Total Quality Management: A Comprehensive Approach to Quality Control

Quality has been a critical aspect of human production and consumption since time immemorial. From the early days of craft production to the present-day mass production, quality has been a key differentiator that determines the success or failure of businesses. The concept of quality control (QC) emerged during the industrial revolution in the late 18th century as a way to ensure that products meet the required specifications. However, it was not until the 20th century that the concept of total quality emerged, leading to the development of Total Quality Control (TQC) and Total Quality Management (TQM) systems. This blog post aims to explore the history of quality, the concept of quality control, total quality, TQC, and TQM. Additionally, we will describe the key activities in a TQM system.

The concept of quality can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, who implemented quality measures to ensure the durability and reliability of their products. However, the modern concept of quality control emerged during the industrial revolution, with the advent of mass production and the need for standardization. In the early 20th century, pioneers such as Walter Shewhart and W. Edwards Deming developed statistical quality control techniques that paved the way for the development of total quality management systems.

Quality control involves ensuring that products meet the required specifications by identifying defects and correcting them before they leave the production line. TQC is a comprehensive approach to quality control that involves the participation of all employees in the quality improvement process. TQC systems aim to prevent defects from occurring in the first place rather than detecting and correcting them later. TQM is a further development of TQC that involves continuous improvement of all aspects of an organization’s operations to meet or exceed customer expectations.

The key activities in a TQM system include:

1. Customer focus: TQM systems place a strong emphasis on understanding and meeting customer needs and expectations.
2. Leadership: Top management plays a crucial role in establishing a quality culture and providing the necessary resources for quality improvement.
3. Employee involvement: TQM systems involve all employees in the quality improvement process and provide training and education to enhance their skills and knowledge.
4. Continuous improvement: TQM systems aim to continuously improve all aspects of an organization’s operations to meet or exceed customer expectations.
5. Process approach: TQM systems focus on improving processes rather than individual products or services.

In conclusion, quality is an essential aspect of human production and consumption, and it has evolved over time, leading to the development of quality control, TQC, and TQM systems. TQM is a comprehensive approach to quality control that involves the participation of all employees in the quality improvement process and aims to continuously improve all aspects of an organization’s operations to meet or exceed customer expectations.

References:

1. Dale, B. G. (2015). Total quality management. John Wiley & Sons.
2. Oakland, J. S. (2014). Total quality management and operational excellence: Text with cases. Routledge.
3. Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality management for organizational excellence. Pearson.
4. Kanji, G. K. (2010). Total quality management: proceedings of the first world congress. Routledge.