I would recommend Malcolm Baldrige scoring instrument for your purpose. It doesn't provide the ability score, but it gives the implementation level of TQM in that company. European Foundation for Quality Management also provides similar scoring tool.

It is important to note that there are two stages; evaluation criteria which may be Baldrige or the European, and the method for prioritizing these criteria. Then you can evaluate the criteria, specify their weights, and judge the TQM implementation ability regarding these weighted criteria. For prioritization Technique and weighting , I suggest the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). For further clarifications, don't hesitate to contact me at : [email protected]

Http://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticle.php?artid=57003

Contact a colleague of mine: "Prof. Dr. Andre M. Schmutte"

Regards Klaus Jamin

TQM Implementation for a company is more to do with its readiness to imbibe systems based on customer orientation, continuous learning, willing participation of employees in continuous improvement-thus readiness for accepting change on continuous basis, zero tolerance to deviations, and above all willingness of all the employees including the top level executives of the organization to adhere to strict discipline with scope for new ideas. Therefore, understanding ability to implement TQM requires readiness of the organization on all the above areas.

I think your research questionnaire should appraise the company's ability to implement and measure its overall TQM performance using the Balance Score Card (BSC) as performance management tool.

Your questionnaire must also appraise the company’s ability to implement the TQM from a helicopter view of TQM informed by Dr Deming’s 14 points on TQM, aligned to the company’s Value Chain, and Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA).

Please read the articles from the attached links

1. http://www.businessballs.com/dtiresources/performance_measurement_management.pdf

2. http://www1.imp.unisg.ch/org/idt/ipmr.nsf/ac4c1079924cf935c1256c76004ba1a6/46558b8b7e356020c1256f72003c6e1d/$FILE/IPMR_5_2_2004_A%20NEW%20MANAGEMENT%20MODEL%20FOR%20GOVERNMENT.pdf; and

3. http://webhotel2.tut.fi/cmc/pdf/TotalQualityManagementAndBalancedScorecard.pdf

However, I think you should consider the application of ‘Key Considerations on designing Performance Management Framework’ explained in the article accessible from http://www.businessballs.com/dtiresources/performance_measurement_management.pdf,

Pay more attention to the subheading “A simple performance measurement framework” and the SMARTs principles.

The attached documents explain how to link TQM and Balance Score Card approach of performance planning and management, which in my view it’s imperative for TQM implementation ability.

The TQM strategic objectives must be aligned to and incorporated into the Company’s Balanced Score Card “BSC” at the corporate and group level.

The Balanced Score Card maps out Key Performance Measures or Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and Key Performance Areas (KPA) into four perspective namely – 1. Internal [Business processes], 2.Customers, 3. Financial and 4. Continuous Learning & Growth. BSC in simple terms is an instrument that translates and cascades the overall company’s Strategic Plan and Business Plan, into implementation arrangements set out in a form of KPAs and KPIs for all for perspectives of the BSC as explained above.

Four more details on Balance Score Card (BSC), I suggest you watch the following videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_IlOlywryw&hd=1 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0b0NqTR_cQ&hd=1

What is missing from the documents found from links cited above, is an important factor, which is the consideration of Dr. Demings 14 Points of TQM, from the perspective of the company's Value Chain and Value Chain Analysis.

TQM emphasizes the helicopter view of the organisation from the strategic board, executive and to senior managerial level. Most organisation tend to put emphasis on quality measurement from the production planning (product design and/or manufacturing perspective) hence over-emphasis on product defects, cost of conformance, and technical specifications.

TQM advocates that whilst the product design, reliability forms an integral part of cost of quality, but the total cost of quality should be viewed from the overall corporate perspective to include viz. all strategic objectives set out i.t.o four BSC perspectives.

Hence the balance of TQM implementation and measurement  from the Helicopter view based on performance indicators which measure the following: Quality of the corporate culture, Quality of Strategic Planning, Quality of Leadership, Quality of Employee Relations, Quality of Customer Relations Management (CRM); Quality of Operation Excellence, and Quality of Organizational Effectiveness

In addition, the Value Chain Analysis and Value Map, as well as the Report or outcome of any recent Business Process Re-Engineering exercise (if available) performed by the company can serve as inputs in identifying other TQM performance measures that must be incorporated into all four perspective of the BSC.

TQM performance measures should be identified in terms of what is of critical urgency for the company to achieve sustainable competitive edge.

It must therefore be aligned to the company’s Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA) answering which of Dr Deming’s 14 point on TQM

http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/mgmt_quality_tqm_14points_d.html],

http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/total-quality-management/overview/deming-points.html; and

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_75.htm, or

http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/dstools/demings-14-points/] are of critical urgency and need to be prioritized for the company.

In a nutshell TQM implementation ability should demonstrate the company’s ability to have TQM Key performance indicators and key performance measures that are SMART, dovetailed to the company’s BSC, and informed by relevant points from Dr Deming’s 14 points on TQM.

It will be worth your while to specifically read an article entitled “ A New Management Model for Government: Integrating Activity Based Costing, the Balanced Scorecard and Total Quality Management with the Planning, Programming and Budgeting System written by Francois Melese, James Blandin and Sean OíKeefe” [http://www1.imp.unisg.ch/org/idt/ipmr.nsf/ac4c1079924cf935c1256c76004ba1a6/46558b8b7e356020c1256f72003c6e1d/$FILE]