Challenges and Suggestion in Implementing Key Element of Quality Managemet

4.0. Challenges

Nowadays, quality has been the most sought thing after in every product, service and even individuals. Customers understood that everyone can provide services and products, but a question remains. Does it have high quality? But that question is for later. As the question of quality poised more question than answer. The main focus of this discussion is rather on the challenges that faced by organizations in implementing the key element of Total Quality Management. In particular, we decided to focus on the challenges faced by the firefighters at the fire station at Seremban 2 in term of implementation of quality in their job and management. Seremban 2 fire station is the headquarters for all of the fire stations all over Negeri Sembilan. Due to this, there are considered as an elite station, best of the best and expected to produce good result and good performance. They have complete equipment and have one of the best members all over Negeri Sembilan. But not all things are rose and daisies. There are surely some hiccups along the way. This is where the research comes in. We have studied that there are various challenges in implementing the key elements in Total Quality Management at Seremban 2 fire station.

The first and foremost, is the problem on the core of the organization itself, which are the human resource or in this case, the firefighters of the Seremban 2. They consist of brave various men and women that put their life on the line for the betterment of the society. Each and every one of them are among the best of the best firefighter in Negeri Sembilan but as humans, they are just individuals trying to live a life in this very world. They have their own problems and personal motivations that shaped who they really are. The challenges comes in in terms of the situational factor that plagues their daily life as this factor somehow affect their performance and long term commitment in their workplace which cause the total quality could not be implement successfully. Situational factors are external factors that are outside the power of a person or uncontrollable which might affect the performance of the firefighters. As they are human beings like us, the problems will consist of various things and with various reasons includes problems such as financial problems, family problem, emotional problem and many more. Some of the problems are small and some are very important. The factor relates to the challenges in implementing the key elements which in terms of Long Term Commitment of due to the fact that some individual at Seremban 2 fire station cannot handle their problem and requires help, which disrupt their work and indirectly their long term commitment As explained by Oackland, lack of long-term objectives and targets will cause a quality implementation program to lose credibility. (Oakland, 1989) Assistance and motivation is needed and if it is not solved, it can affect their work performance and quality. The challenge of having to deal with various factor that can affect their performance is a tedious work as the firefighters have different problems and requires specific way and channel to solve it. For example, some of the firefighters at Seremban 2 fire station are highly demotivated and requires some assistance in a way. Somehow they cannot finish their work on time and do their best in their work. The upper management decided to help by introducing religious and motivational talk such that might imbue some spirit and motivation to the firefighters at the elite station.

Besides that, one of the challenges faced by the fire fighters in Seremban 2 in implementing key element of total quality Management is the failure to follow procedures. In every organization, there is procedures and bureaucracy that governs and control the organization. In terms of the fire station in Seremban 2, they act under the name of a government entity. Some rule and procedures for governmental entity binds them and they are entitle to follow it. The procedures, for the firefighters are stated all in the Firefighting Service Act 1988. This act have procedures and regulations and it is required them to follow it without question. The challenge face by the fire fighters in the fire station at Seremban 2 is on the failure of the firefighters or the staff to follow procedure given. The failure to record all the data and information have challenge in implementing the key element of total quality such as obsession with quality. The simplest problem is on the recording data on certain documents. As been said by Tuan Asyraf, the Firefighters officer in Seremban 2, some of the workforce take for granted on the implementation of the quality management they are either deliberately or forgets to records the data on movable government asset. The act on not recording the documents or even leave it empty becomes a challenge as the data is important as through the data, other personnel will know where the equipment and the state of the equipment situation, either it is good or have some damages. This is actually to prevent any missing equipment and defective equipment.

Furthermore, the minor challenges faced by Seremban 2 fire fighter squad is on issues receiving various fake calls and facing with people who are misusing emergency line. It is generally known that people who misuses emergency line and cry wolf by making fake calls can be punished. But still some people misuses it and called the line for fun, taking it as a joke. But little that they know, that a prank call can cause to reduce or disrupt the response team action in providing assistance in the appropriate time. Human lives can be lost in mere seconds but still some are uneducated, seeing it as a joke. This is no exception for those who work in Seremban 2 fire station. They have to deal with some fake calls made by some people which even though small in number, proven to be problematic and disrupting. Not only has that fake calls disrupt the flow of their work, but also disrupt wasted their time and energy. This kind of situational factor had because the fire station cannot be able to follow their client charter which is to response within 15 minutes because of this irresponsible people. This relates to the key element of customer focus as they are not able to deliver their service as according to the client charter.

Last but not least, one of the challenges faced by the firefighters in Seremban 2 in implementing key elements of Total Quality Management is in terms of teamwork. As a government entity, the squad members are made of various people all over Malaysia as they are men and women who served the firefighting squad which then they served and positioned at fire station Seremban 2. Different family background and state helps to diversify the number of members which creates a gap and sometimes creates some misunderstanding. Though there is no fight