Can ISO quality management system processes be adapted and applied to marketing processes that are useful for marketing transport services?

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation was to answer the question "Can ISO Quality Management system processes be adapted and applied to marketing processes that are useful for marketing transport services?" This research leads the author to believe that the answer is yes.

The author's first objectives were to describe the ISO (See Glossary) Quality Management System Processes as applied to marketing and measure the system against this. This has been done by providing background information about ISO Quality Management Systems (ISO QMS) in general and describing what information is detailed within the process document. The author has detailed how the company goes about marketing and highlighted the areas that he sees are problems. He has analysed the document critically, has noted what it does well and what its shortcomings are.

The author has compared what is actually happening with what the company says is happening within the Marketing Processes Document. The evidence is the case study of the Steel Proposal, which highlighted a number of problems with the current system.

The final objective was to make recommendations for an improved system that caters for all level of customer. The author has done this and they are detailed below.

The company goes about its marketing reasonably well The author is critical of the fact that company objectives are not communicated from the top down to all levels of the company. The involvement of all staff is a key principle of what ISO is trying to achieve.

It has become clear to the author that there are a number of gaps between what the company says it is doing and what it is actually doing. It is clear that the marketing processes document has its shortcomings, as does the way that the company is currently marketing its services. The author believes that if the two are brought together then this will create a very effective system for the company. The gaps are not that great. There are areas of the marketing processes document that need improving as there are with what is actually happening. A lot of the time the Marketing Processes Document focuses on meeting the minimum requirements of the ISO QMS and does not take into account what information is required in a practical sense. The key element that is missing from what the company is currently doing is the fact that the company does not follow the policies as set out in the document. This is reinforced by the paper written by a senior manager detailing the problems with the Steel Proposal. The manager makes recommendations that the marketing processes should have been followed. It is the author's belief that had they been followed then the proposal would not have had the problems.

The author has made the following recommendations: • The company needs to provide more education about ISO to all levels of staff and review how it trains staff. • Clear Marketing Objectives need to be set and communicated from Senior Management to all levels of the company in line with the Quality Management System and Marketing Processes. • The Marketing Processes Document must become company policy. • A project team needs to be set up to make the necessary changes to the Marketing Processes Document. These changes should be made in line with the areas that have been highlighted in the analysis of the document, and need to reflect what the company is currently doing. • An assessment should be done on other areas of the TNL Quality Management System (QMS). There may be areas other than marketing that the company is only just satisfying the needs of the QMS. • The company should set the bar high for any objectives rather than just meeting the minimum requirements of the QMS.