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.
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.