Total Quality Management (TQM) Techniques

Concept of Total Quality Management

The need to compete in the global market stimulated total quality management (TQM) by where higher quality, lower cost, and more rapid development are substantial to market leadership. It is considered an essential requirement for any organization to compete, besides lead, in its market. TQM is a way of planning, organizing, and understanding each activity of the process and removing all the unnecessary steps routinely followed in the organization. TQM is a philosophy that makes quality values the driving force behind leadership, design, planning, and improvement in activities.

TQM requires organizations to focus on continuous improvement. It focuses on process improvements across the long term, instead of emphasizing short-term financial gains.

Total Quality Management Principles

ISO document listed eight quality management principles on which the quality management system standards of the revised ISO 9000:2000 series are based. These are as follows:

Principle 1—Customer focus

Organizations depend on their customers and, therefore, should understand current and future customer needs, should meet their customer requirements, and should pursue to exceed customer expectations.

Principle 2—Leadership

Without clear and strong leadership, a business struggles. Principle 2 is concerned with the direction of the organization. The business should have clear targets, and make certain its employees are actively involved in achieving those targets.

Principle 3—Involvement of people

People at all levels are the core of an organization, and their full involvement enables their capabilities to be used for the organization’s benefit.

Principle 4—Process approach

The process approach is all concerning efficiency and effectiveness. It’s also concerning consistency and understanding that good processes also speeds up activities.

Principle 5—System approach to management

Identify, understand, and manage interrelated processes as a system participates to the organization’s effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives.

Principle 6—Continual improvement

Continual improvement of the organization’s overall performance should be a constant objective of the organization.

Principle 7—Factual approach to design making

Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information.

Principle 8—Mutual beneficial supplier relationship

An organization and its suppliers are associated, and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to create value.

Importance of TQM

TQM places quality as a strategic goal and focuses on continuous improvement of products, processes, and cost to compete in the global market by minimizing rework, and maximizing profitability to achieve market leadership and customer satisfaction.

It is a way of managing individuals and business processes to meet customer satisfaction. TQM involves everyone in the organization in the effort to raise customer satisfaction and achieve outstanding performance of the products or services through continuous quality improvement. TQM helps in:

Ensure customer satisfaction
Increased revenues
Reduce waste and inventory
Improve design
Adapt to changing markets and regulatory environments
Increase productivity
Eliminate defects and waste
Increase job security
Improve employee morale
Reduce costs
Increase profitability

TQM Models

Credits for the process of TQM go to many philosophers and their teachings. Drucker, Juran, Deming, Ishikawa, Crosby, Feigenbaum and many others who have studied organizational management have contributed effectively to the process of TQM.

There are many models of total quality management

It is really not necessary that each organization should adopt and implement the same model.

Some popular TQM processes

Three types of TQM that are relevant and widely used include:

ISO 9000

Created in the 1987, by International Organization for Standardization- compasses an entire family of quality management systems standards. ISO 9000 focuses on people and leadership while also ensuring that products meet a minimum standard of quality.

Lean manufacturing

Developed in Japan by automobile manufacturer Toyota, it is a process focused on minimizing waste while increasing value.

Six Sigma

Developed in the 1980s at Motorola, is a set of techniques for improving processes in an organization. This method aims to improve product quality by identifying and eliminating variability that can cause defects.

Implementing TQM

W.Edwards Deming, the godfather of quality, had 14 points for implementing TQM in a company. Consider this variation of those points:

Create constancy of purpose to improve product and service.
Adopt a new philosophy for the new economic age with management learning what their responsibilities are and by assuming leadership for change.
Cease dependence on mass inspection to achieve quality by building quality into the product.
End awarding business on price. Award business on total cost and move toward single suppliers.
Aim for continuous improvement of the system of production and service to improve productivity and quality and to decrease costs.
Institute training on the job.
Institute leadership with the aim of supervising people to help them to do a better job.
Drive out fear so that everyone can work effectively together for the Organization.
Break down barriers between departments. Encourage research, design, sales and production to work together to foresee difficulties in production and use.
Eliminate slogans, exhortations and numerical targets for the workforce since they are divisory and difficulties belong to the whole system.
Eliminate quotas or work standards and management by objectives or numerical goals; leadership should be substituted instead.
Remove barriers that rob people of their right to pride in their work.
Institute a vigorous education and self-improvement program.
Put everyone in the company to work to accomplish the transformation.

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Sunday, March 8, 2020