AWWA ACE94020

In 1994, the Ohio-American Water Company and Bricker & Eckler undertook a program geared toward a continuous improvement in the quality of legal services as judged by Ohio-American. From the company's point-of-view, improved communications, more rapid response time, and closer awareness of each other's daily operations have been advantages achieved to date. From the attorneys' view, in addition to their having learned more about the company's priorities and activities, their understanding and better relationship with the company means that the company is likely to feel more comfortable in continuing to take its legal work to them. The two organizations have seen only improvements from the initiation of Total Quality Management principles and have encountered no disadvantages from engaging in this project.