Richard M. Miller, P.E., retired president of Gee & Jenson, worte to this author about the early efforts: "The cultural transformation was a big problem. Getting a meaningful consensus in management was a big problem. Developing the vision was not well done. The mission was unclear" (Miller, 1992).
A fundamental premise of TQM that Gee & Jenson followed closely was the need to create a system in which errors can be detected as they occur, rather than later on. Such a philosophy is at the heart of Deming's approach to quality. Miller has written elsewhere (1990):