Second urgent Total Quality Challenge to MSMEs in the Philippines: Focus on improvement

 

 

 

By MIFLORA MINOZA- GATCHALIAN, PhD., PFT

CEO, Quality Partners Company, Ltd.

Academician Emeritus, International Academy for Quality

 

Introduction

To succeed the development of Total Quality Management (TQM) in the enterprise, three urgent challenges need to be hurdled and these are: (1) FIRST: Baseline Data and Information gathering; (2) SECOND: Improvement approaches to existing situation; and (3) THIRD: Growth Trends Monitoring Towards Stability. This is a BIG challenge needing full support and cooperation not only from top management but also from everyone in the organization. Only the most essential challenges per action stage will be presented in each of the three articles covering the three urgent total quality challenges. PATIENCE is a virtue which is a basic requirement per challenge or action stage, since each CHALLENGE requires TIME to perform while being seriously followed-through by a PROGRESS monitoring system.

 

The First urgent quality challenge focused on collection of Baseline data and information which gave serious consideration essentially on: (a) the Company’s Business Plan; (b) its organisational structure with functions to support proper plan implementation; and (c) understanding of how the resources or the 5Ms should be utilised to ensure a sustainable increasing trend in customer satisfaction. Having the necessary data to enable the proper review of areas for improvement would serve as a good starting point for the Second urgent total quality challenge in the quest for an effective progress in the development of a Total Quality Management (TQM) situation in the organisation. The Second urgent total quality Challenge will focus on the Improvement approaches to be utilized where the major contributors include: (a) achieving workplace cooperation (WPC) in TQM; (b) setting-up the Workforce Steering Committee (WSC) for WPC sustainability; (c) strengthening joint problem-solving capabilities of Management and Staff; and (d) Initiating “quality as a way of life (QWL) “towards development of a company quality culture.

 

Workplace Cooperation (WPC) IN TQM

The major goal in TQM development is to achieve a workplace environment where the people work in harmony showing quality relationships while enhancing productivity. “Working together and working smarter” were descriptors utilised by Dr. J.C. Gatchalian (2011), an industrial relations expert , to describe people involved in workplace cooperation. He defined “working together” as those showing a “cooperative and harmonious partnerships at work” ; while “working smarter” was defined as “continual improvement through the use of scientific tools and techniques”. For these to take place, some major WPC objectives have to be put in place as follows: (a) increase company competitiveness by improving quality and productivity and (b) enhance quality of work life by harmonising work-relations. Basically, ten major steps are suggested towards setting-up of WPC as shown in Table 1. The steps are self-explanatory and can be carefully studied by “Quality Teams” designated to lead in the quest for continual improvement, a direction which must be sustained in TQM development.

 

Workforce Steering Committee (WSC) For WPC Sustainability

Figure 1. presents the structure and process of the proposed Workforce Steering Committee (WSC) expected to provide the avenue for everyone’s involvement and long-term sustainability in the quest for TQM (Gatchalian, M.M. 2022) Briefly, the WSC as seen in Figure 1 is a Committee called the “Workforce Steering Committee” (WSC) composed of appointed representatives from Management and representatives of the Staff, elected by them. The WSC enables Management and Staff to jointly work together continuously to identify problems which must be promptly resolved by the Task Forces (TF). Each TF, is created by the WSC to handle a specific problem which is expected to be effectively resolved fast. Thus, each created TF should focus on solving specific problems assigned to them by WSC and for which they are expected to promptly submit their well-documented recommendations for problem-resolution

 

for speedy action of the WSC leading to their approval and subsequent implementation. After successful completion of each assigned problem, the TF is disbanded so that another MS Team with new members can again be created in order to study and resolve other problems identified by the WSC. This way, opportunities for everyone in the organisation to participate in problem-solving activities is assured. Note in Figure 1 that an external Facilitator is necessary to provide guidance starting with selection of MS members in the WSC and for the MS to compose the TFs. Figure 2 presents the process flow for WSC formation and activation including TF creation. 

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