TQM is a continuous process of improvement for individual, groups as well as the entire organisation, whereby managers attempt to change the organization’s way of working by developing people’s knowledge about what to do, how to do, doing it with the right methods and measuring the improvement of the process and the current level of achievement.
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a business management strategy aimed at embedding awareness of quality in all organizational processes.
TQM is widely used in manufacturing, education, hospitals, call centers, government, and service industries, as well as space and science programs.
Total Quality Management is the organization-wide management of quality. Management consists of planning, organizing, directing, control, and assurance.
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Total quality is called total because it consists of two qualities – quality of return to satisfy the needs of the shareholders, or quality of products.
Learn about:-
1. Introduction to Total Quality Management 2. Meaning of Total Quality Management 3. Definitions 4. Origin 5. Nature 6. Concept 7. Fundamentals 8. Process 9. Objectives
10. Elements 11. Tools. 12. Functions 13. Implementation 14. Areas 15. Practices 16. Kaizen 17. Six Sigma 18. Quality Gurus 19. Advantages 20. TQM in Indian IT Industry.
Total Quality Management: Meaning, Definitions, Origin, Nature, Concept, Fundamentals, Process and Other Details
Total Quality Management (TQM) – Introduction
According to ISO, quality management is “that aspect of the overall management function that determines and implements quality policy and as such is the responsibility of top management.” It is a managerial responsibility and relates to control of all activities for future success of the organisation. Total Quality Management (TQM) is “management of quality, totally and fully in all respects, small areas and all activities of organisation, right from top to bottom.”
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When the organisation decides to concentrate on quality of its products, it implements this decision by applying managerial efforts to change the entire approach to business and make quality a guiding factor in everything that an organisation does. The fact that managerial attention is focused on every organizational activity, howsoever small it may be, is the core of Total Quality Management. It aims at continuous improvement in organisations and focuses primarily on total satisfaction of consumers, both internal and external.
Defined as a tool for effective management, TQM refers to “organization’s long- term commitment to the continuous improvement of quality throughout the organisation, and with the active participation of all members at all levels to meet and exceed customers’ expectations”. TQM is a marked shift from a process, driven by external control through compliance of procedures to a process of habitual improvement, where control is embedded within and driven by the culture of the organisation.
TQM is not a one-time process; instead, it is a continuous long-term process that involves constant managerial efforts to be recognized and reinforced through continuous data collection, evaluation, feedback and improvement programmes. For TQM to be effective, an organisation has to be a learning managerial and non-managerial entity that has to endeavour for continuous training and education, measurement, accountability, recognition and rewards, communication, teamwork and application of various tools and techniques.
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TQM is a continuous process of improvement for individual, groups as well as the entire organisation, whereby managers attempt to change the organization’s way of working by developing people’s knowledge about what to do, how to do, doing it with the right methods and measuring the improvement of the process and the current level of achievement.
The concept of TQM can be understood by understanding the three terms that make the concept.
These are:
1. Total – Everyone associated with the company is involved in continuous improvement including customers and suppliers.
2. Quality – Customers’ stated and implied requirements are fully met.
3. Management – Executives are fully committed.
TQM is facilitated through clear understanding of the term ‘Quality Control’:
Q – Quality first
U – User is the king
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A – Avoid defects
L – Long-term vision
I – Innovation error proofing
T – Training for all
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Y – Yearning for facts
C – Cost consciousness
O – Optimal tolerance
N – Nip the vital few
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T – Team work
R – Respect humanity
O – Operator in state of self-control
L – Leadership from top
Total Quality Management (TQM) – Meaning
Total quality control implies the involvement of all members of an organization who can affect the quality of the output i.e. product or service. Its goal is to provide defect-free products 100 percent of the time, thus completely meeting the needs of the customer. ISO 9000 is a quality assurance management system that is rapidly becoming the world standard for quality. The ISO 9000 series standards are a set of four individual, but related, international standards on quality management and quality assurance with one set of application guidelines.
