.

Some of the applications of TQM in local government include police departments, waste

management, fire services, etc. The main advantage of using TQM in these cases is that the

community wants are understood in a much better manner (West, Berman, & Milakovich,

1993).

TQM principles were combined with a theoretic model to evaluate employee loyalty

and satisfaction within the government. The study results indicated that employee empow-

erment and compensation, cooperation and organisation leadership are substantial

positive forecasters of employee satisfaction (Chang, Chiu, & Chen, 2010). Furterer and

Elshennawy (2005) presented works of employing Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques

for enhancing the quality and timeliness of providing local government services. The

authors suggested that Lean Six Sigma can increase the efficiency of procedures,

enhance the quality of service delivery to people and decrease the costs of providing

these facilities. Radnor (2010) examined the transfer of Lean policies to a government

set-up. This examination is done to understand which of these principles are applied in

Total Quality Management 7

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

the government department and have an impact. A summary of the applications of quality

policies to government is presented in Table 5.

Possible extensions in the field of governance include the application of quality prin-

ciples with proper modifications to different government departments such as education,

administration and urban and rural development depending on the environment of each

of these divisions. The implementation of quality initiatives in this sector has been dis-

cussed very limitedly in the literature. If the strategy of continuous improvement

applies to these departments, it will lead to the development of all citizens of a country,

thereby leading to the overall enhancement of the standards of living in the human com-

munity. However, care should be taken to ensure that multiple, contradicting factors are

taken into account as this area is somewhat sensitive.

Table 4. Summary of the applications of quality policies to the healthcare sector.

Authors and year Observation Policy Division

Van Den Heuvel,Does, and Verver(2005)

Annual savings with theimplementation of Six Sigma

Six Sigma Hospital

Koning et al. (2006) Effective framework of LeanThinking and Six Sigma forsystematic innovation efforts inhealthcare

Lean Thinkingand Six Sigma

Hospitals

Langabeer et al.(2009)

The application of Lean and SixSigma to the healthcare industry

Lean and SixSigma

Hospitals

Niemeijer et al.(2010)

Improvement in the dischargeprocedure of patients using LeanSix Sigma

Lean Six Sigma Hospital

Holden (2011) Effect of Lean Thinking onfunctioning of EmergencyDepartments

Lean Thinking EmergencyDepartments

Stonemetz et al.(2011)

Application of Lean Six Sigma leadsto financial gains with thereduction of regulated medicalwaste

Lean Six Sigma Regulatedmedicalwaste

Furterer (2011) Formation of a cross-functional teamto apply the Lean Six Sigmamethodology to improve the linenprocesses

Lean Six Sigma Acute carehospital

Dahlgaard,Pettersen, andDahlgaard-Park(2011)

Development of a lean system forimprovement in the healthcareorganisations

Lean Hospitals andclinics

Chiarini (2012) Application of Lean Six Sigma toreduce safety risks to people whomanage cancer drugs

Lean Six Sigma Hospital

Gowen, McFadden,and Settaluri(2012)

Examination of how LeanManagement and Six Sigmamediate the effect of medical errorsources

Six Sigma andLeanManagement

Hospitals

Niemeijer et al.(2013)

Establishment of a clinic for hipfractures using Lean Six Sigma

Lean Six Sigma Hospital

8 V. Raja Sreedharan et al.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

2.6. Transportation and logistics sector

The transportation and logistics sector requires the implementation of quality policies

within its domain, so that the ever-increasing expectations of customers can be met

effectively.

McCambridge and Tucker (1998) discussed the results of a study of 146 state depart-

ments of transportation mid-level supervisors from 26 states, concerning their obser-

vations of the issues associated with TQM employment in their respective divisions in

1994–1995. Transportation organisations will have to adopt TQM in ¼their operations

in order to meet the regulations of the World Trade Organization. The requirements of

TQM in transit companies are discussed along with Total Quality Transportation, in con-

nection with Deming’s 14 points (Metri, 2006).

