Barclays Standard bank Total Quality Management (TQM)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Banks believe they can be in the financing industry, and not in the service industry. Thus they have a tendency to compete in conditions of financial prowess alternatively than service quality. People, resources, time, and systems are dedicated more to handling assets and cash rather than managing customers and service. In fact most bank systems are made to control customers rather than fulfill customers. Products and techniques are set up for the capability of the bank somewhat than that of the client. Finance institutions usually give customer service and satisfaction suprisingly low goal. (Rene T. Domingo)

The lifeblood of any business is its customers. Customers decide sales predicated on their belief of product and service quality. Therefore, quality decides earnings, and customers exclusively define and know what that quality is and should be.

Introduction

This analysis will limit itself to the examination of operations team at Barclays Lender PLC. Information provided is purely confidential and then for the only reason for this study.

1. 0 Introducing Barclays Bank or investment company PLC

'Our strategy is to increase the growth probable of Barclays by continuing to diversify our business by customer, product and geography. '

John Varley, Group Chief Executive, Barclays Group

With over 3 hundred years of background and know-how in bank, Barclays runs in more than sixty countries and uses one hundred and thirty five thousand people. Barclays advances, lends, invests and shields the amount of money of over thirty million customers across the world.

Barclays Lender Plc, Mauritius using its ninety many years of presence in the country, has built itself a very solid reputation. Like a branch of Barclays Plc (UK) operating in Mauritius, the bank caters for the domestic and international divisions of the financial areas. As a fast growing multi-national loan company with approximately one thousand two hundred employees, Barclays Loan provider, Mauritius offer a wide range of services for specific as well as corporate and business customers.

Barclays Mauritius has reported exceptional results for the Year 2010 with a income after taxes increasing by 119% to attain Mur 2. 38bn. This consists of a one-off gain of Rs 1. 33bn from the sales of the guardianship business to Standard Chartered Bank. As a result, income has increased by 33 percent33 % with Mur 4. 8bn.

The Operation Strategy

1. 1 The Procedure Strategy in Mauritius

The procedures area is the driving engine of the lender with a headcount of 450 employees put into the Consumer and Commercial Businesses. These two streams will have greater and clearer concentrate to the business enterprise functions to which they provide support. The operations function is going by the Chief Operating Officer aided by managers and team market leaders from each section.

The Procedure Function chart

1. 2 Reason for the Project

Barclays Standard bank Plc have to keep image, reputation, and reliability to carry out their job as custodians of other's money. But over the years, the intricate systems and bureaucracy were setup and added in the name of control while restricting and neglecting customer service along the way. The management is concerned with profitability, progress and resource technology. But only a few inspectors are responsible for looking at product quality. If one talks about the concept of Quality and its own progress over the years carefully, it is apparent that Quality is definitely an important element for the success of any organization.

pay much attention to the plight of these clients - before, during, and after sales.

The standard bank is considering utilizing a quality system that conforms to ISO standards. Total Quality Management (TQM), which is about total customer service and continuous customer satisfaction, does apply not only in the production industry but in the service sector as well, where the customer is merely as important. In fact, customers in the service industry tend to be more very sensitive to service quality and service delivery than in making because they are always in touch with front-line service staff.

Starting a total quality management (TQM) program will up grade and improve professional skills of the employees and the suggested programmes will also emphasise the need of excellence in all spheres of management.

For design, development and implementation of your QMS, the ISO 9000 strategy is completely appropriate for the full total quality school of thought. ISO system is about standardizing the procedure organizations everywhere take in managing and improving the operations that ultimately lead to producing better quality products and services.

The quality management system is often carried out all at one time throughout the business. Where phased execution takes place, the effectiveness of the machine in selected areas can be examined. It might be a good notion initially to judge areas where in fact the chances of an optimistic analysis are high, to maintain the self confidence of both management and staff in the merits of putting into action the quality management system. According to initial strategies, the suggested training program will have two levels.

The first period will be applied in the Commercial operations department. In the next period, TQM will be employed across all departments over the bank.

The process for implementation of an excellent management system depends upon how big is the business and complexity of the genuine process. Let's have a look at these in our next section.

