Total Quality Management Techniques

quantity Quality focus TechniquesTotal forest counseling (TQM) principles and techniques argon now a years comfortably accepted part of almost every managers tool fit (Dow et al., 1999). According to Powell (1995), most large firms get to adopted TQM in most form, and official tone awards argon a badge of honour whether a bon ton is operating in Japan, the USA, Europe, or Australia. Implementing TQM is a major organisational change that requires a transformation in the outlines culture, demonstratees, strategic priorities, and beliefs, among others.Quality variant people chip in polar definitions of fictitious character but they completely have the same central theme. According to (Text book), Quality is consistent conformance to clients expectations. much or less refer to prime(a) as fitness for commit and other c eithers it as conformance of requirement. According to Ameri bay window Society for Quality, Quality is the come inity of features and characteristi cs of a crossing or service that bears on its ability to satisfy tell or implied needs. However, part doesnt have a single perspective and is opposite for the guests of somewhat(prenominal) product and service and for the producers of that good or service.In the trading military trading surgical operations view, targeting prize is to undertake operations to produce outcomes which atomic number 18 in draw in with the specifications defined through moldes that are chassised and controlled to maintain consistency in the specified production and above altogether, that the Customers Expectations are met through the produced good or service.In customers view, tincture has no single definition for whole customers. It depends on how they perceive it. Hence, bore is referred to as customers perception and expectation slightly diametric values of a single product or service.Following are the different dimensions of any product or servicePerformance principal(prenominal) characteristics of a product/serviceSpecial FeaturesExtra characteristicsConformanceHow well a product/service corresponds to the customers expectationReliabilityConsistency of capital punishmentDurabilityUseful life of a product/service perceive QualityIndirect evaluation of musical note (e.g. written report)After Sales usefulnessHandling of complaints and requests for informationTHE DIMENSIONS OF QUALITY (Stevenson, 1999)The Quality CostsThe price of quality is a balance of the make up of assurance of quality against the costs associated with lilliputiancomings resulting in the need of quality. An attempt to minimize the total quality costs is absolute balancing of the four components of quality cost prevention incurred to prevent quality problems, appraisal associated with controlling quality to check whether problems have occurred or non, national failures associated with errors dealt with inside of operations and external failures associated with errors or problems going out of the operation to a customer.(Text Book) The variations within the individual quality cost categories are junior-grade in importance compared to their combined effect on the overall total quality cost.The quality cost concept is an effective tool that mint be used to express the value of the quality aspects of the operation in hurt of money so that monitoring and analysis of investments and savings in that area shtup be readily evaluated using the language of trading money. (George P. Laszlo)Prevention is the important influence more than inspection, according to a encounter of thumb, for every dollar spent in prevention a play along can save $10 in failure and appraisal costs. (Chase, Aquilano and Jacobs, 1998)Consequences of unworthy QualityQuality has been recognised as the nominate ingredient for triumph in business sector and has been focused upon intensely so as to grab the pace of the contemporary market growth and the subsequent competition in it. pr oduceion of good or service with the required quality is thinkable still through properly managed production handle, whose vital part is to gibe the satis divisory quality assurance. However, in case this vital part fails to collapse its role effectively, processes produce outcomes with ugly quality.Poor quality products whitethorn foil the sullyer and result in the customer migration. Buying a product and finding it below expectations will make buyer not to buy the same product again. In fact, the chances that the buyer will buy any other product from the company are also low.Poor quality affects the overall costs associated with that product. The failure cost increases as poor quality product is repaired, replaced or made new. The cost associated with the reimbursements and waste materials increases the overall variable star production costs and hence profit margins and contribution. As a force of the cost increase, companies alter the price levels. ( Begg Ward) However, spending enough prevention cost at first place, the economic turbulence in the market can be avoided.More than all, poor quality damages the image and reputation of the company among the customer base. The famous example of Mercedes, launching A-class car without noticing its amiss(p) design, showed the sensitivity of the relation between reputation of a company with the quality of its products. ( Topfer,1997)As the repairs or rectification of any faulty product demands for more efforts, the overall productivity of the firm is also affected by the poor quality outcomes.Also, the Consumer and Product Safety Act of 1972 makes firms liable for damages spend a pennyd by the products or services, which do not fulfil the standards set and enforced by the act. (Heizer and Render, 2000)What is TQM?The concept of TQM (Total Quality Management) is generally understood, and often also described, as some form of solicitude philosophy based in a moment of core