A model to continuously and cost-effectively improve the quality of a management system within trading business: A case study

Abstract: To stay competitive on today’s market and satisfy the constantly increasing customer requirements, working with continuous and cost-effective improvement is a requirement. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a model to continuously and cost-effectively improve the quality of a management system within trading business, taking the environmental aspect and impact of organizational changes up on personnel in consideration. The model has been developed based on theoretical management strategies and improvement methodologies: Process management, Change management, TQM, Lean, Continuous and cost-effective improvement, PDCA and Kaizen. The developed model should result in a high-qualitative management system that continuously should be improved and maintained, to streamline the supply chain and in turn be profitable. In order to enhance the sustainability of the model, it has been tested at a case company. From the results, conclusions can be drawn that concrete outcomes of the model implementation takes time, but it serve its purpose and generates in great results.