Assessment of barriers to total quality management in manufacturing and service sector

TQM, a quality movement, is a buzzword in almost all sectorsirrespective of size. It is known as a quality movement as it focuses on improved and continuous product quality standards at every stage ofproduct’s value chain. TQM is a philosophy which aims at achieving organizational effectiveness and efficiency through quality standards. Various Sectors have shown reliance on this quality approach for organizational success and competitive advantage. Despite of all the success there are various problems identified which hinders the smooth implementation of this control technique. Through this paper an attempt is made to identify the top prevailing TQM problems faced by manufacturing and service sector. The methodology used is an intensive literature review on problems encountered by these two identified sector. The paper compares and list the common problems faced by both service and manufacturing Sector. All 14 research studies which were selected mainly highlighting on hindrances faced by various sectors while adopting the TQM approach (7 of those 14 research papers related to service sector and remaining 7 related to manufacturing sector). It has been found through the study that while implementing quality standards, few common problems exist in both sectors. The findings through this study will certainly provide help to managers of both manufacturing and service sectors in various areas which are looking forwardfor successful implementation of TQM approach.