Current Situation

2. 1 Literature review

Supplier quality management is an important aspect of TQM since materials and purchased parts are often a major way to obtain quality problems (Zhang et al. , 2000). Many authors advocate that companies must create supply string partnerships to encourage suppliers to provide materials needed to meet customer objectives (Harrison et al. , 1996; Kumar, 1996; Lambert et al. , 1996; Clifton, 2001; Jabnoun, 2000; Thakur, 2002). The quality gurus believe that supplier should be viewed as an integral part of the organization's business functions (Ishikawa, 1985; Deming, 1986; Crosby, 1989).

2. 2 Meanings of Quality

Total Quality Management (TQM) is defined as a quality-centered, customer-focused, fact-based, team-driven, senior-management-led process to achieve an organization's strategic imperative through ongoing process improvement. The Oxford American dictionary defines Quality as "A qualification or level of excellence". Feigenbaum, 1983, defines quality as: "Quality is thought as being about value". Matching to Juran, 1989, "Quality is fitness for use". The word "total" in TQM means that everyone in the organization must be engaged in the ongoing improvement effort, the word "quality" shows a problem for client satisfaction, and the word "management" refers to folks and processes needed to achieve the product quality.

2. 3 Tools and techniques to depict current situation

All departments within the Commercial Procedure Functions are linked to each other with the same try to meet business strategies. However there are no clear interactions and synergies present between them which can make all section functions effectively. The service level between each section is low as there is excellent competition to execute much better than the other.

2. 3. 1 Stream Chart

Figure 3 below, depicts the existing situation in the industry Operation department.

List of duties to be performed by:

1) Operators:

• record all incoming and outgoing instructions
• Operators may liaise with exterior customer by in person telephone, messages or signed fax,
• Nature of instructions/inquiries by phone - statements, transfers, debit or credit advises, swift copies, inquiries on cheques/interest/charges
• acknowledgement of teaching form customer either by fax/mail/diskette for salary exchanges/or original documents being published in my opinion by client
• Nature of instructions by fax/email - new profile starting, change in official signatories, transfers, obligations of bills or import lending options, salaries, get of affirmation/advices/swift copies, claims/, of letters of credit/expenses/import loan accounts, usage of internet banking,
• Liaise with inside customers like the Consumer Operations department in order to respond to clients queries

2) Team leader:

• verifies/sample bank checks whether all inbound and outgoing instructions are logged properly
• after instructions signed by relationship managers send all instructions to be processed to worried department
• Does sample bank checks whether operators accomplishing careers as required

3) Line supervisor:

• liaises with other departments to assist in improving quality of service/ sign up for concerns/complaints when same are of high priority if involves damage to the bank

No wonder staffs do not focus on customer service since it does not impact their performance evaluation. Most banks don't have a system to take care of mistakes or customer claims. Few bankers realizes that if they continuously slice all handling times, it becomes a WIN-WIN situation - customers are more content, and the bankers make more money.

2. 3. 2 The current work move process has been identified in below chart:

Our priority is that the grade of service has reduced to this extent that we cannot retain the existing customers. We must accept that all banks are able to provide the same products but what differentiates one loan provider from another is its quality of service. Our ultimate goal offers client satisfaction.

2. 3. 3 Ishikawa (Fishbone) Diagram

The Fishbone/cause and result diagram can be an analysis tool to display possible causes of a particular problem. Its major benefits is the fact it pushes one to consider all possible factors behind the challenge in a set up and easy manner. Using Ishikawa (Fishbone) diagram, we are in a position to identify why customer service has declined and as such identify remedies. In addition, it assists with indicating how much we know about the procedure.

Poor technology compared

To other banks Interior environment (stress, high handling time)Poor communication) Ignorance of staff External On how to make full Environment (highly Usage of existingvolatile and dangerous laws and dangerous technologyindustry, legislations and legislation) Presently nobody opinion is Bureaucracy

2. 4 Implementation of an excellent System

There are several methods you can use to implement an excellent system, like Juran 10 Things for Quality improvement, Crosby's 14 Steps for Quality Improvement, and many others. However for this study, we are going to use W. E Deming's 14 Things for quality improvement.

W. E Deming is one of the very most famous guru's in quality implementation. He is generally credited with the post-war release of quality ideas in Japan. Matching to Deming : "The buyer is the most crucial part of the production series. Quality should be targeted at the needs of the consumer, present and future". Matching to Deming, adoption and implementation of his 14 details would be a a sign that management intends in which to stay business and is designed to protect investors and careers.