The system incorporates a comprehensive review process covering how companies design, produce, install, inspect, package, and market products. As a series of technical standards, ISO 9000 provides a three way balance between internal audits, corrective action, and corporate management participation leading to the successful implementation of sound quality procedures.
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The series of technical standards include four divisions:
1. ISO 9001 – This is the broadest standard covering procedures from purchasing to service of the sold product.
2. ISO 9002 – This is targeted toward standards related to processes and the assignment of subcontractors.
3. ISO 9003 – These technical standards apply to final inspection and test.
4. ISO 9004 – These standards apply to quality management systems.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – Definitions (Given by Some Eminent Authors)
When used together as a phrase, the three words in this expression have the following meanings:
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i. Total – Involving the entire organization, supply chain, and/or product life cycle.
ii. Quality – With its usual definitions, with all its complexities.
iii. Management – The system of managing with steps like Plan, Organize, Control, Lead, Staff, Provisioning and Organizing.
As defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO):
“TQM is a management approach for an organization, centered on quality, based on the participation of all its members and aiming at long-term success through customer satisfaction, and benefits to all members of the organization and to society.” ISO 8402:1994
In Japan, TQM comprises four process steps, namely:
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i. Kaizen – Focuses on “Continuous Process Improvement”, to make processes visible, repeatable and measurable.
ii. Atarimae Hinshitsu – The idea that “things will work as they are supposed to” (for example, a pen will write).
iii. Kansei – Examining the way the user applies the product leads to improvement in the product itself.
iv. Miryokuteki Hinshitsu – The idea that “things should have an aesthetic quality” (for example, a pen will write in a way that is pleasing to the writer).
A Comprehensive Definition:
Total Quality Management is the organization-wide management of quality. Management consists of planning, organizing, directing, control, and assurance. Total quality is called total because it consists of two qualities – quality of return to satisfy the needs of the shareholders, or quality of products.
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Total Quality is a description of the culture, attitude and organization of a company that aims to provide, and continue to provide, its customers with products and services that satisfy their needs. The culture requires quality in all aspects of the company’s operations, with things being done right first time, and defects and waste eradicated from operations.
Some useful messages from results of TQM implementations:
i. If you want to be a first-rate company, don’t focus on the second-rate companies who can’t handle TQM, look at the world-class companies that have adopted it.
ii. The most effective way to spend TQM introduction funds is by training top management, people involved in new product development, and people involved with customers.
iii. It’s much easier to introduce EDM/PDM (Product data management) in a company with a TQM culture than in one without TQM. People in companies that have implemented TQM are more likely to have the basic understanding necessary for implementing EDM/PDM.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – Origin
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a business management strategy aimed at embedding awareness of quality in all organizational processes. TQM is widely used in manufacturing, education, hospitals, call centers, government, and service industries, as well as space and science programs.
One major aim is to reduce variation from every process so that greater consistency of effort is obtained. TQM requires that the company maintain this quality standard in all aspects of its business. This requires ensuring that things are done right the first time and that defects and waste- are eliminated from operations.
1. Stress on Quality Management:
In TQM, collective efforts are being made for improving quality of goods and services so as to give more satisfaction to consumers. Quality improvement is also useful for facing market competition and for creating market reputation.
In brief, TQM involves steps for improving quality and productivity. There is total commitment to quality on the part of entire Organisation. TQM covers all functions, activities and people who are instrumental for raising the competitiveness.
2. Continuous Process:
TQM is a continuous process/activity as there is ample scope for using new methods and techniques for improvement in the quality standards and performance. “Steal ideas constantly and shamelessly” is the rule in TQM. Implementation of innovative ideas or taking benefit of new opportunities is an integral aspect of TQM. In fact, TQM is a never ending quest for achieving new levels of performance.
