
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, June 6, 1994                    TAG: 9406040151 
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY                     PAGE: 13    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY PAUL TULENKO, SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE 
DATELINE: 940606                                 LENGTH: Medium

MARKETING: CQI COMES TO LIFE AS TQM FADES

{LEAD} The march toward Total Quality Management of American business has become snagged on reality as many firms discover the true cost of putting it into practice.

TQM requires intense commitment from the CEO and upper management, lots of money and lots of employee dedication.

{REST} Now, the rigors of TQM are being replaced by the less stressful methods of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI).

CQI is devoted to incremental, but continuous, improvement. It doesn't require the high-stress, instantaneous application of new technologies across the board. As such, it lessens the trauma of moving a firm of any size into the 21st century.

Here are the basic steps involved in starting a CQI program:

Consolidate: Make sure everyone in your organization knows exactly what they do for your company and the importance of their role. Every employee should be able to answer the question, ``What do you do?'' in 60 seconds or less. This step increases quality, better focuses the company and results in much happier and more productive employees.

Explore: Companies that don't know what services and products the consumer of the future desires and how and when they will want those products and services delivered will fail. Ask your customers how they would improve your company's ability to serve them. And keep asking until you have a clear picture of what your company will have to look like to serve future customers.

Plan: Determine the steps needed to change your company so it can satisfy the consumer of the next century. Discover what products and services your suppliers will have to provide for your plan to work. And don't forget the all-important role of employee training to make your new company work.

Activate: Set a timetable using one of the many computerized project management programs. Plug in all the changes you will require, including new equipment and supplies, new locations and new training requirements. Then get started. Your competition is probably already nipping at your heels.

by CNB