Total Quality Management (TQM) - An introduction

A major development that holds the full attention of management today is Total Quality Management (TQM). It tries to meet or exceed customer expectations. TQM is a strategic way for revamping the operations of organization for the above goal. It means that TQM is not an addition to any thing else. In short, TQM is an organizational strategy formulated at the top management level and then implemented throughout the organization.

The ‘Total Quality Forum of USA' has approved the following definition for Total Quality:

"It is a people-focused management system that aims at continual increase in customer satisfaction at continually lower cost. TQ is a total system approach and an integral part of high-level strategy. It works horizontally across functions and the departments, involving all employees, top to bottom, and extends backwards and forwards to include the supply chain and customer chain."

Quality in providing services includes:

1. Time: specification of the time for delivering a product.
2. Timeliness: accuracy in providing promised product at the promised time.
3. Completeness: perfection in providing promised product as per promised spec.
4. Courtesy: Greet the customer in a cheerful and polite way.
5. Consistency: Regular keeping of time, timeliness, completeness and courtesy.
6. Accessibility and convenience: easiness in obtaining the service.
7. Accuracy: right performance from the first occasion onwards.
8. Responsiveness:   quick reaction and resolving of unexpected problems.

The overall success of TQM depends upon different major steps such as achieving total quality in Human Resource Management, total Quality in Business Strategy, TQ Business Process Management etc.

Total Quality HRM

The philosophy of TQ HRM is shared responsibility, commitment and rewards. The business objectives are increased quality, productivity, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and loyalty.  It also facilitates open-book type sharing of information. Major constituencies of TQ HRM are customers, all employees and stakeholders. It welcome employee involvement and provides formal commitment on job security. It also provides quality and economic education and training to the employees.

TQ Business Strategy:

TQ Business Strategy planning and management involves four basic steps, viz Environmental Scanning, Strategy formulation, Strategy implementation, Strategy evaluation and control. Environmental scanning consists of assessment of both the external and internal environments. Assessment of external environment means the assessment of the opportunities and threats that exists in the social and industry environments. In the case of internal environment, an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the organizational structure, culture and recourses are being assessed. Strategy part consists of the enterprise vision, gap analysis, mission, objectives, strategies, policy deployment, process integration, project involvement, performance integration, evaluation and control.

TQ Business Process Management

TQ Business Process Management aims at the following:

• Eliminate errors
• Minimize delays
• Maximize use of assets
• Promote under standing
• Make easy to understand
• Make customer friendly
• Make adaptable to the changing needs of the customers
• Provide the organization with competitive advantages
• Reduce excess manpower.

One widely used model for TQ BPM is ‘Business Process Improvement Model (BPI Model)'. This model has five important phases viz. organizing for improvement, understanding the process, Streamlining, Measurement and control and Continuous improvement. The processes behind each one of the above phases are very clear from their names.

From the above briefing, I think, the importance of the word ‘Total' in total quality management is very clear. It aims at a complete revamping of the system and its personnel.