Goldsby and Martichenko (2005) put forward the way to combine Lean, Six Sigma and

Logistics into a consistent process, which aids to remove avoidable inventories, increase

speed to market, quicken lead times, etc. An integrated model of balanced scorecard,

supply chain reference model and DMAIC methodology was designed for the application

of Six Sigma techniques to supply chain development (Knowles, Whicker, Femat, &

Canales, 2005). With increased competition in the distribution sector, a procedure for

change management to adopt lean practices in this sector was developed (Jaca, Santos,

Errasti, & Viles, 2012).

A summary of the diverse applications of quality policies to the transportation and

logistics sector is presented in Table 6.

Apart from supply chain management and logistics, the employment of quality pro-

cedures in other areas such as public railways and bus transportation and shipping

could produce significant gains in terms of service quality and cost savings.

2.7. Other sectors

Quality principles have been successfully implemented in various other organisations,

which include non-profit organisations, process industries, construction sector and

higher education institutions (HEIs). A summary of the applications of quality policies

to these businesses is presented in Table 7.

Table 5. Summary of the applications of quality policies to the government.

Authors and year Observation Policy Division

West et al. (1993) Role of TQM in local governmentperformance

TQM Localgovernment

Furterer andElshennawy(2005)

The application of TQM and Lean SixSigma tools in local government

TQM and LeanSix Sigma

Localgovernment

Radnor (2010) Lean tools effective in government Lean Governmentdepartment

Chang et al. (2010) Effect of TQM on employeesatisfaction and loyalty ingovernment

TQM Government

Campatelli, Citti,and Meneghin(2011)

Simplified approach based on EFQMmodel and Six Sigma for theimplementation of TQM principlesin a university administration

TQM and SixSigma

Universityadministration

Note: EFQM, European Foundation for Quality Management.

Total Quality Management 9

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

Table 6. Summary of the applications of quality policies to the transportation and logistics sector.

Authors and year Observation Policy Division

Obeng and Ugboro(1996)

Principles of implementing TQM intransit firms

TQM Transit firms

McCambridge andTucker (1998)

Issues with TQM application TQM State departmentsof transportation

Goldsby andMartichenko(2005)

Integrate Lean, Six Sigma andLogistics into a consistent process

Lean, SixSigma andLogistics

Logistics

Knowles et al. (2005) A Six Sigma model for supply chainimprovement

Six Sigma Supply chain

Das (2005) Reduction in delay in raw materialprocurement using Six Sigmaapproach

Six Sigma Spinning mill

Metri (2006) Total quality transportation throughDeming’s 14 points

TQM Public transitcorporations

Chappell and Peck(2006)

The applicability of Six Sigma inrisk management in militarysupply chain

Six Sigma Military supplychain

Chang, Yen, Chou,Wu, and Lee(2012)

Improvement in the productionplanning procedure throughinformation systems integrationusing Six Sigma approach

Six Sigma Supply chain

Jaca et al. (2012) Change management for theadoption of lean principles indistribution centres

Lean thinking Retail distribution

Table 7. Summary of the applications of quality policies to other sectors.

Authors and year Observation Policy Division

Kanji, Malek, andTambi (1999)

Measurement and assessment of theinternal processes of institutions

TQM HEIs

Stewart and Spencer(2006)

Discussion on the outcomes of a SixSigma project for longitudinal beamconstruction in a railway station

Six Sigma Constructionsector

Andersson et al.(2009)

Process improvement in the field ofmedicinal chemistry

Lean Six Sigma Pharmaceuticalindustry

Kaushik andKhanduja (2009)

Application of DMAIC approach toreduce de-mineralised waterconsumption

Six Sigma Thermal powerplant

Ali, Mahat, and Zairi(2010)

Examination of the critical nature ofhuman resource related TQM factorsin the Malaysian context

TQM HEIs

Cheng and Chang(2012)

Optimum resource management usingthe DMAIC principle in non-profitorganisations

Lean Six Sigma Non-profitorganisations

Garcıa-Bernal andGarcıa-Casarejos(2014)

Economic and organisational analysisof TQM adoption in the Spanishconstruction sector

TQM Constructionsector

10 V. Raja Sreedharan et al.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

The continuous improvement initiatives are not limited to the traditional sectors alone.

They are applied with slight modifications to various other sectors such as event manage-

ment, sports and entertainment, etc. Proper study of the particular sector, issues involved

in implementation, the potential benefits that could be achieved, etc., are to be considered

for successful implementation of the quality procedures.

