Understanding Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management (TQM) framework focused on building long-term success by continuously improving products or service quality and processes to deliver exceptional customer experience (CX). 

Every team member must be involved to ensure that high-quality service is provided at all levels; rather than concentrating on individual departments, the aim is to make sure that customers receive exceptional service from every level of the organization.

This management approach isn’t based on guesswork, instead, it leverages data and metrics to make informed decisions, build a culture of teamwork and innovation, and make sure all strategies are aligned with customer needs. 

Successfully implementing this approach results in eliminating defects, simplifying operations, reducing waste, and improving overall performance. 

History of Total Quality Management (TQM) 

The concept of TQM can be traced back to the early 1900s when statisticians like Walter Walter Shewhart and W. Edwards Deming began developing statistical process control methods in manufacturing during the 1930s. 

After World War II, Japan focused on rebuilding its economy. Companies like Toyota adopted quality principles to compete globally, and figures like W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Juran played an important role in teaching quality management to Japanese industries. 

Inspired by Japan’s success, American businesses began to implement TQM in the 1970s and 1980s as companies struggled to compete with high-quality Japanese products. 

TQM became a popular management philosophy during 1990s, with organizations implementing various quality tools and techniques. Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and other quality methodologies also emerged as complementary or alternative approaches.

Today, TQM has evolved to include digital technologies and analytics. Cloud-based quality management systems and advanced data analysis tools are transforming how organizations manage quality. 

Core Principles/Elements of TQM

The core principles and elements of TQM are:

Focus on Your Customers 

The first and the most crucial principle of Total Quality Management is about focusing on your customers, as they are the ones who decide if your product is of high quality. Understanding what your customers want or need can let you find the best materials, workers, and processes to meet and exceed their expectations. To implement this, you should learn about your customers' needs, align your company’s goals with those requirements, measure customer satisfaction, and ask for their feedback to improve your processes.

Total Employee Commitment 

Your employees must know your company's mission and goals. Additionally, they should have the necessary training, resources, and motivation to complete their work. To put this into practice, clearly explain your objectives, inspire every team and individual to take responsibility for challenges, and help them assess their performance.

Process Oriented

Following established processes is essential for managing quality. They help make sure that the right actions are taken at the right moments for consistent results and faster production. You can use Total Management Quality tools such as a control chart or scatter diagram to clarify roles and responsibilities.

Integrated System 

TQM strategies focus on making the most of everything the company has by integrating different parts of the organization including, policies, standards, objectives, and processes so they work together smoothly and efficiently as one unit.

Strategic and Systematic Approach

This is an important aspect of TQM that supports an organization’s vision, mission, and goals. Known as strategic planning or strategic management, this process involves creating a plan that makes quality a key focus.

Data-Driven Decision Making 

The structured approach of TQM is effective only when feedback is provided to evaluate how the process flow is progressing. Management needs to consistently monitor production, turnover, efficiency, and employee performance to compare expected results with actual outcomes.

Total Quality Management depends on documentation and planning, and only by using and examining data, management can understand if the set plans are being followed and if improvements are needed.

Communications

You should keep everyone in the organization well-informed about the plans, strategies, and approaches for achieving goals. Effective communication in TQM helps inspire employees, teach employees about processes, and prevent mistakes during regular work or big organizational changes.

How to implement it? Challenges in implementing TQM

You can develop a list of relevant issues or steps for your business and follow them in chronological order. Here’s how you can implement Total Management Quality in your organization. 

1. Top management becomes familiar with and agrees to follow TQM principles.
2. The company evaluates its current culture, customer satisfaction, and quality practices.
3. Find out and focus on what customers want, then adjusts products and services accordingly.
4. Analyze and prioritize the essential steps the company takes to satisfy customers.
5. Management guides the creation of teams to improve workflow and processes.
6. Regularly collect feedback from employees and customers to track progress.

Examples of TQM

Here are some examples of Total Quality Management (TQM) practices in various organizations:

• Toyota Production System

  A well-known example of TQM is Toyota's approach from 1961, focusing on continuous improvement, waste reduction, and respect. It includes methods like producing only what's needed right away (Just-in-Time) and constantly improving work processes (Kaizen) to increase the quality and efficiency of manufacturing processes.

• Motorola’s Six Sigma

  Motorola developed the Six Sigma methodology in 1986, which aims to reduce defects to near zero. This approach has been widely adopted across many industries.

• Ford

  Ford developed a quality operation system in the 1980s that focused on customer satisfaction, employee involvement, and continuous improvement. 

• Xerox 

  Xerox implemented TQM in the 1980s and 1990s, focusing on quality improvement, process reengineering, and employee empowerment. The IT giant’s TQM efforts resulted in significant improvements in productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction. 

• Hospitals’ Quality Improvement Initiatives

  Hospitals and healthcare organizations use TQM ideas to improve patient care, decrease medical errors, and make workflows smoother. For instance, they apply techniques like Lean Six Sigma to make emergency room procedures more efficient or reduce patient waiting times.

Conclusion

TQM is a strategic mindset where everyone in a company works on improving the overall quality of products and services. The idea is that by excelling in operations, customer satisfaction will go up. The methodology is based on several key principles, all with the major purpose of reducing mistakes, streamlining processes, and maximizing efficiency.