3. Stress on Quality Assurance System:
The aim of TQM is to give maximum satisfaction to consumers by providing goods which are best in quality (zero defects). The present ISO 9000 series is a set of well recognised standards for quality assurance system. The Japanese have been using quality assurance concepts and principles as a part of their TQM implementation programme even when specific name or number was not used. Thus, quality assurance system is an integral part of TQM.
4. Linkage of Quality and Productivity:
The TQM technique is useful for improving quality as well as productivity. In a TQM programme, the focus is on quality improvement. However, such programme also raises productivity. The methods used in TQM programmes. E.g. stress on quality improvement, zero defects production, making all employees responsible for quality maintenance and improvement) are likely to bring quality improvement as well as yield improvement. Similarly, the TQM programme creates a feeling of participation among the employees. There is also positive improvement in the morale of employees.
5. TQM is a Gradual Process:
Introduction of TQM is a gradual process. It is self-improvement and group improvement programme through team building for raising quality and productivity. TQM is about the gradual change of people’s behavior towards the tasks they perform and their attitude towards other people.
A mental revolution among the employees is required for the execution of TQM. However, such change in the mental make-up of managers and employees requires long period. This suggests that TQM is a gradual process. There are, in fact, four broad phases in the introduction of TQM.
These are:
(a) Awareness Phase,
(b) Planning Phase,
(c) Implementation Phase, and
(d) Institutional Phase.
6. Focus on Customers:
Customers are the source of all the revenue that flows through the corporation. Their satisfaction keeps the money flowing especially in an open market where competitors are wooing them too.
The focus of TQM is on customer satisfaction on quality, cost and delivery through improved organisational quality of processes. According to British Quality Association (BQA), TQM is a corporate business management philosophy which recognised that customers’ needs and business goals are inseparable.
7. Employee Involvement:
Employees involvement is the most important recognised feature of TQM. In fact, quality’s a team work of all employees. Their participation and co-operation are required to be taken at all levels. TQM is possible only through participative management. Under TQM, employees will be motivated to participate actively in the process of quality improvement through incentives and recognition of contribution for achieving quality standards.
8. Formation of Quality Improvement Teams:
A cornerstone of TQM is the team building that leads to commitment to improvement. Such teams include quality steering teams, corrective actions teams and so on. Such teams motivate employees and facilitate quality improvement.
9. Management’s Involvement:
TQM is a systems approach in managing business and improving overall performance. It needs total commitment from the top management to provide viable leadership to the whole approach. Top level management has to take number of initiatives in order to start the process of TQM. In fact, TQM cannot have a good take off without total commitment of CEO and other senior executives.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – Nature
The nature of TQM is explained as follows:
1. Strategic Commitment:
Quality improvement is necessary to achieve the overall organizational goals and also carries some costs with it like prevention costs (acceptance planning, quality audit, preventive maintenance), appraisal cost (product acceptance, inspection) and failure costs (redesign, scrap, corrective action). Minimizing these costs and achieving the desired goals requires strategic commitment by top management.
2. Teamwork:
Teamwork provides an opportunity to achieve quality improvement by bringing people together, facilitating communication between functional (or departmental) activities, familiarizing them with work done by others and creating an awakening of the consequences of poor quality of work that they perform. Teamwork acts as an effective platform for change and consequently, quality management.
3. Customer Satisfaction:
The way to quality improvement is through learning about consumer expectations. TQM aims at satisfying the needs of external and internal consumers. Successful internal working relations are the road to satisfy external consumers.
4. Continuous Improvement:
Quality improvement is a continuous cycle of ascertaining consumers’ requirements, meeting these requirements, obtaining feedback, measuring success and probing into areas where further improvements can be made.
5. Prevention:
TQM aims at taking preventive action rather than corrective action. It seeks to ensure that failures do not occur so that a healthy and positive environment is created which substantiates the culture of continuous improvement.
6. Materials, Technology and Methods:
Establishing a system which ensures defect-free products provides the foundation to TQM. This can be promoted by improving the quality of materials, technology and methods.
