THIS PAPER DISCUSSES OUR APPROACH TO TQM-- TEAMWORK FOR EXCELLENCE. CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT THROUGH PROCESS MANAGEMENT IS A MAJOR INITIATIVE IN TQM STRATEGY AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT METHODS ARE APPLIED AT ALL LEVELS OF THE COMPANY. OUR METHODS AND IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH IS DESCRIBED. BENCHMARKING IS ONE OF THE BEST METHODS (USEFUL BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY) TO FOCUS CONTINUAL PROCESS IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS. WHERE BENCHMARKING FITS INTO PROCESS MANAGEMENT IS DISCUSSED. SEVERAL ACTIVITIES--WHICH DO NOT FORMALLY FALL WITHIN THE BENCHMARKING DEFINITION--ARE ILLUSTRATED TO PROVIDE A VIEW OF POSSIBLE NEW APPLICATIONS OF BENCHMARKING CONCEPTS.
