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Total Quality Associates - Frequently Asked
 Questions

Q.  What distinguishes TQA from other consulting/training organizations?
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A.   First, we only use consultants who have "walked the walk". Whether it is management leadership, supervision, high impact improvement efforts, supplier performance excellence, customer service excellence, ISO 9000 implementation or anything else, we only utilize consultants who have achieved outstanding results in similar corporate positions. Second, we offer such an array of services, that it is easy to integrate most aspects of you're an organization's needs under a single consulting entity. This is more cost-effective and produces better overall results. Third, we do not utilize a "canned" approach. No two organizations are exactly alike nor are the solutions to their challenges.  Fourth, we didn't "jump on the bandwagon" when business excellence became popular. We have been doing this since 1988.
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Q. What type of companies and industries does TQA work with? 
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 A.  Any type. The reason is that we offer business excellence methodologies and not specific expertise in your business. These methodologies can be applied to any business and in any industry to provide high-impact solutions. This is true for management leadership coaching or process improvement or strategic planning, etc. We have worked with:
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    -  Large organizations like Exxon Mobil, Pirelli and Dow Jones' call and processing centers.
    -  Multi-national manufacturers and local manufacturers.
    -  Sales and marketing organizations, service organizations and distributors.
    -  Small companies with as few as 12 employees and many others. 
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Good RESULTS have been achieved in all these.
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Q.  How is it possible to have such a broad spectrum of capability? 
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 A.   Well, take our principal consultant for example, he spent over 20 years in corporate life including in-the-trenches positions as R & D chemist & product development project leader, product engineer responsible for commercializing new products, end-use applications specialist dealing extensively with customer fitness-for-use, QC manager, leader of key supplier and customer performance improvement programs, director of Total Quality responsible for quality excellence in all departments of the corporation, interdivisional consultant for multi-national locations, director of material and logistics involving purchasing, production planning, customer service and distribution, plant manager, special assignments to achieve business excellence results under urgent circumstances. Additionally, he has done consulting in all the industries mentioned above over a 20 year period.

The associate consultants also have extensive hands-on experience in a variety of competencies, 
including customer service excellence, ISO 9000, performance improvement methodologies and 
auditing of quality systems. 
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Q.   Does TQA come in with solutions to specific company problems, such as might
be  found in accounting, distribution, customer service, marketing, call center, IT,
       manufacturing? 
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A.   No. We provide business excellence methods and tools to understand the root issues of problems and help identify and implement effective solutions. We accept Dr. W. Edwards Deming's viewpoint that "the only true experts are the people doing the work". Therefore, we work with the appropriate folks within the organization to achieve the results. While we may bring with us experience in various disciplines, we are not like "Wyatt Earp coming into Dodge City to clean things up". Our approach is to work with the leadership team to identify areas for improvement. Then, in collaboration with them, engage the appropriate associates to achieve the desired results. During this process, we utilize a business excellence approach that achieves defined short-term results while leaving a legacy of internal capability to sustain improvements and achieve long-term progress. 
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Q.   What are the types of things you do with the leadership team?
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A.   There are many aspects here. This includes, but not limited to, strategic planning, achieving performance excellence through the organization's associates, establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are interlinked throughout the organization, coaching management and supervisors to achieve a higher level of leadership capability, helping deal with specific business excellence challenges, implementing a "secure customer" process and more.
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Q.  Your website mentions a "business assessment". What does that involve? 
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A.   We consider leadership's viewpoint, performance results, customer input, employee perceptions, benchmark information and observations of operational activities. We collect information based on structured interviews, available data and auditing of the operation. An analysis is done and the final product is a report, which includes key observations, significant conclusions and specific recommendations to increase the level of business excellence and performance RESULTS.