Concept of Quality and Total Quality - Essay Example

?Quality Assurance Table of Contents 0 Introduction 3 2.0 Concept of Quality and Total Quality 3 2 Problems 5 3.0 Solutions 5 4.0 Evaluation 8 5.0 Conclusion 10 References 11 1.0 Introduction RWDi is a manufacturing organisation highly focused upon producing quality based products to its valuable customers. In order to produce quality based products, the organisation implemented a series of practices that emphasised lessening defects, diminishing customer complaints and most significantly, complying with product specifications. However, it has been apparently observed that the overall sales of the organisation declined and also lost its important consumers. Therefore, the management of RWDi decided to appoint a management consultant in order to identify the main reasons for declining sales along with the loss of customers. According to the observation of the consultant, it has been notified that the organisation has never adopted any sort of marketing orientation programme in order to understand consumers’ needs and preferences. In accordance with the consultant’s report, the management of RWDi took certain imperative initiatives such as deliverance of quality training for all of its staff for the purpose of mitigating its vulnerable business situation. With this concern, the report intends to discuss the concept of quality along with total quality and identification of hard as well as soft problems faced by RWDi. Moreover, certain effective solutions and proper evaluation regarding the improvement of RWDIs’ vulnerable situation will also be depicted in the report. 2.0 Concept of Quality and Total Quality Quality The perception of quality is typically regarded to be one of the major and wide-ranging concepts that ensure to offer superior value of products or services according to the needs and preferences of the consumers. The quality of any product or service can further be considered as an imperative practice that offers ultimate satisfaction to the customers through offering their preferred products or services. It can be stated that the modern organisations are highly focused to deliver quality as well as value-based products and services in order to raise its customer base. From the perspective of manufacturing industries, deliverance of quality products is regarded to be one of the vital elements that raise productivity which, in turn, leads towards generating greater revenue. Moreover, the efficiency of offering quality products can also augment employment opportunities as well as technological advancement to a significant extent (Beckford, 2009). Total Quality Management The idea of Total Quality Management (TQM) can be defined as the level of optimisation and amalgamation of all business activities and processes that facilitate the organisations to comply with the anticipation of their customers (University of Liverpool, n.d.). It is fundamentally viewed to be an effective approach that supports an organisation to enlarge their customer base levels, motivate the workers, maximise revenues as well as minimise costs. An effective practice of TQM is considerably focused on promoting customer’s needs and demands at large. With this regard, it is quite essential for an organisation to identify and understand the needs and desires of the customers in terms of offering quality products or services with the intention of accomplishing its expected business goals (The University of Groningen, 2007). 2.1 Problems Hard Problems According to the case of RWDi, it can be identified that the organisation overlooked the utilisation of marketing orientation programmes for its products, which can be considered as one of the major or hard problems of the organisation. Moreover, lack of implementing TQM programmes can further be considered as another hard problem for RWDi. Soft Problems From the perspective of identifying the soft problems of RWDi, it has been observed that the sales of the organisation were declined and lost valuable customers due to the aforementioned major or hard problems. 3.0 Solutions The different models of TQM are significantly designed to provide quality assurance regarding the products or services of a particular organisation. The various models of this approach encompass various functions that include communication, administration, planning, manufacturing, marketing, distribution and training. It has been viewed that models of the TQM approach assist an organisation in resolving any sort of disputes and most importantly, enhance the overall quality of its various products or services (University of Liverpool, n.d.). Therefore, the significance of the TQM model with respect to culture, structure and system has been discussed below. Culture-Based TQM Model The organisations implement this particular model, i.e. the culture-based model, in order to develop as well as effectively align their respective organisational culture. In this similar context, an efficient organisational culture proves much beneficial for the organisations as it effectively shares information and fosters harmony among different members belonging to the organisation. Development in the internal communication process along with work culture intends to improve customer satisfaction that ultimately assists the organisation in attaining substantial market growth along with experiencing long-term profitability and sustainability to a greater extent (Irani et al., 2004). According to the case of RWDi, the organisation has faced significant problems relating to declining sales and loss of valuable customers due to its insufficient marketing orientation programme that failed to identify the preferences and needs of the customers. Therefore, with regard to the solutions, it can be stated that the management of RWDi should be focused on maintaining an effective culture-based TQM model particularly for its employees in order to effectively deal with its customers. The model contains effective interaction and an easy communication process that would ultimately support the organisation to mitigate the vulnerable situation regarding loss of customers (Noronha, 2002). Structure Based TQM Model TQM can further be regarded