The barriers to supplier development are examined under the broad headings of: poor communication and feedback, supplier complacency, misguided supplier improvement objectives, the credibility of the customer as viewed by their suppliers, and misconceptions regarding purchasing power. Key steps...

Discusses the key actions which need to be taken by an organization if they wish to progress from ISO 9001 or ISO 9002 registration to a quality award prize winners status. There is a large gap between the ISO 9001 requirements and the European Foundation of Quality Management (EFQM) Model of...

Presents a review and examination of internal auditing based on research and practical experience gained in a medium‐sized chemical manufacturer over a period of four years. Discusses benefits of management auditing and proposes a structured approach to efficient and effective audits. Analyses...

This deliberately provocative paper challenges the replacement of quality and total quality management by the term “excellence” in the EFQM excellence model. It also claims the current emphasis on “points scoring” is detracting from the fundamentals of quality management.

This paper explores the impact of the Internet on the business transactions of organisations. Three main impacts – globalisation, customisation, and customer demands solutions are examined. It is argued that the medium and large old economy companies will be most affected by transactions...

This paper explores the quality challenges which need to be addressed through further research by the European academic research community in the twenty‐first century. They are also some of the issues which organisations aspiring to be “world class” need to address. The issues are examined...

This paper explores the impact of the Internet on the business transactions of organisations. Three main impacts – globalisation, customisation, and customer demand solutions – are examined. It is argued that the medium and large old economy companies will be most affected by transactions...

This article presents an outline of the current views on Quality Circle evaluation in which the methods, administration and problems are discussed. It has been concluded that, regardless of concerns expressed about measuring the concept, one can be certain that management will demand proof that...

“Since the UK industrial revolution, it has been taken for granted — in Britain — that the quality of British manufactured goods is high. If this were ever true, the situation has now changed radically.” “There was a time when a British company's word would be a guarantee that the...

A study carried out at UMIST of the operation of white‐collar circles in manufacturing firms is reported. Despite the problems associated with initiating and sustaining white‐collar circles, it is ot suggested that they should be avoided.