TQM Survey Paper

Burrill & Ledolter relates customer satisfaction and quality by stating "The aim of quality is to give customers the product they want. The challenge is to understand true customer needs and to translate these into products that will satisfy those needs" (Burrill & Ledolter, 1999). This paper will explain the value of quality in relationship to customer satisfaction as well as research three separate organizations that represent different economic sectors, and provide a description of the need for customer-driven quality for each of these organizations. Additionally, a matrix model will be constructed outlining the differences between the strategic roles of total quality management (TQM) within each of the chosen organizations.

The organizations of focus will represent the manufacturing sector, service sector, and government sector. Each of these sectors has different values when it comes to quality in customer dealings and strategies towards total quality management. These different views are established through customer needs and the level of growth within their sector.

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ManufacturingThe first organization of focus, which represents the manufacturing sector, is Atmel Corporation. This company, which was founded in 1984, "is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacturing and marketing of advanced semiconductors, including advanced logic, nonvolatile memory, mixed signal and RF integrated circuits" (Atmel Corp., 2008). Atmel is a largel manufacturing company and has over 8,000 employees globally, its headquarters are located in San Jose, CA. The company has manufacturing plants and business offices located in United States, Asia, and Europe.

Atmel has received numerous awards, including the Frost & Sullivan's Technology Innovation Award in recognition of its "development of the FingerChip fingerprint sensor technology at the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Southeast Asia Industrial Technologies awards presentation" (ThirdFactor, 2008). Atmel "builds operations management excellence in individuals and enterprises through superior education and training, internationally recognized...