Total Quality Management

Definition: Total Quality Management Total Quality Management (TQ, QM or TQM) and Six Sigma (6) are sweeping “culture change” efforts to position a company for greater customer satisfaction, profitability and competitiveness. TQ may be defined as managing the entire organization so that it excels on all dimensions of products and services that are important to the customer. We often think of features when we think of the quality of a product or service; TQ is about conformance quality, not features. 1980’s Long Range Encompasses entire organization

What is TQM? A comprehensive, organization-wide effort to improve the quality of products and services, applicable to all organizations. TQM, the concept of customer satisfaction through quality processes and continuous improvement, was developed by W. Edwards Deming after World War II and used by the Japanese to become an industrial giant.

Reasons why companies’ total quality management (TQM) systems fails:  often implemented as a separate, and sometimes costly, unproductive activity, “It isn’t a separate activity. It is an inherent part of what you do (or should do).”

Continues- policies and procedures are not followed up with implementation The best policies and procedures on the globe have never managed a company or project. Procedures and processes help us know the best practices for managing/supervision, but it takes the understanding and commitment by qualified personnel to make it happen.  Like a CPM [Critical Path Method] schedule, procedures are tools.  They represent the race car.  It takes the driver to win the race.”

Continues- a lack of training and communication of all individuals involved in a project, a gap between management rhetoric and actual performance, a failure to measure results, and egos

Continues- The expert who helps you set up a TQM-type program is not going to run your company. It takes leadership and continual commitment at all levels. Procedures without ownership are like row boats without oars.”

Continues- Unclear Strategy and conflict Priorities Leadership style of General Manager –too top-down or too laissez faire An ineffective top team Poor coordination Inadequate down-the-line leadership or management skills and developments Close vertical communications (top-down and bottom-up)

Several steps that can be taken to improve TQM programs: establishing a standard Start with quality of direction developing a process to meet the standard training people about the process getting input from those people doing the work