Total Quality Management (TQM): continuous process optimization for top products and services

What is Total Quality Management (TQM)?

Total Quality Management is the pursuit of continuous improvement of processes and systems to ensure the quality of products and services. It's more than just monitoring and caring for the quality of a final product. The aim of TQM is to optimize processes so thoroughly that the final product has no defects – which also means the production process is flawless and operates optimally. Similar to the Zero Defects Manufacturing approach, which essentially aims for the same, it saves organizations a tremendous amount of time in terms of correction work—both in processes and in the final product.

Essential pillars of TQM

According to TQM's spiritual father, Joseph Juran, there are two crucial pillars upon which this approach rests:

Fitness for use

Juran defined quality as 'fitness for use' — the extent to which something is suitable for use. A product must be suitable for the purpose for which it was developed and made. No less, but also no more. The customer sets the expectations for the product—it is the supplier or manufacturer's task to meet these expectations.

Process quality

This is essentially the foundation of the TQM principle: getting it right the first time. The benefit lies in the significantly lower production costs resulting from highly standardized processes where failures and waste are minimal. Here, the focus is not on the quality of the product itself but on the quality of the processes that lead to the final product.

How does TQM distinguish itself from other forms of quality management?

As mentioned, TQM is a form of quality management that involves more than just being concerned with the quality of your final product. The quality management of your organization must meet a number of clear principles to be considered Total Quality Management:

• Customer orientation – the quality of a product is determined by the customer, as per Joseph Juran's fitness for use pillar. The customer determines whether your organization succeeds in providing added value with your product. To achieve your business goals, you have no choice but to deliver — at the lowest possible cost.
• Employee involvement – TQM is about creating a culture where every employee feels responsible for the quality of the final product.
• Leadership – company management has the role to lead the way, in all areas. Quality management is part of this, and the extent to which the organization is involved in this determines how actively involved management is. In the case of TQM, this involvement is significant because it concerns the quality of both the final product and the processes that lead to that final product.
• Process steering – TQM views an organization as a system of interrelated processes. The focused steering of these business processes is central.
• Continuous improvement – if you want to learn and improve, continuity is a must. An organization must have the so-called quality circles to be able to achieve this. An example of this is the well-known Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle.
• First time right – the main goal of QTM: get it right the first time. Processes should be designed so that the output comes out right the first time. This prevents production errors.
• Measurement is knowledge – all quality management is based on facts. Implementing changes based on opinions alone usually does not lead to the desired improvements. Therefore, monitoring statistics and figures is essential for improvement. A good quality management system is a must to do this properly.
• Cohesion – you should view total quality management (and quality management in general) as the 'way of life' within your organization — it must be in the DNA of your organization, where cohesion between all business processes is crucial.
  
  

Implementing Total Quality Management? Follow these steps

Het implementeren van Total Quality Management vereist een doordacht stappenplan:

1. Structuring. For an organization to be able to get started with process optimization, a process must be established first. Designing this process is the first step. Look at the customer's requirements first, and then get to work on the process analysis and process design. Who is the process owner, what exactly does he or she do, and what systems and people are needed for this? Everything should be clearly described, documented, and easy to find. A quality management system WoodWing Scienta will help achieving this.
2. Stabilizing. Once the process is designed and clearly described in a QMS, an organization must get control over this process. Through precise process management, which is reflected in the long-term and multiple execution of the process, you can train and develop employees and thus standardize the output (the product) as well as its quality.
3. Excelling. Only when you have a firm grip on a process does it make sense to start an improvement cycle. Deviations in the process can be easily located and translated into concrete improvement actions with the help of such a cycle, of which process analysis is a part.

A common pitfall within TQM is skipping the first two steps. People want to get straight to work implementing improvements without first identifying what the current processes entail and where possible areas for improvement lie. It is also necessary to first take a close look at customer needs. Without the conclusions of those two steps, you can't really determine which criteria your product must meet in order to excel.

Total Quality Management is more than just a set of tools and techniques; it is a philosophy that enables organizations to consistently deliver high-quality products and services that adequately address customer needs. Through process optimization and commitment to continuous improvement of processes as well as the final product, you can survive in a competitive marketplace.

An effective quality management system is the backbone of TQM. It provides the structure and tools needed to streamline processes and ensure quality at all levels within the organization.