Below are the 14 things of W. E Deming and exactly how their program would increase quality and client satisfaction:

1) Create constancy of Purpose for continual improvement of product and service

Management should admit this as number one priority. Resources have to be allocated for permanent planning alternatively than short-term earnings. Investment in quality and innovation will ensure existence and competitiveness of the company. Top management should inspire employees and converse clear plans.

For the purpose of this study, execution of point one will remove stress and hence providing an agreeable environment to utilize. Dedication form top management to purchase invention and allocate resources for long haul will ensure individuals (employees and external customers) that the business is likely to remain in business for the very long run.

Innovation can help the bank increase its technology or product/service quality that will help it gain competitive border over its rivals. This will likely also help decrease the space in technology with other banking institutions.

2) Learn and Adopt the new Viewpoint.

A change is necessary in the old management methods. Organisations need to understand that higher quality cost a lower amount. However change cannot happen over night. There must be a constant movements to the new idea.

First we must analyse the prevailing system (as defined in body 2 & chart 1 above) and the broken caused by the current system should be liked by every person (cause and impact diagram). Professionals have to say that they must be more present in day to day business, rather than simply delegation focus on the operation area.

The firm should focus on defect prevention rather than defect diagnosis. One dissatisfied customer is the same as a lost customer. Defect elimination will help improve process, quality and output as each teaching/document returned causes a wait and reduce quality. Top management should make each and every staff aware the huge benefits the organisation needs to realize through quality management system.

The above flowchart (chart 1) can be called a value string, and if everybody in the worthiness chain looks for defects, the circulation into the documents/instructions handling will be easy, quick and the end result will surely meet or even go beyond customers' needs.

3) Understand the goal of inspection.

Management should understand that the purpose of inspection is to improve the process and reduce cost. Mass inspection is handling for inability whereas defect elimination is controlling foe success. Defect elimination decreases long run costs, results high quality products and minimizes the necessity for after sales service.

For this statistical proof is required. Team innovator should take note about the amount of failures with respect to any documents and why. With proper acceptance by staff about building quality in the service or product, the number of failures should lower and this will also lead to a decrease in number of handles and procedures over time.

Use of checklist as a tool of quality control will help management to see the common problems and just how many times they took place. By checking this over a each week basis, management would know if they are lowering and what is the largest problem.

E. g.

Management must make staff understand that controls are not punitive options, but to minimize risk that cause a danger to business.

4) Stop awarding business based on low price by themselves.

Purchasing managers should look at quality form suppliers prior to making any purchase. You will discover huge savings that can occur over the long run by purchasing quality products. As Walter Shewhart says: " Price has no meaning unless a measure of quality is bought at the same time". Deming advice is to choose an individual supplier for each and every item based on statistical research from the suppliers process opinions loop.

This point refers to the technological problem in our study. The correct technology that matches the organisation context must have been build in-house alternatively than sub-contracting or buying the package from external. This would have helped to meet up with the needs of the employees better and hence providing and producing quality products. Also building the technology in-house could have required employees from all team collaboration and hence almost every single staff could have been aware of the technology and staff could have a feeling of owned by the business.

5) Improve constantly and forever the machine of production and service.

Management should take more responsibility for problems by finding and fixing them to be able to diminish costs and increase quality and productivity. The target is again on avoidance rather than recognition. The process of quality improvement shouldn't stop and it should always be intended for customers total satisfaction. Note that there's always variability around every focus on and this is the reason why there is always a room for further improvement.

Constant improvement will lead to a reduction in customers' complaints. Increasing quality of service will lead to upsurge in communication and employees thoughts taken into consideration.

6) Institute training face to face.

A constant program of face to face training should be instituted and this should include professionals. Investment in proper training of all new employees will ensure that the new comers will know precisely what is expecting from them. Training will help detect variation, use of statistical techniques and helps to keep up with new improvements.

For our purpose, training will help employees to provide with a much better understanding of the work and its requirements. The staff member is not merely getting satisfaction but also getting a motivation to improve. Proper training can help managers address claims themselves, help in defining functions and duties and assist in the integration between old personnel and the new era.

7) Adopt and institute modern methods of leadership.

Management shouldn't create a negative and fault finding environment. They must generate a positive and supportive environment where workers job are regarded. For this there must be clear communications by any means level. Management should ensure that immediate action is considered whenever flaws are recognized which compromises quality.

Modern leaders should ensure that quality, production and performance are regularly improved. Difference between old and new college of thoughts should be studied as an advantage.