3. Conclusion and future research

Through a comprehensive literature survey, the quality procedures in different utilities

have been discussed. Moreover, applications of quality procedures to the new emerging

sectors are also elaborately considered. Table 8 presents a comparison of the sectors in

available literature based on key factors.

Chiarini (2012) clearly puts forward the difficulty in generalising the developed

theory, from one case study to other public healthcare organisations. This limitation is

not restricted to the field of healthcare alone. It also applies to manufacturing, service

and other development organisations. Bendell (2006) supports the case of the inability

of these quality procedures to be generalised for different organisations. The implemen-

tation of quality policies must be adapted according to the area in which it is applied.

Hu, Wang, Fetch, and Bidanda (2008) developed a multi-objective model for project port-

folio selection for the implementation of Lean and Six Sigma principles in an effective

manner. These types of models could help in the application of quality principles effec-

tively and efficiently.

Duarte and Cruz-Machado (2013) examined how various business models, personified

in awards, standards and frameworks, can lead to modelling a lean and green approach for

an organisation and its associated supply chain. Quality principles could be further

enhanced by incorporating environmental concepts.

Though the effect of people on organisational performance is considered in the above

techniques, the opposite is not given much importance. Also, the literature that addresses

the effect of quality policies on employees, and human factors are quite less. This leaves an

open area that requires significant research as employees are the main stakeholders in any

organisation.

Table 8. Comparison of the sectors in available literature based on key factors.

Factors 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Direct people contact 3 3 3 3

Easy quality measurement 3 3 3 3 3

Accurate quality measurement 3 3

Critical nature of operations 3 3

Easy implementation 3 3 3 3

Scope for innovation 3 3 3 3

Multiple conflicting noise factors 3 3 3 3

Effective control and follow up 3 3 3 3 3

The role of perception 3 3 3

The role of known facts 3 3 3

Standardisation of procedures 3 3 3

Potential for continuous improvement 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Notes: 1 – manufacturing; 2 – SMEs; 3 – service; 4 – healthcare; 5 – governance; 6 – transportation andlogistics; 7 – others.

Total Quality Management 11

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

The application of quality management procedures is not limited to areas discussed in

the current article. These procedures find potential applications in other unexplored areas

as every organisation aims to continuously improve every day. The implementation of

quality principles will not only help in improving the effectiveness of an organisation,

but also aid in their journey to achieve the organisation’s mission.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

V. Raja Sreedharan http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3601-8002

R. Raju http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4648-2618

References

Ahuja, I. S. (2012). Total quality management implementation for reducing percent process defectsin a manufacturing organization. International Journal of Business PerformanceManagement, 13(1), 1–17.

Ali, N. A., Mahat, F., & Zairi, M. (2010). Testing the criticality of HR-TQM factors in the Malaysianhigher education context. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 21(11),1177–1188.

Alsmadi, M., Almani, A., & Jerisat, R. (2012). A comparative analysis of Lean practices and per-formance in the UK manufacturing and service sector firms. Total Quality Management &Business Excellence, 23(3–4), 381–396.

Alsmadi, M., Lehaney, B., & Khan, Z. (2012). Implementing Six Sigma in Saudi Arabia: An empiri-cal study on the fortune 100 firms. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence,23(3–4), 263–276.

Andersson, R., Eriksson, H., & Torstensson, H. (2006). Similarities and differences between TQM,six sigma and lean. The TQM magazine, 18(3), 282–296.

Andersson, R., Hilletofth, P., Manfredsson, P., & Hilmola, O. P. (2014). Lean Six Sigma strategy intelecom manufacturing. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 114(6), 904–921.

Andersson, S., Armstrong, A., Bjore, A., Bowker, S., Chapman, S., Davies, R., . . . Whittamore, P.(2009). Making medicinal chemistry more effective – Application of Lean Sigma toimprove processes, speed and quality. Drug Discovery Today, 14(11), 598–604.

Antony, J. (2004). Six Sigma in the UK service organizations: Results from a pilot survey.Managerial Auditing Journal, 19(8), 1006–1013.

