Employee satisfaction: an integral component of total quality.

As part of the Total Quality Management process, the leadership of Rush Medical Laboratories, with a staff of 400, made an initial commitment to focus on their own employees as the most important customers. Only after the employees' development, their help, their support, and their empowerment could Rush Medical Laboratories make the improvements in customer relationships and obtain the operations improvement, cost savings, and productivity necessary to maintain a competitive edge. This article outlines the numerous employee initiatives that have resulted from this commitment. All of these initiatives were successful at some point during the 5 or more years since the incorporation of TQM within Rush Medical Laboratories. In the spirit of continuous improvement, some have been modified or discontinued and replaced by others. This article provides an overview of the many improvements that are possible when employees are provided a forum in which to voice their needs, and it challenges the management and employees of all laboratories to focus on this vital component of total quality.

Automated sample handling in a clinical laboratory.

Bar codes have received wide acceptance and have permeated many industries since their early days in the railroad industry. They offer a simple and cost-effective approach to a variety of operational situations. Clinical labs are especially well-suited for this technology.

Implementing TQM.

Total quality management (TQM) is an organized, systematic approach to problem solving and continuous improvement. American corporations have found that TQM is an excellent way to improve competitiveness, lower operating costs, and improve productivity. Increasing numbers of laboratories are investigating the benefits of TQM. For this month's column, we asked our respondents: What steps has your laboratory taken to implement TQM?