Total quality management

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management approach that originated in the 1950s and has steadily become more popular since the early 1980s. Total Quality is a description of the culture, attitude and organization of a company that strives to provide customers with products and services that satisfy their needs. The culture requires quality in all aspects of the company’s operations, with processes being done right the first time and defects and waste eradicated from operations.

History

The roots of TQM date back to the teachings of Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Dr. Joseph M. Juran, and Armand V. Feigenbaum, all of whom taught the importance of managerial responsibility for quality and all of whom argued against the responsibility of quality being left solely to the production workers. The concept of TQM was developed on the basis of the teachings of these quality gurus.

Principles

The key principles of TQM are as follows:

• Management Commitment
• Employee Involvement
• Focus on the Customer
• Continuous Improvement
• Quality Measurement
• Supplier Quality

Benefits

The benefits of TQM include:

• Improved quality
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Reduced costs
• Improved employee morale
• Increased productivity

Criticisms

Despite its many benefits, TQM has also been criticized for being too focused on the quantitative aspects of quality management, and not enough on the qualitative aspects.

See also

• Quality management system
• ISO 9000
• Six Sigma
• Lean manufacturing
• Business process reengineering

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