Antony, J., Kumar, M., & Madu, C. N. (2005). Six sigma in small- and medium-sized UK manufac-turing enterprises: Some empirical observations. International Journal of Quality &Reliability Management, 22(8), 860–874.

Bendell, T. (2006). A review and comparison of six sigma and the lean organisations. The TQMMagazine, 18(3), 255–262.

Bhamu, J., & Singh Sangwan, K. (2014). Lean manufacturing: Literature review and research issues.International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 34(7), 876–940.

Bhuiyan, N., & Baghel, A. (2005). An overview of continuous improvement: From the past to thepresent. Management Decision, 43(5), 761–771.

Bilgen, B., & Sen, M. (2012). Project selection through fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and a casestudy on Six Sigma implementation in an automotive industry. Production Planning &Control, 23(1), 2–25.

Burch, V. R. F., Strawderman, L., & Bullington, S. (2014). Global corporation rollout of ruggedisedhandheld devices: A Lean Six Sigma case study. Total Quality Management & BusinessExcellence. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/14783363.2014.934521.

Campatelli, G., Citti, P., & Meneghin, A. (2011). Development of a simplified approach based on theEFQM model and Six Sigma for the implementation of TQM principles in a university admin-istration. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 22(7), 691–704.

12 V. Raja Sreedharan et al.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

Chakrabarty, A., & Chuan Tan, K. (2007). The current state of six sigma application in services.Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, 17(2), 194–208.

Chang, C. C., Chiu, C. M., & Chen, C. A. (2010). The effect of TQM practices on employee satis-faction and loyalty in government. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 21(12),1299–1314.

Chang, S. I., Yen, D. C., Chou, C. C., Wu, H. C., & Lee, H. P. (2012). Applying Six Sigma to themanagement and improvement of production planning procedure’s performance. TotalQuality Management & Business Excellence, 23(3–4), 291–308.

Chappell, A., & Peck, H. (2006). Risk management in military supply chains: Is there a role for sixsigma? International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 9(3), 253–267.

Chen, M., & Lyu, J. (2009). A Lean Six-Sigma approach to touch panel quality improvement.Production Planning and Control, 20(5), 445–454.

Cheng, C. Y., & Chang, P. Y. (2012). Implementation of the Lean Six Sigma framework in non-profit organizations: A case study. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence,23(3–4), 431–447.

Chiarini, A. (2012). Risk management and cost reduction of cancer drugs using Lean Six Sigmatools. Leadership in Health Services, 25(4), 318–330.

Dahlgaard, J. J., Pettersen, J., & Dahlgaard-Park, S. M. (2011). Quality and lean health care: Asystem for assessing and improving the health of healthcare organizations. Total QualityManagement & Business Excellence, 22(6), 673–689.

Das, P. (2005). Reduction in delay in procurement of materials using Six Sigma philosophy. TotalQuality Management & Business Excellence, 16(5), 645–656.

Delgado, C., Ferreira, M., & Castelo Branco, M. (2010). The implementation of lean Six Sigma infinancial services organizations. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 21(4),512–523.

Does, R., van den Heuvel, E., De Mast, J., & Bisgaard, S. (2002). Comparing nonmanufacturing withtraditional applications of Six Sigma. Quality Engineering, 15(1), 177–182.

Duarte, S., & Cruz-Machado, V. (2013). Modelling lean and green: A review from business models.International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 4(3), 228–250.

Furterer, S., & Elshennawy, A. K. (2005). Implementation of TQM and lean Six Sigma tools in localgovernment: A framework and a case study. Total Quality Management & BusinessExcellence, 16(10), 1179–1191.

Furterer, S. L. (2011). Applying lean Six Sigma to reduce linen loss in an acute care hospital.International Journal of Engineering, Science and Technology, 3(7), 39–55.

Garcıa-Bernal, J., & Garcıa-Casarejos, N. (2014). Economic analysis of TQM adoption in the con-struction sector. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 25(3–4), 209–221.

George, M. (2002). Lean Six Sigma: Combining Six Sigma quality with Lean production speed.New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Gnanaraj, S. M., Devadasan, S. R., Murugesh, R., & Sreenivasa, C. G. (2012). Sensitisation of SMEstowards the implementation of Lean Six Sigma – An initialisation in a cylinder frames man-ufacturing Indian SME. Production Planning & Control, 23(8), 599–608.

