Total Quality Management as a Key Route to Business Success - Dissertation Example

Download file to see previous pages Companies that overlook the quality of their goods and services can bring about dissatisfaction among their customers. Outcomes of such actions can further lead to the loss of customers and increase opportunities for rival companies to address the market need and obtain benefits. Thus, emphasis on customers’ needs can help enhance quality and improve organizational performance based on quality factors, such as customer satisfaction or financial performance. As noted by researchers, meeting and exceeding customer expectations by increasing the involvement of all organizational resources can be attained through a combined effort that is Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM is considered a holistic approach that enhances the quality and brings about continual improvement in companies. Viewed as a management philosophy, TQM is a fundamental tool for an organization’s survival within a competitive environment. The concept of TQM has also been long associated with innovation, organizational culture, and competitive advantage (Irani, Beskese, and Love, 2004). Quality improvement can result to cost reduction and increased productivity; furthermore, organizations that are capable of providing excellent quality can improve market shares as well as profitability (Kumar, Choisne, Grosbois, and Kumar, 2009). Similarly, the findings of Saizarbitoria (2005) indicated that high quality of products and services can lead to an increase in customer satisfaction, profitability, and market share.
1.2 Quality Management in After Sales Service
As the quality of products and services has been widely considered as a strategic factor for attaining competitive advantage, it is important that quality is not only emphasized in the development and production process; rather, distribution, maintenance, and after-sales service should all be taken into consideration as well (Khosrowpour, 2000). The aim of TQM is to treat all aspects of quality within a company in an all-inclusive manner. While management of product and process quality is of paramount importance, TQM can also influence the after-sales service and support of automotive companies. ...Download file to see next pages Read More