TQM

A detailed Summary of TQM

There are many shipping, packaging, and delivery services throughout the global business community, however there are none that have developed the reputation of the master brand other than the United Parcel Service. There are few people that are not familiar with the big brown truck or the plain brown uniforms worn by the UPS employees. Fortune magazine selected UPS as "America's Most Admired" transportation company for the 17th consecutive year. They have been able to do this by the implementation of total quality management. TQM has 5 main attributes that it relies on: intense focus on the customer, a concern for continual improvement, improvement on the quality of everything that the organization does, accurate measurement, and the empowerment of employees. UPS implements all of these functions in their everyday operations.

The United Parcel Service focuses on its customers very intensely. They are the first delivery company that has developed a tracking system. This tracking system also known as a "smart label" is making packages more deliverable, sortable, and trackable than ever before. "Smart Labels are chock-full of information, including a Maxicode, tracking number, routing code, postal bar code, and service icon. These

They also have methods of evaluating their part time employees. The pre-load employees are evaluated by the amount of volume that the 18-wheelers carry into the center. They have a time chart for how soon the pre-load should be finished according to the volume on the 18-wheelers. The local sort is measured on how fast they can get the packages out, according to Mr. Cooksey. They scan every package that they send to the hub in Jackson. Every person on the local sort must have an average of touching 200 packages per hour. This includes people that do not even touch the packages. The local sort also containarizes small packages into bags so that the hub will not have to resort them to a new location. They are measured on how many missorts are in each bag. They are only allowed to have one mistake in every 2000 packages without getting reprimanded. Mr. Cooksey said that UPS had one of the most elaborate auditing systems around and that all discrepancies were documented and then th!

The need for continual improvement plays a major role in Total Quality Management. UPS has been the technology leader in the courier business for many years and through the use of the Internet and improvement of other services they plan to continue this standard. The tracking system is just one of the many ways that UPS has created better service for their customers. One way that UPS continually improves is that they now offer charter flights for passengers. UPS was not utilizing all of their 727 planes. They found that many of them sat idle when they could be used for other purposes. They then contracted with cruise lines and tour operators to get the full potential from their planes. "While ticketing, baggage, ground handling, and flight attendant services are contracted out, flight crews are drawn from UPS's pool of pilots. UPS distances itself from competition with 113 spacious seats, expanded legroom, and hot galleys, as well as professional, attentive pilots and flight a!

UPS has gone through great efforts in strategically placing itself in the international market. They just recently were given th

Some common words found in the essay are:
Roger Cooksey, UPS August, Cooksey UPS, Management UPS, UPS Nov, North Center, America's Admired, Parcel Service, E-copy Inc, UPS Nov2000, preferred customers, quality management, total quality, local sort, tracking system, total quality management, package delivered, united parcel service, service people, smart labels, type handling, customers ups, ups package delivered, customers preferred customers,

Approximate Word count = 1412
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous