Total Quality Management
Total Quality Management (TQM)
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management approach that focuses on continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, and employee involvement across all levels of an organization.
It aims to deliver high-quality products and services by improving processes, culture, and performance.
TQM = Total (everyone) + Quality (excellence) + Management (systematic effort)
Objectives of TQM:
- Improve customer satisfaction
- Reduce defects and waste
- Encourage employee involvement
- Achieve long-term success
Elements of Total Quality Management
TQM is built on several key elements or principles. Let’s break them down:
1. Customer Focus
- The customer is the ultimate judge of quality.
- All decisions should aim to enhance customer satisfaction.
- Organizations must understand and meet customer needs.
📌 Example: A company improves its delivery system based on customer feedback.
2. Total Employee Involvement
- Everyone, from top management to workers, participates in quality improvement.
- Requires a culture of trust, training, and empowerment.
📌 Example: Employees suggest ideas to reduce machine downtime.
3. Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)
- Quality improvement is an ongoing process.
- Small, consistent changes lead to major gains over time.
📌 Example: Regularly upgrading software features based on user experience.
4. Process-Centered Approach
- A process is a sequence of steps that turn inputs into outputs.
- TQM focuses on improving these processes for better results.
📌 Example: Streamlining the assembly line in a manufacturing plant.
5. Integrated System
- All departments must work together toward common quality goals.
- TQM links every function to customer satisfaction and performance.
📌 Example: Marketing, HR, and production aligning strategies for a product launch.
6. Strategic and Systematic Approach
- TQM must be part of the organization’s strategic planning.
- Quality goals should align with the business vision.
📌 Example: Including quality benchmarks in the company’s annual objectives.
7. Fact-Based Decision Making
- Data is used to make decisions, not assumptions.
- Tools like control charts, Pareto analysis, and surveys are used.
📌 Example: Using customer complaint data to identify weak areas in service.
8. Effective Communication
- Clear and open communication is vital for teamwork and improvement.
- Promotes awareness of quality goals and initiatives.
📌 Example: Monthly quality meetings with cross-functional teams
Summary Table
Quality Circles
A Quality Circle is a small group of employees (usually 6–12 people) who voluntarily meet regularly to:
- Identify problems
- Analyze root causes
- Suggest solutions
- Improve quality and productivity
Key Features
- Voluntary participation
- Focus on workplace improvement
- Employees are empowered
- Led by a trained facilitator
- Uses tools like fishbone diagrams, Pareto charts, etc.
📌 Example: In a manufacturing unit, a quality circle notices frequent defects in packaging. They brainstorm and discover it's due to machine misalignment, which they help correct—reducing defects.
Benefits: Encourages teamwork, boosts morale, improves quality, and reduces waste.
Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a data-driven methodology that aims to eliminate defects and improve process quality by reducing variation.
It seeks to achieve only 3.4 defects per million opportunities (DPMO)—which means almost perfect quality.
Six Sigma DMAIC Process (For Process Improvement)
Example: In a call center, the problem is long hold times:
- Define: Delays >5 mins
- Measure: Average delay is 6 mins
- Analyze: Peak hour staffing shortage
- Improve: Adjust shifts and train staff
- Control: Weekly review of hold-time KPIs
Result: Reduced hold time to 2 mins = better customer experience.\
Six Sigma in Product Development & Design (DMADV)
DMADV is used when you're designing a new product or process, not just improving an existing one.
Example: A company is designing a new smartwatch:
- Define: Customers want long battery life and sleek design.
- Measure: Battery life > 7 days is CTQ.
- Analyze: Consider lithium-ion vs. new battery tech.
- Design: Select best configuration.
- Verify: Test battery in real-world conditions.
Outcome: The final product meets customer expectations from launch.
Comparison Table
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the process of comparing your company’s products, processes, or performance with industry leaders or best-in-class organizations to identify areas for improvement.
“Learning from the best to become the best.”
Types of Benchmarking:
Benefits
- Improves processes and performance
- Drives innovation
- Helps set realistic goals
Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
QFD is a structured method that translates customer needs (WHATs) into design requirements (HOWs) for a product or service.
Main Tool: House of Quality (HOQ)
A matrix that links customer needs to technical features.
Benefits:
- Improves product design
- Enhances customer satisfaction
- Reduces time and cost of development
Taguchi’s Quality Engineering
Taguchi Method is a statistical approach to design products that are robust (perform well) even under different environmental or usage conditions.
Key Concepts
Example: A car manufacturer uses Taguchi method to find the best combination of tire material, tread design, and pressure for performance on wet roads.
Benefits
- Reduces defects
- Improves product quality
- Saves time and cost in product testing
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
8 Pillars of TPM:
Benefits
- Increases machine uptime
- Reduces maintenance costs
- Improves product quality
- Boosts employee ownership
Summary Table
