Process management and supply-chain integration at the Bose Corporation

The Bose Corporation has developed an approach to quality management that i s driving the integration of manufacturing and selling across its supply ch ain. Instead of designing a path towards integrated process improvement, Bo se has evolved through definable stages in achieving its view of processes and business relationships. In the early stages, managers commonly explore and discover process concepts informally. They acquire a sense of urgency, achieve early successes, and develop a leadership coalition. As they better understand quality management in the context of the organization, managers formalize their efforts and share them widely. Credible management communi cation and top management support are important. Finally, managers link the process thinking created within the organization with process efforts of t he business coalition. At this stage, mobilizing a business coalition and c reating a compelling business case are important. Bose's experiences provid e a guide for process improvement within the organization and across the su pply chain.