Quality Management System in Academic and Research Libraries for Quality Service

1. Employees feel better about themselves and their efforts on the job, and they take greater pride in their work. 2. Administrators often feel less isolated, misunderstood, and burdened. 3. Productivity goes up, as work processes are improved continuously. 4. Provides better service to its primary customers – students, employees and employers. 5. Increased viability and profitability

TQM - A comprehensive and fundamental rule or belief for teaching and operating a school aimed at continually improving performance over the long term by addressing the needs of all customers. Source: ISO TQM is not just a technology and a system, it requires a PROACTIVE ATTITUDE.

1. Focus on things you can control (ourselves, attitude) 2. I’ll do it. 3. Continue to be hardworking person. 4. Are not easily offended. 5. Think about solutions and options. 6. Be first to apologize. 1. Worry on things you can’t control (color of skin, parents, weather) 2. I’ll try. 3. Scrutinize your friend and find his weakness. 4. Victimitis virus (blame and complain). 5. Think about problems and barriers. 6. Don’t apologize.

 The primary purpose of an academic library is to support the teaching, research, and other academic programs of its parent organization. An academic library is part of a service organization which delivers products personally to the customer.

 Total Quality is Total in two senses: ◦ It covers every process/function (academic affairs, student affairs, marketing, accounting, finance, human resources, etc.) ◦ It covers every job (top and middle management, teachers, students, non teaching employees).

Better Tomorrow for Everyone Effective Use of Resources Efficiency Improvement Economic Operation 5S SS QC KM PM ISO ACCREDITATION IQUAME TQMTQM Ultimate Goal Intermediate Goal Approach/ Strategy Method Beliefs/ Foundation

Organizations depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, should meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations. QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLE

Schools have both internal and external customers. Internal customers are the students, teachers, employees, administrators, and school board. External customers are the parents, employers,alumni,suppliers,community and government.

 In a service organization like an academic library the customer satisfaction means fulfilling expectations.  Librarians must find out what readers want and concentrate upon providing it.  Designing an appropriate service means asking  Who are the customers?  What do they want?

 CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NOT EASY. EVERYONE HAS AT SOME TIME BEEN CHALLENGED BY A DIFFICULT CUSTOMER.  THE SKILLED FRONTLINER IS CONSTANTLY FACED WITH SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE THE UTMOST SKILL, DIPLOMACY, AND POSITIVE ATTITUDE

 The circulation desk staff are the front line staff who play a critical role is an academic library because they represent the library; first deal with inquiries/crises;  Public services staff must be carefully-appointed and be given periodic training to keep up-to-date.  All academic library staff must receive training, including skill training; on the job guidance; retraining. Well-trained staff are the competitive weapon for better quality service in an academic library.  Teamwork plays a vital role in giving better quality service. People have to develop a culture and commitment towards quality service in an academic library.

 CUSTOMERS TALK. WHETHER SERVICE IS GOOD OR BAD, THEY TALK.  IF YOU PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE, YOUR CUSTOMERS MAY TELL AS MANY AS TWO OR THREE PERSONS,  BUT WHEN SERVICE IS LESS THAN EXPECTED, THOSE SAME CUSTOMERS WILL GIVE THE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE TO TWENTY TO THIRTY POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

 RESEARCH SHOWS THAT 90%- 95% OF UNHAPPY COMPLAINING CUSTOMERS WILL BECOME OUR MOST LOYAL CUSTOMERS IF WE HANDLE THEIR PROBLEMS IN A PROMPT, POLITE, AND PROFESSIONAL MANNER.

 WHEN YOU ACCEPTED YOUR POSITION, YOU AGREED TO PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT SERVICE TO YOUR CUSTOMER IN RETURN FOR A MONTHLY SALARY.  STATISTICS INDICATE THAT 90% OF CUSTOMERS ARE TURNED AWAY BY AN ATTITUDE OF FRONTLINE PERSONNEL

The student is the most important visitor of our school He is not dependent on us We are dependent on him He is not an interruption of our work He is the purpose of it He is not an outsider of the organization He is part of it We are not doing him a favor by serving him He is giving us the opportunity to do so. - Mahatma Gandhi

Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction of the organization. They should create and maintain the internal environment in which people can become fully involved in achieving the organization’s objectives. QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLE

Quality is a cultural change that causes an organization to change the way things are done. People are resistant to change, and management must support the change process by providing people with the education, tools system, and processes that promote quality.

People at all levels are the essence of an organization and their full involvement enables their abilities to be used for the organization’s benefit. QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLE

 The quality policy is a formal statement from management, closely linked to the business and marketing plan and to customer needs. The quality policy is understood and followed at all levels and by all employees. Each employee needs measurable objectives to work towards.

Everyone must participate in the quality transformation. Quality is not just the school board or Dean’s responsibility. It is everyone’s responsibility. Quality demands that everyone contributes to the quality effort.

A desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and related resources are managed as a process. QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLE

 Decisions about the quality system are made based on recorded data and the system is regularly audited and evaluated for pernformance and effectiveness.  You need a documented procedure to control quality documents in your company. Everyone must have access to up-to-date documents and be aware of how to use them.

Identifying, understanding and managing interrelated processes as a system contributes to the organization’s effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives. QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLE

Continual improvement of the organization’s overall performance should be a permanent objective of the organization. QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLE

Continuous Improvement or “KAIZEN” means on going improvement that involves everyone in the school, including both managers and employees. In business or in school, everything changes, including customers and suppliers. Deming & Shewhart developed the Plan, Do, Check, Act, or PDCA cycle.

Plan Act Do Check PDCA CYCLE

Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information. Data are critical to decision making in a TQM culture. Quick, easy access to data is important; data retrieval must be efficient QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLE

You can’t improve what you can’t measure. The objective of Benchmarking is to gain a competitive advantage by identifying, measuring, and emulating best practices both inside and outside the organization. Benchmarking is the continuous process of measuring products, services, and practices against those companies recognized as leaders.

Quality is above all an attitude of mind. It seeks to continually improve what already exists (Kaizen). It is based on the belief that one can do things better today than yesterday and better tomorrow than today. - CEI