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Total Quality Management - CII Institute of Logistics

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<strong>Total</strong> <strong>Quality</strong> <strong>Management</strong><br />

1.8 Competitiveness<br />

A firm's competitive advantage lies in its ability to achieve market superiority. It is a)<br />

driven by customer wants and needs; b) makes a significant contribution to the success <strong>of</strong><br />

the organization; c) matches the organization’s unique resources with opportunities in the<br />

environment; d) is durable, lasting, and difficult for competitors to copy; e) provides a<br />

basis for further improvement; and f) provides direction and motivation to the entire<br />

organization. <strong>Quality</strong> supports a firm's competitive advantage by providing for more<br />

efficient use <strong>of</strong> resources and production methods within the company, thus producing<br />

products or services that are superior to those <strong>of</strong> competitors.<br />

Point to Ponder<br />

<strong>Quality</strong> is not a Competitive Edge. It is the Competitive Edge! It is worth remembering<br />

Dr. Deming’s chain reaction model, which emphatically declares that improvement in<br />

quality alone, will decrease the cost and that in turn will make a firm competitive in the<br />

market place.<br />

1.9 Enhancing Customer Value through TQM<br />

CRM is the Key<br />

A firm that is “market driven” would exhibit several customer-focused characteristics<br />

that a “marketing driven” compa ny might not have. In fact, it would be rare for a<br />

“marketing driven” firm to pay much attention to developing a customer relationship<br />

management (CRM) system. This attention to customer needs would be more typical <strong>of</strong><br />

a “market driven” firm. A CRM system requires that an organization establish effective<br />

strategies for listening to, and learning from, customers, as well as developing<br />

approaches to measure satisfaction relative to competitors. The system must also be<br />

designed to build relationships, in order to understand present and future customer<br />

needs, and keep pace with changing markets. The “marketing driven” firm may be<br />

<strong>CII</strong> <strong>Institute</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Logistics</strong> 19<br />

Website: www.ciilogistics.com

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