Quality Management Principles - Essay Example

Total Quality Management is continuously improving products and processes by focusing on quality at each stage of production. It tries to get it right the first time and not have any defects. There is an emphasis on ensuring that the customer is always satisfied as total quality management has a consumer comes first orientation and in this context, the customer can be other people/departments in the same business that the task is being completed for, not just the final customer. (Stark, 1998) Enhancing efficiency eventually adds to quality products in terms of lower costs either in the form of less wastage or higher output per input.

The business should keep a constant check of efficiency levels with the help of either factor productivity or labor productivity ratios. Efficiency can be increased by establishing self-managed teams and by employing the just in time inventory method which involves reducing the need to hold stocks of raw materials or unsold stocks of the finished product this way the cost of holding stock is reduced and the probability of selling obsolete low-quality products is reduced. Efficiency can also be increased by establishing a facility layout that suits the type of production the business is involved in.

Business process re-engineering is another way of increasing efficiency as it modernizes the business and transforms it in ways that enhance performance. (Carter, 2005)Although implementation is of course essential it does not guarantee success, support is needed to make the success of the implementation of total quality management inevitable. Top-level management's support is needed to generate motivation and improvement. Although top-level management support is vital, the supply of support is required to extend beyond the CEO and thus it is necessary for every employee to be involved in a joint commitment to improving quality.

Teamwork therefore should be encouraged and every employee should feel personally responsible for the quality of the product only then would the business be successful in total quality management. (Nixon, 2008)(493 Words)