Quality and business process synergy: key strategies promoting longevity.

Evidence suggests that total quality management's (TQM) implementation process affects the likelihood of its ultimate success. The danger of treating quality and TQM as an additional rather than a core activity is widely recognised. This paper argues that failure of organisations to reap considerable benefits that can be derived from introduction of TQM results from the failure to create an explicit link between the quality improvement efforts and the existing business processes. The paper presents conceptual and empirical evidence in support of the proposition that the longevity and success of the TQM process is dependent on the integration of its underlying concepts with the normal business processes. Furthermore, and more importantly, the paper examines the strategies adopted by leading exponents of TQM to achieve this objective.