TQM Implementation at GSA

GAO commented on the implementation of total quality management (TQM) at the General Services Administration (GSA). GAO noted that: (1) a significant number of GSA installations have implemented TQM; (2) one-third of GSA installations are still in the early phases of TQM implementation; (3) GSA involvement in TQM activities increased as TQM maturity increased; (4) three-quarters of the responding GSA installations reported positive benefits of TQM; (5) GSA results are similar to, but somewhat more positive than, the overall federal survey results; (6) reported benefits increased as maturity increased; (7) 52 percent of the GSA installations implementing TQM believed that TQM activities had a positive impact on internal operating conditions; and (8) the potential barriers to implementing TQM varied among federal respondents.