According to Deming, today's leaders should:

• Lead and motivate by example alternatively than dread,
• Teach and counsel rather than assess and supervise.
• Use mistakes to learn somewhat than to blame
• Understand the difference between random and special deviation. Management should identify between variations scheduled to outside the house factors (special causes) and arbitrary variation (triggers are due to the process itself).

Size Size

Statistical Controlh Out of statistical control

• Promote team work and mutual trust
• Provide innovative solutions to accomplish the improvement.

8) Drive out dread and create trust and a local climate for innovation

Management should encourage effective communication and teamwork. Dread is brought on by lack of job security, performance appraisals, ignorance of organization goals, and not knowing the job. Dread can be taken away through proper communication, clear meaning of goals and targets, training and supervision. Once fear taken away, innovative ideas will appear. Deming thinks that dread makes the implementation of the majority of his other management points impossible.

Elimination fear in the division, will lead to a less demanding environment, positive attitude towards work, opinions being voiced out, reduce the clash between old and new college of thoughts and hence resulting in better quality service.

Performance appraisal contributes to competition, competition causes jealousy and jealousy brings about dread. Removal of performance appraisal will lead to cooperation.

9) Breakdown barriers between departments and individuals.

Barriers exist among degrees of management, among departments and within office. It is accessible because of poor communication and ignorance of organizational goals.

Eliminating barriers, communication channels exposed and teamwork sorted out, competition within the business must be replaced with co-operation. Remember that point (8) and point (9) are allied and go together.

By wearing down obstacles, employees from different departments can meet and have interaction to find quality solutions.

10) Get rid of the use of slogans, Posters and exhortations for the workforce.

Exhortations that require increased production without providing specific improvement methods can handicap a business. They just point out management's desires. Regarding to Deming, people should be given the means to work smarter, not harder. That is quite common in large organizations like Barclays Loan company Plc. Because of its large number of employees, management goals are communicated through emails and this is interpreted differently at different levels of the organisation. A more in person interaction is required so that management policies are known, friendly environment is created, proper route of communication developed and employees have a sense of owned by the business goals.

11) Eliminate numerical quotas for the task force.

Quotas give attention to quantity somewhat than quality. Quotas should be substituted with statistical methods of process control. Rather than management by goal, management should learn the features of the procedure and how to boost them.

Management should stop focussing on figures and start considering customer satisfaction. Relevant statistical data should be analysed consistent with current methods and system. We must consider that Mauritius is a little country and it is quite impossible to consider new business every year. The only path to increase sales in through competition among banking companies. This contributes to clients' advantage. Same products can be found in all lenders however the only difference is the quality of service. Only by enhancing process and service quality will the lender stay in business for the long term.

12) Remove obstacles that rob folks of pride of craftsmanship.

Ignorance of organisational goals, punitive guidance and sufficient training leads to loss of delight. Corresponding to Deming, both serious mental road blocks which prevent delight in workmanship are performance appraisal and management by target. Both of these obstacle brings about internal competition and hence obstacles in communication, reduces risk taking and hence decrease in innovative ideas, variability in performance leading to jealousy and dread and focuses on short-term results which might prevent the organization from attaining its long-term goals. Deming firmly recommends the abolition of gross annual merit rating because of above reasons.

Performance appraisal can be substituted bay a proper command and communication and by a proper counselling and development method. This can lead to job security, teamwork, friendly environment and everything employees will have a feeling of owned by the business.

13) Encourage Education and self applied improvement for everybody.

An firm requires individuals who are enhancing with education. Things change fast. Managers should become aware of this and become correctly trained. Here our company is referring to continual re-education and self-improvement for everyone which is quite similar with point (6). The normal fact between both items is that without training there is no guarantee for creativity. Re-training contributes to investment in the main asset of the business - its people. This contributes to job security, increased drive and less brain drain.

14) Do something to ensure top management long term commitment to perform the transformation.

The top management should display a commitment and a willpower to implement an excellent management system in the business. Without top management commitment, no quality initiative can succeed. The most notable management should provide proof its determination for e. g. by determining the organization's quality policy and make this recognized to every employee, making certain quality targets are established whatsoever levels and functions and ensuring the availability of resources necessary for the development.

Management must accept the mostly responsibility for the constant improvement of the process. A ethnic change is required. All employees should comprehend and be focused on the new viewpoint. Deming advocates" Quality is manufactured in the Panel Room. . . . [however]. . . constraints on quality are also manufactured in the panel Room".

