An empirical study on total quality management in maintenance and repair workshops in India

The paper presents the survey result and analysis of TQM practices being followed by maintenance and repair workshops which are raised to provide intimate maintenance and repair support for wide variety of highly complex and sophisticated equipment in the diverse terrain and weather conditions in India. From an extensive review of total quality management literature, the ten primary elements of TQM are identified. Thus the survey focused on ten critical factors (Organisational commitment, Human resource management, Quality policy, Role of quality department, Quality Information system, Operating procedures, Technology utilization, Supplier focus, service design, and training) with 92 items comprehensive instrument for explaining and predicting quality management practices. This paper reveals that Indian repair workshops are gearing up to respond fast to the growing awareness for high quality amongst equipment users. It is accepted that implementation of TQM philosophy is a must for organisation¿s survival and growth.