STRIVING FOR TOTAL QUALITY : SINGAPORE POST PTE LTD

Abstract

The quality message has sunk in. Total Quality Management is in demand nowadays and it has gone beyond being just a phenomenon Now, it is a movement spreading into many industries in Singapore. As the manufacturing industry is embracing this philosophy as a way to improve quality, intensive TQM efforts in the service industry is not evident. This Academic Exercise (AE) is therefore written to examine how TQM can be introduced in a service organization, which in this case is, Singapore Post Pte Ltd. (SP). The research methodology of this AE relies primarily on interviews conducted with the management staff at SP. The interviews featured questions pertaining to the operations of SP and their knowledge of and interest on TQM. Essentially, SP has not started a TQM program but is planning for one. As SP is a big organization with complex service processes, TQM introduction will require detailed and careful planning. Hence, this AE includes a recommendation on how TQM can be conceptualized for SP. The TQM program recommended in this AE involves seven phases, which requires organized and systematic efforts. This AE ends by suggesting possible difficulties that evolve during TQM implementation and offers some recommendations on future research.