2. 5 Obstacles to implementation

According to Deming, there are 7 Fatal Diseases that management will face while employing the above. Let's analyse the 7 diseases (the first seven ones below) as advocated by Deming among others that apply especially to our circumstance.

1. Insufficient constancy of purpose.

As long as the concentration in on short-term thinking, management will fail to plan adequately. This practices from his previous point. Constancy will decrease cost, assist creativity, make employees feel secure, they find out about the eye-sight of the organisation.

2. Emphasis on short-term profits.

This defeats constancy of goal. Its easy showing short term earnings by cutting expenses on training, maintenance and other permanent plans. Short-term profits is because of concern with takeovers, but if long-term strategy/planning is forgone, surely in the long run the company could be more susceptible to takeovers.

3. Analysis by performance, merit score, or annual overview of performance.

All this should be stopped. The primary reasons are because they create competition, fear, these are subjective, concentrate on short term income.

4. Freedom of management/Job hopping

This triggers instability and destroys teamwork.

5. Owning a company on visible figures only.

Figures can be manipulated. The sole figures to be used are those that which signify properly decided on statistical data.

6. Unnecessary medical costs.

For our analysis, this is related to additional benefits provided by the company to its staff.

7. Unnecessary costs of warranty, fuelled by lawyers who work with contingency fees.

8. Failure of management to use statistical ways to improve productions.

9. Training once completed is not put into practice.

10. Inability to improve the organisational culture and lack of planning.

These are permanent objectives and if management want these to occur for a while, then you will see complete chaos in the organisation.

11. Lack of continuous training and education.

12. Concern with change.

For the TQM to achieve success, we need to have a careful evaluation of its failures/road blocks. But most of all, management should inform all personnel about the reasons for adapting TQM. TQM will not take place until all employees understand and are devoted because of its implementation

Implementation

In this chapter, we will take a glance about the benefits TQM will have on the department and also how TQM will help in conquering the obstacles pointed out in the previous chapter.

Let's check out the immediate benefits the department will achieve:

Increased success in the utilization of the organization's resources to enhance customer satisfaction and improved dependability of its procedures through shorter cycle's time.

This means that functions will be simpler, more reliable and the quantity of defects will lower. Customized services can be produced.

Improved quality of products and services, leading to reduce in customer rejection of products/services because of low quality. Results are more predictable.

This will lead increased employee and client satisfaction, hence higher sales and profits.

Improved organizational performance and competitiveness.

This is a permanent goal for the organization, whereby the business will have a competitive advantage over its challengers.

Improve customer commitment leading to repeat business.

It is commonly acknowledged a satisfied customer tells about four friends, but an disappointed customer explains to about thirty people. Customer commitment will help increase the corporation reputation.

Reduce or eliminate repetition of work. Obligations and accountabilities are obviously defined.

This will decrease cost, increase efficiency and make staff performing value added careers.

Reduce management time spent on "putting out fires".

This is due that there are good adjustments and everyone is dedicated in producing quality services/products. Thus giving management the perfect time to focus on bettering conditions of work of the staffs.

Improve output by "doing it right the very first time".

This will decrease cost of re-work, scrap and inspection.

Preserve Existing Income and upsurge in revenue.

Preserve revenue scheduled to customer loyalty and having a merchant account management team and increase in revenue due to quality products and services and getting a sale management team.

• Staff will be motivated and will work towards the organization objectives. Workforce will be proactive and reduction oriented.
• Miscommunication between organizations will be reduced leading to cooperation.
• Establishment of trust and reduction of fear.
• By providing staff with the correct training, this will lead to higher responsibility, and this will inspire, motivate and cause them to become work smarter. This lead to imagination and creativity.
• Staff will be eager to participate, understand the importance of these role, identify their own constraints, accept ownership of the problems and free posting of knowledge and experience.
• Use of statistical techniques can make more data designed for analysis and therefore resulting in improvement. Also this will help in decision making (as the structure is well identified) and decisions are created in accordance with staff.
• Pay much focus on the plight of clients - before, during, and after sales. Assesing root cause of complaints will help improve service in the future.
• Complaints and problems should be viewed as an opportunity to improve quality service and appearance at the primary cause of problems.

Other benefits that will accrue to the business are:

• Wider customer popularity of products and services (Clients require ISO conformity)
• Consumers are self-confident they are dealing with an organisatiopn where reasonable treatment is central to the organization culture
• Increased revenue and market talk about obtained through flexible and fast responses to market opportunities. International markets accessibility as economic brokers and regulators will have more self-confidence in them.
• Researching and understanding customer needs and goals.

