Process management and supply-chain integration at the Bose Corporation

The Bose Corporation has developed an approach to quality management that is driving the integration of manufacturing and selling across its supply chain. Instead of designing a path towards integrated process improvement, Bose has evolved through definable stages in achieving its view of processes and business relationships. In the early stages, managers commonly explore and discover process concepts informally. They acquire a sense of urgency, achieve early successes, and develop a leadership coalition. As they better understand quality management in the context of the organization, managers formalize their efforts and share them widely. Credible management communication and top management support are important. Finally, managers link the process thinking created within the organization with process efforts of the business coalition. At this stage, mobilizing a business coalition and creating a compelling business case are important. Bose's experiences provide a guide for process improvement within the organization and across the supply chain.