Total Quality Management

Essay by alvinchang March 2007

download word file, 3 pages 3.0

Total Quality Management (TQM)Total Quality Management (TQM) can be defined as a management tool that embeds awareness of quality in all organizational processes. "TQM, is a method by which management and employees can become involved in the continuous improvement of the production of goods and services." (Hashmi, K., 2006) TQM intends to do things right at the first time, instead find and fix problems after problems occur. TQM is an organizational strategy that actively concerns every function and every employee in fulfilling customer needs. TQM functions by improving all aspect of work by continuously improvement, planning activities, and structured control, which carry out in concern with methodology that concentrate on quality and as one of the top priorities.

TQM typically includes a random sample of the product then is examined for areas that the customer concerns. Once the defects are detected, a corrective action is put into place to ensure the elimination of the failures or defects.

Oftentimes, statistical information is gathered and analyzed. When measures drift outside of the acceptable range, corrective action can be taken to ensure the measures stay within the acceptable range. In addition, understanding why the failure occurs is also important. (Kurtus, R., 2001)The recent swift globalization of business is creating extraordinary over supplies of many products and services. Together with information technology that give consumers with more information regarding quality levels, prices, and product availability; globalization is creating a major impact on quality for organizations. Globalization affects quality in different ways, such as customer's increasing expectations and customer requires for products and services of equal quality to what they see others have received. Globalization has created a need for ISO, the Six Sigma Program, and Total Quality Management that encourages quality improvement at all levels of manufacturing. These programs set forth have helped organizations...