Ensuring that the targets of the organization are associated with customer needs and expectations.

• Ensuring a well-balanced approach between satisfying customers and other interested celebrations (such as owners, employees, suppliers, financiers, local areas and society as a whole).
• More flexible company to react to opportunities and threats. The composition of the company becomes flatter. Instead of maintaining independent departments that uses the same systems and provide the same beneficiaries, management can combine these staffs as shown in diagram below. Note that in the above mentioned diagram there exists insufficient staff in some departments and extra in others. With coordination between section, this lead to a pool of personnel to serve the superiors and clients better. Pooling of operators is possible as jobs are well described.

By providing quality products and services, this will lift up the image of the organisation and have word of mouth advertisement. This will lead the organisation to increase and create more career for the economy.

The Deming TQM program can be reinforced by various tools and techniques such as Six Sigma and Quality circles. However anticipated to lack of data (which is the key limitation of the study) we will below describe how Quality Circles can improve the organisation :

1) Quality circles

Quality circles is a tiny group of staff meeting regularly/regular to resolve problems relating to their work environment. This will make staff have more interest and take great pride in in their work. This leads to grater satisfaction and drive. Quality circles leads to change in frame of mind, do it yourself development, improvement in human relations, effective communication and teamwork.

Applying quality circles, can make the new business structure as follows:

2) Usage of 5 'W'S and 1 H tool.

Addressing staffs questions with respect to:

• What is TQM?
• Where could it be to be carried out?
• When is it to be carried out?
• Who should be engaged?
• Why TQM?
• How will TQM benefit the organisation?

Only then employees could be more will to take part as concerns will be cleared

3) Six Sigma

Six Sigma looks for to increase the quality of outputs by discovering and removing the sources of problems. Like other tools, Six Sigma asserts that there is a dependence on continuous work, use of proper statistical tools and determination from the complete organization is necessary. Among the methodologies of Six sigma is the DMAIC method. The five stages of the technique are:

1. Define the problem - like low quality service,
2. Measure current process and acquire data - check out current process and use statistical methods to acquire data,
3. Analyse the data to investigate and validate cause-and-effect relationship - as proposed by Isiwaka.
4. Improve the existing pocess by using quality techniques ( like the main one used in the study)
5. Control - use of control system

4) PDCA pattern also called the 'Deming Wheel'

The PDCA circuit help out with the establishment and long term living of quality organization. It can be used for coordination of ongoing improvement efforts. Diagram below provides brief overview of the PDCA cycle:

5) Usage of Kaizen, which simply means to improve without spending much money and by affecting everyone in the business. Among the key aspects of Kaizen is the fact that its and on-going and never ending process. Kaizen can help reduce 7 wastes:

• Defects by using quality control techniques,
• Decrease waiting time, leading to less stress on customers,
• Decrease in handling time,
• Decrease in over development or under production,
• Decrease in motion, unnecessary motions, like looking for paper,
• Decrease in inventory, hence less cash tangled up, and
• Decrease in needless transportation

Limitations of the analysis.

The major restriction is the unavailability of data to. This make assessment of statistaical tools like Six Sigma quite difficult.

IN SUMMARY

Staff will collectively provide continual improvement of company systems. By working mutually, communication/departmental obstacles will be divided. The typical of service can be established, taken care of and then upgraded. Suppliers will be dealing with rather than working for the company. The typical of staff and management will improve through education. The adoption of a fresh frame of mind to work, by everyone embracing the ideas of TQM.

TQM is no longer a matter of preference for competitive companies. Recent research shows that ISO accredited companies have a definite edge while competing for international business and guaranteeing customer self-assurance. TQM is identified by many as an important value addition by quality mindful potential buyers worldwide.

The goal of TQM is to reduce waste and variation in product characteristics and process parameters, address traceability issues and promote continual improvement.

Many finance institutions are managed by fund people, with little or no training in customer support. Good service will not happen obviously or by accident. Good service is planned and maintained. Without planning, bad service is the natural state of affairs.

Quality management is an integral part of all business/projects. It isn't a separate process or function, but is a core element of every business/job activity, that must be planned for and not left that occurs by chance.

'This is the beginning of the quality trip towards quality culture and business quality. '(Dr. Mohd Azman Idris, 2005)