Lynx Case Study

Case study

report

Culture Change Through Total Quality at Lynx

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 3

Background 4

Time Context 5

Case Viewpoint 6

Statement of the Problem 7

Objectives 7

Areas of Consideration / Analysis 8

Alternative Courses of Action 14

Recommendation 15

Conclusion / Detailed Action Plan 15

Appendix 20

Executive Summary

Effective implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) to improve quality and productivity is based upon the philosophy and management principles of W. Edwards, a statistician credited for Japan's later reputation for innovative high-quality products and its economic power. He later taught top management on how to improve design (and thus service), product quality, testing and sales through various methods, including the application of statistical methods.[1]

Lynx, being in the business for more than 150 years, is facing problems of escalating costs and eroding customer service. Central to the new Managing Director, Alan Soper, is a vision to create a culture which valued quality, customer service and continuous improvement. Over a 2 year period, Alan tried different strategies such as the onion skin approach, organized team and non-work setting exercises, and even developed the mission statement. These strategies helped improve the business at first by reducing the non-conformance costs and improve the customer satisfaction rating for the company. However, after a year, the company seemed, for no apparent reasons, to go into reverse. Error costs rose and confidence was shaken. Although company had not yet achieved its goals, it has significant improvement which the company can point to in the last 2 years.

Lynx learned that the mark of a quality company is not one whose products are always perfect or which has lots of important-sounding committees, but one in which the desire for constant change and improvement towards increasing wealth is instinctively felt by all the people. Thus,...