The Objective of Total Quality Management

The Objective of Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management(TQM) is an organisational process that actively

involves every function and every employee in satisfying customers needs, both

internal and external. TQM works by continuously improving all aspect of work

through structured control, improvement and planning activities that are carried

out in concern with guiding ideology that focuses on Quality and Customer

Satisfaction as the top priorities.

There has been many arguments that TQM succeeds only by incorporating a

concern about quality for the customers throughout the organisation. The truth

of this statement and those facts that disagree with this statement will be look

into and discuss in more detail to achieve the success of TQM.

TQM recognises that the Customer is at the center of every activity. The

customer may be external or internal. The key is to determine the gap between

what the customer needs and what the system delivers. Once the gap is

recognised, it would be systematically reduced and results in never-ending

improvement in customer satisfaction at every level.

TQM depends on and creates a culture in an organisation which involves

everybody in quality improvement. Everyone in the company can affect quality but

must first realise this factor and have the techniques and tools which are

appropriate for improving quality. Thus TQM includes the marketing and

dissemination of quality and methods not only within the organisation and

customers but also to suppliers and other partners.

The general view to achieve success in TQM could be summarised as below:

Quality as strength

Quality in all processes

The importance of management

The involvement, commitment and responsibility of everybody

Continuous improvement

Zero defects

Focus on prevention rather than inspection

Meeting the needs of target customers

Recovery

Benchmarking

A prerequisite for successful quality improvement is first, to understand how

quality is perceived and valued by customers.

4 ‘Q'

Design Quality Technical Quality

Production Quality

Delivery Quality

Functional Quality

Relational Quality

Image

Experiences

Expectation

Customer Perceived Quality

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...ccess. Ownership and the Elements of Self-Management

Total quality programmes are founded on the principal that people want to own

the problems, the process, the solution and ultimately the success associated

with the quality improvement. Psychologically, the ownership advocated by TQM

ties in the development in organisational design away from traditional models of

imposing management control over employees' behaviour.

Recognition and Rewards

TQM system considers the rewards and recognition to be critical to a company's

programme, particularly when greater involvement of staff is required. Positive

reinforcement through recognition and rewards is essential to maintain

achievement and continuous improvement through participative problem-solving

projects.

The Quality Delivery Process

TQM is not just the awareness of quality for the customers. It demands the

implementation of a new system.

Finally, the main objective of TQM may put the customer at the center of every

activity and consider the process as customer driven, but all other factors

which do not involve the customers have to be taken into consideration for the

successful implementation of TQM.