TQM Implementation in the Army

GAO reviewed the Department of the Army's implementation of total quality management (TQM). GAO found that: (1) as the Army invested more time and effort in TQM activities, TQM implementation matured, barriers became less difficult, and greater benefits could be achieved; (2) 67 percent of the Army's facilities had implemented various phases of TQM and nearly two-thirds of Army personnel believed the TQM program was beneficial; (3) the Army facilities surveyed generally agreed that empowerment, insufficient information, and lack of training on TQM concepts were the most common barriers to TQM implementation; and (4) insufficient support for TQM among facility managers was significant.