values, such as customer focu s, continuous benefit, process orientation, everybodys commitment, prompt response, result orientation and learn from others. (Ulrika Hellsten and Bengt Klefsjo, emerald). All these core values jointly are nothing but quality improvement. Hence, TQM is best thought of as a philosophy of how to feeler the organization of quality improvement. (Text Book)TQM philosophy stresses the Total of TQM. Putting quality or improvement at the heart of everything and including all activities within an operation, TQM aims at participation of all the members in organization targeting long success through customer triumph, and benefits to all members of the organization and to society.TQM and the Quality GurusAlthough the quality gurus seem to be recommending different solutions to bringing about improvement, they are all talking the same language but they use different dialects.(Text book). all(prenominal) Guru stressed a different set of issues, which catalysed the transition from TQM conce pt to operations improvement. It is believed that Japanese were the first to introduce the concept and use it on a wide scale and subsequently popularized the term Total Quality Management. few of the popular contributors and their philosophies about TQM are briefly described.A. Feigenbaum stressed on the consolidation of quality arrivement, quality maintenance and quality improvement efforts of the various groups in an organization so as to enable production and service at the most economical levels which allow for full customer satisfaction.( Text book)W.E.Demings base philosophy is that quality and productivity increase as process variant (the unpredictability of the process) decreases. In his 14 loads for quality improvement, he emphasizes the need for statistical control methods, participation, education, openness and purposeful improvement.(Text book)J.M. Juran was concerned about management tariff for quality and he focussed on user based approach in defining the speci fications of the products.TQM as an extension of previous practice.Quality is explained with a different perspective in contemporary organizations in comparison to traditionalistic organizations. The new perspective suggests that from narrow, manufacturing-based discipline, quality has transited to a corporate emphasis and is applicable to each business function and every employee with broader implications for management. The evolution of quality management has reached a point where quality is being viewed as a primer for competition.Total quality management can be viewed as a natural extension of earlier approaches to quality Management.Earlier quality was achieved by inspection and screening out defects before they were noticed by customers. The quality control (QC) concept introduced the concept of treating the quality problems. Quality assurance (QA) widened the indebtedness for quality to admit functions other than direct operations and made use of statistical quality techn iques. TQM added few more factors or themes into it.The first and the key element of TQM is that organizations should see the product or its value and quality from customers point of view in a process of setting its specifications, designing and tangible production. In these days, rapidly changing trends, technologies and preferences are collectively making the process of realizing customers expectations a critical, time taking and expensive process for contemporary organizations. other powerful aspect of TQM is the concept of Internal and External customers which suggests the inclusion of all the parts of organization. Delivering the goods and services with a level of quality within the organization considering everyone as customer ensures the delivery of the final product to the external customer to be of required level of expectations and quality. Several companies are adopting the internal customer concept in their operations. Hewlett-Packard, the information schemes company, was one of the first to make a success of the internal-customer concept in its operations. (Text Book)The concept of never ending improvement makes TQM an even better tool for improvement. The reputation and business of any company runs on quality of its product. However, with increasing pace of advancement and research, one level of quality doesnt reflect the same value to customers in very short time. So, implementing continuous improvement concept keeps the organization in the competition. Quality programs analogous zero-defects, which aims at performing right at the first time, and six sigma, which is mean to keep the error rate of about 3 defectives per million units, are also used to describe the continuous improvement efforts. (Stevenson, 1996 Blackboard)TQM Cost amazeQuality Systems and ProceduresVery often people are prevented from making improvements by the organizations systems and procedures. Indeed, there is a belief that direct operators can correct, at the most, on ly 15 per cent of quality problems the other 85 per cent are managements responsibility because they are repayable to the system or the lack of one. (Text Book) This calls for a properly defined Quality management system which should cover all facets of the organizations operations.ISO 9000 series is a set of worldwide standards that draws the common requirements for quality management systems for all organization and provides a framework for quality assurance. The registration process involves a third party evaluation and regular audits to ensure the system doesnt deteriorate. (Text Book).ISO 9000 registration is an effective element for organizations to have an edge over those which doesnt attain the registration. Customers, these days, are very well aware of these standards and gain confidence, in terms of assured quality, in any company if it is ISO 9000 recommended. Surely, organizations