Thank you

Thank you for submitting your answers to "What do you know?" section of lecture on PDCA cycles. 

Correct Responses

Sometimes, there is no clear right or wrong response to a question.  Here are what I think are reasonable responses to the questions you just answered:

List the 10 steps in TQM and what tools will be used in each step. The purpose of this question is to help you see the big picture. Be brief but show me that you know each step and the principle tool used in it.

1. Set mandate
2. Set culture, includes customer focus, no blame, rely on data, rely on teams, involve all
3. Allocate funds
4. Select problems, follow guidelines for problem statement
5. Assign teams, follow Integrative Group Process
6. Plan, use flow charts to understand existing systems
7. Do, postpone evaluation of ideas until all ideas are collected
8. Change, use control charts to see if change is an improvement
9. Act on the data, repeat cycles of PDCA if needed
10. Celebrate success, use storyboards and other media
11. Spread improvement

Two aspect of TQM are often missing in improvement projects: (1) data on improvements made and their variation, (2) story board. Speculate why is the case. Why is it so difficult to do these steps? Does the omission of these two components matter? If you were running the TQM resource group, would you remedy this situation and how would you do it.

Everyone thinks they know the solution to work problems.  Unfortunately, many suggested changes fail to solve the problem.  Data is often not collected because people are so sure of their solutions.  Unfortunately, they are over confident and fail to see that they need to convince others of their progress.

Storyboards are not often included because we are trained to prepare non-visual reports.  As media becomes more used by people at work and at home, use of storyboards is likely to increase.

Teams may also fail to make storyboards because they may not want to make public commitment to their strategies and plans -- a way of saving face in case things do not work.

Return to the course home page.