Quality Texas
Abstract
Quality Texas was implemented at the request of Governor Ann
Richards to address the critical needs Texas businesses are
facing to remain profitable and competitive in the global
marketplace. The program was designed by a community of
quality experts from across Texas representing the business,
government and education sectors.
The need for small and medium-sized businesses to adopt
quality systems has become increasingly evident as large
corporations move toward single source suppliers who can
provide the highest quality parts and services with not only the
lowest costs, but also the lowest number of defects per million and
lowest cycle times. These preferred suppliers often comprise only 5 percent of those previously considered as acceptable vendors.
Most large corporations that have adopted TOM certify only those
suppliers verify proven in-house quality systems. In particular,
European customers often require that vendors have quality
systems certified under the International Standards Organization
9000 Series Rules.
It is the goal of Quality Texas to assist Texas suppliers in
meeting these new quality standards, thereby retaining their
positions on preferred vendor lists and remaining a viable part of
the Texas economic base.