Quality Improvement: Does the Air Force Systems Command Practice What It Preaches
Abstract
Production inefficiencies in many defense industries have resulted in significant cost growth for major weapon systems. These costs have not gone unnoticed. DOD has implemented many programs in an attempt to reduce these inefficiencies, but these efforts have met with little apparent success. Recently the Defense Department has adopted a philosophy--total quality management--that could finally lower these costs. This approach will require a re-education and cultural change of both the DOD and contractor work forces. In this study, the author uses a survey questionnaire to determine to what degree the AFSC acquisition work force understands what is causing these production inefficiencies and if it is applying management techniques that can reduce the cost of these inefficiencies. He surveys program directors, program managers, and quality assurance personnel at AFSC's five major product divisions. The most significant result of this study is that it establishes an important baseline that we can use to measure our commitment to addressing these production inefficiencies. The data strongly supports the notion that the TQM philosophy using continuous improvement is not well understood by the acquisition work force. The data also indicate that the work force does not understand the magnitude of these production inefficiencies. A communication problem in the program offices inhibits the work force from applying those management techniques that can minimize these inefficiencies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA224615
Entities
People
- John A. Campbell
Organizations
- Air University