Tm. Jones et Tj. Crowe, USING SIMULATION TO REALIZE TQM WITHIN A TECHNICAL-SUPPORT DEPARTMENT, Computers & industrial engineering, 31(1-2), 1996, pp. 331-334
The following report summarizes the findings of a pilot study performe
d for a Midwest communications software company. The pilot study was p
erformed to show that simulation is a useful tool in realizing Total Q
uality Management (TQM) within the company's Technical Support Departm
ent. Simulation was used to determine the amount of resources required
(i.e., telephone lines and technical support specialists) to maintain
an acceptable level of service. It is believed that this level of ser
vice has a direct bearing on customer satisfaction, one of the major o
bjectives of TQM. Simulation is one way to assess an acceptable level
of service and thus assist in the realization of TQM.