Goldsby, T. J., & Martichenko, R. (2005). Lean six sigma logistics: Strategic development to oper-ational success. Boca Raton, FL: J. Ross Publishing.

Gowen III, C. R., McFadden, K. L., & Settaluri, S. (2012). Contrasting continuous quality improve-ment, Six Sigma, and lean management for enhanced outcomes in US hospitals. AmericanJournal of Business, 27(2), 133–153.

Gupta, V., Acharya, P., & Patwardhan, M. (2013). A strategic and operational approach to assess thelean performance in radial tyre manufacturing in India: A case based study. InternationalJournal of Productivity and Performance Management, 62(6), 634–651.

Habidin, N. F., & Yusof, S. M. (2012). Relationship between lean six sigma, environmental manage-ment systems, and organizational performance in the Malaysian automotive industry.International Journal of Automotive Technology, 13(7), 1119–1125.

Hodge, G. L., Goforth Ross, K., Joines, J. A., & Thoney, K. (2011). Adapting lean manufacturingprinciples to the textile industry. Production Planning & Control, 22(3), 237–247.

Holden, R. J. (2011). Lean thinking in emergency departments: A critical review. Annals ofEmergency Medicine, 57(3), 265–278.

Total Quality Management 13

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

Hu, G., Wang, L., Fetch, S., & Bidanda, B. (2008). A multi-objective model for project portfolioselection to implement lean and Six Sigma concepts. International Journal of ProductionResearch, 46(23), 6611–6625.

Jaca, C., Santos, J., Errasti, A., & Viles, E. (2012). Lean thinking with improvement teams inretail distribution: A case study. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence,23(3–4), 449–465.

Kanji, G. K., Malek, A., & Tambi, B. A. (1999). Total quality management in UK higher educationinstitutions. Total Quality Management, 10(1), 129–153.

Karuppusami, G., & Gandhinathan, R. (2006). Pareto analysis of critical success factors of totalquality management: A literature review and analysis. The TQM Magazine, 18(4), 372–385.

Kaushik, P., & Khanduja, D. (2009). Application of Six Sigma DMAIC methodology in thermalpower plants: A case study. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 20(2),197–207.

Khamalah, J. N., & Lingaraj, B. P. (2007). TQM in the service sector: A survey of small businesses.Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 18(9), 973–982.

Knowles, G., Whicker, L., Femat, J. H., & Canales, F. D. C. (2005). A conceptual model for theapplication of Six Sigma methodologies to supply chain improvement. InternationalJournal of Logistics: Research and Applications, 8(1), 51–65.

Koning, H., Verver, J. P., Heuvel, J., Bisgaard, S., & Does, R. J. (2006). Lean six sigma in healthcare.Journal for Healthcare Quality, 28(2), 4–11.

Kumar, M., Antony, J., Singh, R. K., Tiwari, M. K., & Perry, D. (2006). Implementing the LeanSigma framework in an Indian SME: A case study. Production Planning and Control,17(4), 407–423.

Kumar, M., Antony, J., & Tiwari, M. K. (2011). Six Sigma implementation framework for SMEs –A roadmap to manage and sustain the change. International Journal of Production Research,49(18), 5449–5467.

Langabeer, J. R., DelliFraine, J. L., Heineke, J., & Abbass, I. (2009). Implementation of Lean and SixSigma quality initiatives in hospitals: A goal theoretic perspective. Operations ManagementResearch, 2(1–4), 13–27.

Laureani, A., Antony, J., & Douglas, A. (2010). Lean six sigma in a call centre: A case study.International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 59(8), 757–768.

McAdam, R., & Evans, A. (2004). Challenges to Six Sigma in a high technology mass-manufactur-ing environments. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 15(5–6), 699–706.

McCambridge, J. A., & Tucker, M. L. (1998). TQM implementation in state departments of trans-portation: View from the firing line. Journal of Management in Engineering, 14(1), 49–57.

Metri, B. A. (2006). Total quality transportation through Deming’s 14 points. Journal of PublicTransportation, 9(4), 35–46.

