The quest for quality at Safeway Australia

Reports on the quality initiative undertaken by Safeway, the largest supermarket chain operating in Victoria, Australia and part of the Woolworth’s group. Illustrates the impact that a “converted” chief executive can have on an organization, and how the organization has been changed through his tremendous energy and conviction. Also illustrates how service organizations typically perceive quality management, especially in an environment highly oriented towards people and customer service. Safeway readily acknowledges that there is still much that can be done within their organization to adopt quality management practices, but they are eager to share their experiences with others. Indeed, it is one of the few service organizations which have made significant progress in this area.