Total Quality Management Issues - Research Paper Example

Total Quality Management (TQM) Total Quality Management (TQM) Introduction Total Quality Management (TQM) refers to a participative, systematic strategy to planning and implementation of a firm’s continuous improvement process. The approaches utilized by TQM are aimed at improving the expectations of customers, building commitment, identifying issues, and promoting open decision-making among employees and workers. On the other hand, over the last few decades, local and international companies have consistently experienced a period of drastic change in their daily operations and marketing. Globalization and intricate international competition has as well forced numerous organizations to experience unreceptive business environment and an increasingly turbulent market. The increased pace of technological development, complex customer demand as well as local and global market competition have turned out to be more sophisticated and intense, complicating the overall business activities. To counter the ever increasing contemporary business challenges, a good number of modern global organizations have embarked on utilizing TQM, which presents numerous opportunities. Using resources in the expansion and technologically oriented approaches in their daily business undertakings. This contributed to numerous quality management standards such as Total Quality Management. This paper explores issues regarding TQM and its benefits as a management approach for organizations. Background Information Total quality management has numerous advantages. TQM is an effectual and variable management system restrained not only in the quality assurance department, but also in the entire organization businesses. Therefore, Total Quality Management can be implicated to be an incredibly influential intervention mechanism that can last for an extended period of time if properly managed and modified to lime with emerging technology and demands (Evans, 2011). Total Quality Management is based on four major philosophical assumptions. For a starter, Total Quality Management is presumed to be cheap compared to the other conventional mechanism and it is incredibly decisive for long term development of an organization. Secondly, employees are always concerned about their responsibility in improving the quality of the product and service delivery. Therefore, employees only require to be provided with the necessary tools, skills, and maximum respect from the management to improve their performance. Thirdly, the entire organizational system is composed of highly independent sections. For this reason, the crisis in one section affects extensively the entire operations in an organization (Mackerron, 2003). Finally, the quality of products and services offered by an organization are viewed as the main and the inevitable responsibility of the top team management. Additionally, Total Quality Management is composed of ten major components, customer focus, quality, passion, teamwork, scientific approach, long-term dedication, training and education, constant improvement systems, freedom through control unity of purpose and employee empowerment and participation (Porter, 2004). Importance of TQM TQM is a valuable management tool or approach that has diverse benefits. It is important in the sense that it strengthened competitiveness within the organization; guarantees adaptability to emerging and ever-changing market conditions; addresses both environmental and issues related to government regulations; increases productivity by eliminating waste and defects and improves customer focus by increasing customer loyalty. It further minimizes costs and ensures employee retention. Porter (2004) affirms TQM further enhances stakeholder value while enhancing innovation by improving the morale of workers. Quality management is an instrumental tool since guarantees that the company produces products with high quality. The quality of an item can be measured by looking at its performance, unwavering quality and how durable it is. Quality is an essential parameter which separates a firm from its rivals. Quality administration instruments guarantee changes in the frameworks and methods, which in the long run, bring about prevalent quality items and policies. Quality management routines, for example, Total Quality department or Six Sigma has a typical objective. Quality management is essential in making unrivaled quality items which meet as well as surpass the loyalty of the clients (Rampersad, 2001). Clients need to be pleased with the image of a particular company. Quality items guarantee that you survive the cut throat rivalry with a grin. This makes TQM a valuable tool for most organizations. Another importance of TQM is with regard to customer satisfaction that contributes to customer loyalty as earlier mentioned in the above paragraph. To begin, he/she must answer: how are businesses run to achieve customer loyalty, do most enterprises thrive on new clients, and finally, what is the significance of a company having some clients who are loyal? Any firm requires loyal customers who will still come to the organization, regardless of the situation. Clients would return to a firm just because they are fulfilled by, your items and administrations. Making sure that the end-client is contented with your subject remains a crucial aspect of the organization. Keep in mind, a client would be glad and fulfilled just when your item lives up to his requirements and satisfies his needs. TQM helps organizations to comprehend what the client anticipates from the organization. Quality managers must figure out the needs of customers to ensure that their products meet such demands. It is important since it also helps gather relevant information which would provide understanding into clients requirements and requests. Client criticisms ought to collect all the time and precisely checked. Quality administration guarantees exceptional items and policies by disposing of deformities and fusing consistent changes and enhancements in the framework (Gilbert, 1992). Exceptional things prompt steadfast and fulfilled clients who bring ten new customers alongside them. Remember that you may spare some cash by disregarding quality administration forms yet in any case miss out on your significant customers, hence acquiring gigantic misfortunes. Quality management guarantees that you convey items according to makes a guarantee to make to customers through different modes of advancements. In fact, total quality management guarantees that organizations design their products that meet the needs of the customer. Quality Management guarantees expanded incomes and higher profitability for the firm, which is an instrumental part of any organizational success (Gilbert, 1992). Keep in mind, if a firm is earning, representatives are also benefiting from the improved process of management. Officials are baffled just when their compensations or different installments are not working timely. When the organization is successful in various ways, the pay rates of employees also improve, and payments are made in a timely manner. Executing or implementing quality administration or management apparatuses guarantees high client dependability (Gilbert, 1992). Along these lines, the better the business is, the expanded income, and the fulfilled workers are. Working environments are also enhanced through using the best quality management tool. Quality control is the best courses of action for most firms to