Niemeijer, G. C., Flikweert, E., Trip, A., Does, R. J., Ahaus, K. T., Boot, A. F., & Wendt, K. W.(2013). The usefulness of lean six sigma to the development of a clinical pathway for hip frac-tures. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 19(5), 909–914.

Niemeijer, G. C., Trip, A., Ahaus, K. T., Does, R. J., & Wendt, K. W. (2010). Quality in trauma care:Improving the discharge procedure of patients by means of Lean Six Sigma. Journal ofTrauma and Acute Care Surgery, 69(3), 614–619.

Obeng, K., & Ugboro, I. (1996). Applications of TQM in public transit firms. TransportationQuarterly, 50(3), 79–94.

Panizzolo, R., Garengo, P., Sharma, M. K., & Gore, A. (2012). Lean manufacturing in developingcountries: Evidence from Indian SMEs. Production Planning & Control, 23(10–11), 769–788.

Pepper, M. P. J., & Spedding, T. A. (2010). The evolution of lean Six Sigma. International Journal ofQuality & Reliability Management, 27(2), 138–155.

Prashar, A. (2015). Six Sigma adoption in public utilities: A case study. Total Quality Management& Business Excellence, Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/14783363.2014.978647.

Psychogios, A. G., & Tsironis, L. K. (2012). Towards an integrated framework for Lean Six Sigmaapplication: Lessons from the airline industry. Total Quality Management & BusinessExcellence, 23(3–4), 397–415.

Radnor, Z. (2010). Transferring lean into government. Journal of Manufacturing TechnologyManagement, 21(3), 411–428.

14 V. Raja Sreedharan et al.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015

Raje, P. (2009). Maturity model describes stages of Six Sigma evolution. Retrieved fromisixsigma.com, www.isixsigma.com/library/content/c060911a.asp

Snee, R. D. (2004). Six–Sigma: The evolution of 100 years of business improvement methodology.International Journal of Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, 1(1), 4–20.

Stewart, R. A., & Spencer, C. A. (2006). Six-sigma as a strategy for process improvement on con-struction projects: A case study. Construction Management and Economics, 24(4), 339–348.

Stonemetz, J., Pham, J. C., Necochea, A. J., McGready, J., Hody, R. E., & Martinez, E. A. (2011).Reduction of regulated medical waste using lean sigma results in financial gains for hospital.Anesthesiology Clinics, 29(1), 145–152.

Van Den Heuvel, J., Does, R. J., & Verver, J. P. (2005). Six Sigma in healthcare: Lessons learnedfrom a hospital. International Journal of Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, 1(4), 380–388.

Vinodh, S., Gautham, S. G., & Ramiya, R. A. (2011). Implementing lean sigma framework in anIndian automotive valves manufacturing organization: A case study. Production Planning& Control, 22(7), 708–722.

Vinodh, S., Kumar, S. V., & Vimal, K. E. K. (2014). Implementing lean sigma in an Indian rotaryswitches manufacturing organization. Production Planning & Control, 25(4), 288–302.

Wang, F. K., & Chen, K. S. (2010). Applying Lean Six Sigma and TRIZ methodology in bankingservices. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 21(3), 301–315.

Wang, F. K., & Chen, K. S. (2012). Application of Lean Six Sigma to a panel equipment manufac-turer. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 23(3–4), 417–429.

West, J. P., Berman, E. M., & Milakovich, M. E. (1993). Implementing TQM in local government:The leadership challenge. Public Productivity & Management Review, 17, 175–189.

Womack, J. P., Jones, D., & Roos, D. (1990). The machine that changed the world: The triumph oflean production. New York, NY: Rawson Associates.

Xu, Y., Zhang, F., & Ye, X. (2013). Case study on the Lean Six Sigma management for informationtechnology service management project of G Commercial Bank. Technology and Investment,4(2), 76–84.

Zhou, B. (2012). Lean principles, practices, and impacts: A study on small and medium-sized enter-prises (SMEs). Annals of Operations Research, Advance online publication. doi:10.1007/s10479-012-1177-3.

Total Quality Management 15

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Ann

a U

nive

rsity

] at

00:

28 3

0 N

ovem

ber

2015