WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS TPQM

TQM is the most 'holistic' approach available to date in support of im provements in organizational performance. Yet experience indicates tha t about 3 out of 4 implementations are economic disasters! Its very co mprehensiveness, it is claimed, permits poorly defined methodologies t o occur, many inimical to the company's economic health. It is argued that TQM focuses on long-term projects while short-term projects shoul d use the JIT approach, referred to as TPM. It is proposed to combine TQM, TPM and Gainsharing Rewards as TPQM, to provide an unbeatable sys tem for continuous improvement in the organization. Experience with a TPQM approach is discussed and illustrated.