and customers, both are benefitted. However, on the other hand, those contemporary organi zations which still havent achieved the ISO 9000 have to somehow, undertake the time and cost consuming implementation of these set of quality measures to sustain in the super competitive era.Implementation of TQMWhile implementing TQM, organizations should not forget that firms will have different needs and thus TQM must be specially customised to the fortune of the organization. (Slack, Chambers and Johnston 2001). Also, TQM involves all aspects of the firm and unless its significance is fully understood by everybody, its implementation will fail. (N.N., 2000b Blackboard). The successful implementation of TQM should focus on following(a) factors. factor in 1 Top management commitmentThe degree of visibleness and support that management takes in implementing a total quality environment is critical to the success of TQM implementation (Deming, 1982Juran and Gryna 1980). Management should plan to reduce traditionally structured operational levels and unnecessary positions. For e xample, spot checking can be implemented instead of hiring a supervisor for this job. Simplifying the organization will lead to the face of an infrastructure of integrated business functions participating as a squad and supporting the strategic vision of the company. (Jaideep Motwani)Factor 2 Quality touchstone and benchmarkingMost authors endorse a zero defect and a do it right the first time attitude towards the quality program. Measurement techniques should accommodate monitoring supplier quality levels, utilizing SPC (Statistical Process Control) to reduce process variability, and collusive the cost of quality (Ahire et al., 1996 Powell, 1995 Hardie, 1998).Factor 3 Process managementThis factor emphasizes adding value to processes, increasing quality levels, and raising productivity per employee. The concept of around-the-clock improvement discussed earlier, has to be implemented for assurance. The other tactics can be reducing the operator material handling duties, achiev ing a compact process flow or implementation of quality circles.Factor 4 Product designThe study of quality performance commence from the product design stage, when everything is in flux. A range of possibilities exist at this stage about the material to be used, specifications, vendors etc. Hence, at this critical point, customers expectations should be clear.Factor 5 Employee trainingEmployees should be trained and oriented to the overall gaols of the company, the commitments to successfully utilizing the TQM methodology and to be an effective team member. There are techniques for ply to learn as well, of course, but the purpose of the techniques is solely to work towards the staple objective the elimination of errors. (Text Book)Factor 7 Customer involvement and satisfactionWhen considering customers, internal and external customers are addressed. Internal customers should undertake timely and skillful deliveries, continuously improve and self-implement solutions. An external customer service program should include providing customers with timely information and quick responsiveness to complaints, and maintaining a corporate address to reduce the quantity of questions or complaints while recognizing all successful efforts by employees in providing outstanding service (Kasul and Motwani, 1995b).Reasons of TQM failureOrganizations often do not understand the depth of implementing TQM. The weak commitment results in ineffective value setting in the organization. A blind pursuit of TQM, which doesnt integrate quality into strategy, will draw an organisations attention away from the real important issues same(p) customer focus and never ending improvement and thus TQM, considered a short-term investment, will certainly fail. (Reid and Sanders, 2002 and Stevenson, 1999). At the same time, expecting a paper change or a quick fix by incorrupt implementing it results in the failures. Managers take issues for granted after implementing TQM creating an absence of good decisiveness making skills which leads to the TQM failures.Another precedent is the ambiguity in the roles for making change, childbed quality measures and eliminating errors in an organisation after implementing TQM. Top management may believe that identification and eliminations of errors has to be processed at operations level, however, operation workers may not take extra responsibility and can set out a perception that improvement measures are burdening them which can lead to lack in belief and commitment and eventual failure.Lack Employees CommitmentAs discussed earlier, training is an important part of the TQM implementation process. Training the employees doesnt only points to the operations training but also the attitude training as well. absence or lack of employee training can be a reason of failure. TQM demands for the complete awareness and participation at every level of the organization.(Text Book) Unless, employees develop a commitment level at which they perceive organizational goals as their own, they cannot work to their full potential. However, spending adequate amount on conducting trainings can be a key for the desired outcome.Lack of organizations communication system and function is also a cause for the failure of TQM in an organization. The varied information regarding TQM as a result of lack of co-ordination between different departments may not satisfy the questions of workforce and hence create a loss of ideas which may have developed with proper information in the flow.Absence of proper review technique to check the effectiveness of the quality system is a major cause for failure. Organizations fail to find the cause for defects in products or procedures on implementation of TQM. It may be due to the wrong techniques being used to review or ineffective business process adopted.