Abstract

The origins of integrated process management (IPM) are found in the perseverance of LTV Steel and in the works of Tom Peters. Despite many problems with facilities and finances, and despite seeking protection under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy laws, LTV Steel still is embued with quality. Its products are excellent, as is its service to customers. A major reason for the company's success is its integrated process control (IPC) system. IPC is a precursor of IPM. Its principles are visible also in Tom Peters' works. The elements of IPM are: obsession with the customer; innovation as the norm; turned-on employees as the source of innovation; leadership; and common-sense systems. The ideas of IPM build in part upon some concepts taken from William E. Conway, Philip B. Crosby, W. Edwards Deming, Masaaki Imai, Kaoru Ishikawa, J. M. Juran, and Robert H. Schuller. IPM works only in the correct environment, only if employees see it as the right thing to do, and only if there is a focus on process, not product.