Total Quality Management (TQM)
Candlefocus EditorTQM seeks to ensure that all departments and activities in an organization are in alignment with the organizations goals and objectives. To achieve this, TQM involves the integration and implementation of eight principles:
1. Focus on Customers: identify and satisfy customer needs and preferences. 2. Continual Improvement: use metrics to monitor and improve performance. 3. Adhere to Processes: maintain adherence to standard procedures. 4. Empower Employees: involve the employees in the process of setting goals and objectives. 5. Use Data for Decision Making: utilize data for making decisions and taking corrective action. 6. Develop Supplier Partnerships: create long-term relationships with suppliers to ensure quality standards are met. 7. Strategically Align Goals: ensure that all tasks, activities and goals are in-line with the larger organizational strategy. 8. Foster a Culture of Excellence: continuously strive for excellence in all areas of the organization.
By moving away from the traditional “command and control” approach to one that focuses on employees and customers, TQM seeks to create a culture of trust and collaboration between all parties. Moreover, the implementation of TQM involves more than just management: the entire organization must actively participate in the process in order for it to be successful. Through active engagement of all stakeholders and continual improvement of standards of excellence, organizations can create a competitive advantage by building a foundation of quality products and services Reducing costs and errors, increasing efficiency and improving customer satisfaction are all benefits of a successful TQM system. Overall, when done correctly, TQM can change an organization for the better by focusing on all aspects of quality.