improve their working environment. This ensures that the organizations components work to achieve their primary goals. In terms of waste management, TQM is an instrumental tool that ensures that the organization and the employees receive the best compensations possible as a result of a reduced wastage. This is one way of improving the productivity of the organization since it enables employees to deliver quality work within a very short duration. Many employees are also encouraged to work even harder because of the improved working environment through the best quality management tool. By reducing waste and inventory, the companies and the employees are likely to work closely with suppliers to minimize the time spent on production (Gilbert, 1992). Quality management enables all areas of production to have a close coordination between employees of an organization and others sectors that supports the organizational mandate. This is usually realized after it has inculcated a strong feeling of team work amongst all employees at different levels within the organization. The Six Sigma Six Sigma approach at numerous firms just means a measure of value that strives for close flawlessness. Six Sigma is well-organized, information driven methodology and approach to taking out imperfections in any procedure (Kaluzny, McLaughlin & Simposn, 1999). The factual representation of Six Sigma depicts quantitatively how a process is performing. To attain to Six Sigma, a methodology should not create more than 3.3 deformities in every millions of opportunities. A Six Sigma imperfection is characterized as anything outside of client determinations. A Six Sigma opportunity is then the aggregate amount of chances for a defect. Process sigma can without much of a stretch be figured utilizing a Six Sigma adding machine. The principal destination of the Six Sigma strategy is the execution of an estimation built method that centers with respect to process change and variety lessening through the utilization of Six Sigma change ventures. This is expert through the use of two Six Sigma sub-approaches: DMAIC and DMADV (Kaluzny, McLaughlin & Simposn, 1999). The Six Sigma DMAIC methodology (defines, measures, analyzes, improves, controls) is a change framework for existing methods falling under detail and searching for incremental change (Kaluzny, McLaughlin & Simposn, 1999). The Six Sigma DMADV procedure (define, measure, analyze, design, verify) is a change framework used to grow new techniques or items at Six Sigma quality levels. It can likewise be utilized if a current procedure requires more than just incremental change. This is particularly an essential tool for improvement of the areas that have deformities. TQM Tools Total quality management tools are essential for organizations since they help to recognize, dissect and survey subjective and quantitative information that is significant to business management. These devices and tools can distinguish techniques, thoughts, measurements, circumstances and end results concerns and different issues applicable to their associations. Each of which can be analyzed and used to upgrade the viability, institutionalization, proficiency and general nature of strategies, items or workplace, as per ISO 9000 principles (SQ, 2004). As indicated by Quality America, Inc. the quantity of TQM tools come in different structures, for example, conceptualizing, center gatherings, check records, graphs and diagrams, charts and various examination instruments (Miller, 2009). In an alternate vein, manuals and guidelines are TQM devices too, as they provide guidance and best practice rules to the staffs of companies. TQM methods show and help in understanding and assimilation of complex data such as: competition analysis, numerous statistics, business structures, assessment of the needs of customers, financial analysis, logistic analysis, model creation, staff duties and workflow analysis, and identification of target audience among other issues (Moores, 2008). Presently, the most commonly used tools include: pie charts and bar graphs, pareto diagrams, run charts, histograms, tree diagram, modeling diagrams/flow charts, focus groups, brainstorming and affinity diagrams, force field analysis among others. Integration of Quality Control and Inspection Integrating quality control and inspection in a company’s total quality management system plays a significant role in addressing a number of issues that might affect the smooth operation. Inspection or examination includes measuring, analyzing, and testing items, process and administrations against pointed out necessities to focus congruity (Moores, 2008). The utilization of inspection has been evident all through the historical backdrop. For example, amid the early years of assembling, the examination was utilized to choose whether a specialist’s occupation or an item met the necessities; consequently, satisfactory. Cost of Quality Higher quality means higher expenditures, for example, implementation costs most companies may incur other unreasonable expenses. The extra advantages of enhanced quality do not make up for the additional costs. The cost of improving quality is not exactly the resultant investment funds. Quality costs are those brought about in overabundance of those that would have been acquired if item were constructed or administration performed precisely. This perspective is held by organizations that TQM rationality. Expenses incorporate those that are immediate, as well as additionally those subsequent from lost clients, lost piece of the overall industry, and numerous concealed costs and inescapable (Moores, 2008). Conclusion It is apparent that the Total Quality Management principle emphasizes on the need for integrating quality aspects into design through the adoption of an effective quality planning procedure. It is clear that six sigma, cost of quality, blending of quality control and inspection play important roles in QQM systems. Most companies also encountered the problem of fear of change among operation managers and junior and senior staffs. Therefore, changing from the conventional method of operation to modern method required substantial effort and expenses. To fit into the current market, international and local organization should establish quality management systems that can satisfy customers’ needs and improve the profitability of an organization. References Evans, L. (2011). The management and control of quality,8th Edition. South-Western: Cengage Learning. Gilbert, G. (1992). “Quality Improvement in a Defense Organization.” Public Productivity and Management Review, 16(1), 65-75. Kaluzny, A., McLaughlin, C. & Simposn, K. (1999). Applying total quality management concepts to public health organizations. Public Health Reports. 107, (3); 257-264. Mackerron, M.R., (2003). “Self-assessment: use at operational level to promote Continuous improvement.” Journal of Production Planning & Control, 14.1 (2003), 82-89. Miller, W. et al. (2009). Assessment of quality management practices within the healthcare industry. American Journal of Economics and Business Administration, 1 (2).105-113. Moores, B. (2008). Concepts of quality and quality management in industry and the service sector. Retrieved on July 14, 2014 from http://forge.fh-potsdam.de/~IFLA/INSPEL/94-2mobr.pdf Porter, T. (2004). Assessing Business Excellence, Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Rampersad, P. (2001). Total Quality Management: An Executive Guide to Continuous Improvement, Berlin: Springer. Read More