Use of quality tools and techniques in services

The purpose of this article is essentially twofold: to evaluate the use of quality control (QC) tools and statistical process control (SPC) in certain services and to underline the key management prerequisites that help ensure their effective use. It involves a study of a sample of case service organisations, namely banks, hospitals, courier services and utilities, to assess the (in)effective use of QC tools and SPC and what this could signify for the future. A theoretical model is proposed and conclusions are drawn on the basis of it. For the use of QC tools and SPC to be more readily accepted and valuable in service organisations, certain critical success factors are identified here. The question is also raised as to which tools and techniques might be more appropriate in services and why.