as one of the effective structured approaches for an organisation in order to deliver superior quality of products or services that lead towards attaining a higher satisfaction level of customers. The structure based TQM model of an organisation controls and monitors the performance of each of its business processes that ensure reducing deficiencies while conducting business (Noronha, 2002). In relation to providing effective solutions on the basis of the TQM model, it can be stated that RWDi should focus upon improving its controlling and monitoring business processes that are executed in its different manufacturing units. Therefore, in this regard, it is essential for RWDi to improve its organisational structure in order to effectively control and monitor each level of the manufacturing process in order to produce quality and value based products for its valuable customers. The model, i.e. structure based TQM model, ensures the maintenance of a well-organised documentation process in order to keep proper record of the machinery and equipment that can be beneficial for the management of RWDi to enhance quality of their products (Noronha, 2002). System Based TQM Model According to the case study relating to RWDi, the system based TQM model can facilitate the organisation by improving the quality of its products along with customer satisfaction. Moreover, a successful practice of this model particularly in the manufacturing units of RWDi can also provide substantial benefits to the organisation in terms of increasing revenues, reducing wastes and empowering the employees within the organisation. Moreover, this model can also support RWDi in terms of lessening the amount of inventory costs and maintaining inventories at an acceptable level. Therefore, it can be stated that the system based TQM model will be highly beneficial for RWDi to improve the quality of the products and also to mitigate the hard as well as soft problems (Ho, 2011). 4.0 Evaluation The aforementioned solutions that are principally based upon different TQM models would eventually help RWDi to improve several important areas which have been described hereunder. Product Quality Through the proper use of various TQM models, RWDi can produce quality products with utmost reliability and durability in accordance with the needs as well as the preferences of the customers. Apart from improving the product quality, the TQM models can also facilitate the organisation to develop or design new products (Erikson, 2002). Customer Satisfaction Satisfying customers’ demands as per their needs and preferences is fundamentally regarded to be one of the major roles of the TQM model in an organisation. The TQM model provides a method that is broadly used to identify the preferences and needs of customers. Therefore, with the aid of different TQM models, RWDi might improve the situation by fully adopting marketing orientation programmes to a significant extent. This particular initiative would certainly aid the organisation in accomplishing a sustainable competitive position over its chief business market competitors (Prajogo and Sohal, 2006). Enhanced Team Performance Various significant TQM models can also provide efficient support to RWDi in terms of enhancing effective team performance of its employees within the organisation at large. By improving the performances of its working team through the execution of different TQM models, RWDi might improve the vulnerable situation relating to the decline in sales and loss of customers (Erikson, 2002). 5.0 Conclusion The modern organisations are viewed to be considerably focused upon producing as well as delivering quality products or services in order to retain their existing customers and increase their customer base. It has been viewed that the modern organisations implement effective business strategies such as the execution of different TQM models with the intention of increasing their sales and earning substantial revenues. According to the case study of RWDi, it has been identified that the organisation faced both hard and soft problems in terms of declining in its products sale and loss of valuable customers. However, in order to mitigate the aforementioned problems, RWDi needs to emphasise different TQM models as an effective solution. Various TQM models would ultimately support the organisation to attain its expected business objectives by a considerable degree. References Beckford, J., 2009. Quality: a critical introduction. 3rd edition. Taylor & Francis. Erikson, H., 2002. Benefits from TQM for organisational performance. Total Quality Management. [Online] Available at: http://pure.ltu.se/portal/files/385236/LTU-LIC-0246-SE.pdf [Accessed December 05 2012]. Ho, P. V., 2011. Total quality management approach to the information systems development processes: an empirical study. Current Relevance of TQM Literature. Irani, Z. et al., 2004. Total quality management and corporate culture: constructs of organisational excellence. Technovation, 24, pp. 643-650. Noronha, C., 2002. The theory of culture-specific total quality management quality management in chinese regions. Quality and TQM. [Online] Available at: http://herearmenia.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/ebooksclub-org__the_theory_of_culture__specific_total_quality_management.pdf [Accessed December 05 2012]. Prajogo, D. I. and Sohal, A. S., 2006. The relationship between organization strategy, total quality management (TQM), and organization performance – the mediating role of TQM. European Journal of Operational Research, 168, pp. 35-50. The University of Groningen, 2007. Chapter 2 Concept of total quality management. Juran’s approach to TQM. [Online] Available at: http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdissertations.ub.rug.nl%2FFILES%2Ffaculties%2Fmanagement%2F2001%2Fz.zhang%2Fc2.pdf&ei=MO-9UKDACMfVrQeX7YHAAw&usg=AFQjCNGg_YRG2b0wwDWNJLe4tGjM0QJUeQ&sig2=fPCrC87TuFvf7UUeGpVlXw&cad=rja [Accessed December 04, 2012]. University of Liverpool, n.d. Unit 6: Introduction to quality assurance and total quality management. Total Quality Management. [Online] Available at: http://www.liv.ac.uk/~halim/SECTION1UNIT6.pdf [Accessed December 05 2012]. Read More