Quality initiatives in the service sector: A case

Total quality management cart be viewed as a systems approach that consider s every interaction between the various elements of the organization. Its p aradigm applies to all enterprises, both manufacturing and service. The ope rations and the challenges faced in service organizations are, however, vas tly different from those in manufacturing. This is highlighted by the intan gible nature of the services and the difficulty zn measuring the quality. T he organization studied here is a consultancy and technology transfer wing (CTFW) in an educational institute of national importance. This study was p rimarily motivated by the nature of services provided by the CTFW and the p erception among industries that quality may also be initiated at academic i nstitutions. A SWOT analysis emphasizing the need for quality initiatives a t the CTFW was carried out. Once the need was established, various tools su ch as customer surveys, braisstorming sessions and quality function deploym ent were applied to determine the present status of the CTFW on the quality management front. The findings formed the basis for suggestions on a frame work for implementing quality initiatives at the CTFW.