TQM Implementation at Energy

GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) implementation of total quality management (TQM). GAO noted that: (1) 58 percent of the 19 Energy facilities surveyed are implementing various phases of TQM; (2) as DOE invested more effort in TQM activities, TQM implementation matured; (3) over two-thirds of the DOE facilities reported positive benefits from TQM, but almost one-third believed it was too soon to judge TQM benefits; (4) reported benefits increased as maturity increased; and (5) 9 of 21 potential barriers to TQM were moderate to very major problems for 39 percent or more of the total federal respondents.