Improvement in quality of materials that firms get from their suppliers leads to improvement in quality of the final products and decline in the rate of rejections by consumers.
Investment in technology or improved and automated way of working also helps in making products with higher quality, precision and consistency. “Methods are the operating systems used by the organisation during the actual transformation process”. Effective methods of production is a step towards improving the quality of products.
7. Improvement Tools:
In order to improve quality and remain competitive in the global economy, firms adopt the right improvement tools, techniques and methodologies.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – Core Concepts of TQM
TQM emphasises on the following core concepts:
1. Satisfy the Customer – The focus here is on external customer. Satisfy the customer means to take due care of the customer’s overall satisfaction, i.e., quality, cost, service etc. Making the continuous changes to satisfy the customer is an integral part of TQM.
2. Management by Fact – The management should know the quality of the product or service that the customer is presently using. This quality level is used as benchmark for further improvement. For this purpose, the management gathers the related facts about the present level and pass on the information to employees of the firm at all levels facilitating take appropriate decisions based on the facts. These facts are an essential aspect of continuous improvement.
3. Management based on Human Resources – The management should emphasise their employees understand what to do, how to do the job, get the feedback about their performance. The human resources should be encouraged to take more responsibility for the quality of their work. People can be more committed to make the customers more satisfied and this is possible through their more involvement. The quality is heavily influenced by the continuous involvement of the people rather than by the systems, standards and techniques.
4. Total Quality Management is a Continuous Journey – It is a management and continuous long-term journey. It is not a short-term journey based on goals or targets or a project. TQM is a long-term improvement programme based on the incremental change.
5. Internal Customers are Vital – Internal customers are more important in comparison to external customers because they are most crucial and complex variable and continuously influence the maintenance of quality. They also influence speed, efficiency, perfectness and value-addition. All work is a business process and is a combination of methods, materials, manpower and machines that taken together produce a product or service.
A set of 14 management practices to help companies increase their quality and productivity are:
1. Create constancy of purpose for improving products and services.
2. Adopt the new philosophy.
3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality.
4. End the practice of awarding business on price alone; instead, minimize total cost by working with a single supplier.
5. Improve constantly and forever every process for planning, production and service.
6. Institute training on the job.
7. Adopt and institute leadership.
8. Drive out fear.
9. Break down barriers between staff areas.
10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations and targets for the workforce.
11. Eliminate numerical quotas for the workforce and numerical goals for management.
12. Remove barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship, and eliminate the annual rating or merit system.
13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement for everyone.
14. Put everybody in the company to work accomplishing the transformation.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – 5 Important Fundamentals of TQM
TQM system to be successful requires focus on various aspects relating to it. Some aspects should be kept in mind before TQM is, implemented.
The important fundamentals of TQM are as follows:
1. Focus on Customer:
The main fundamental of TQM is its focus on customer requirements and their satisfaction. TQM philosophy focuses on the theme ‘Consumer is king’. Every business organisation manufactures products for some type of customer. If one producer does not satisfy the customer then the second will come in. The companies should frame their processes and products which must satisfy the customer.
The companies in India still hanker on their ‘product oriented’ approach. This is the main reason that they are not able to have footage in international markets. The latest approach has shifted from customer satisfaction to ‘Customer delightment’. This approach is necessary to have an international footage.
2. Management by Fact:
The concept of management by fact means that decisions should be based on facts. Facts here mean the information which is essential for reaching a decision and solving a problem. The subordinates normally raise a problem but do not provide facts for solving them. The decisions should be taken by using statistical tools.
When the required data is available then it becomes easy to take a decision. Even the tough decisions can be taken by using simple statistical tools. TQM will be successful only when decision making is based on facts of every case. The employees should also be trained to use factual information for taking every decision.
3. Focus on Prevention:
The focus of TQM is on avoiding the recurrence of same problems. When a problem is solved then the mechanism should be so designed that it is solved forever and it does not recur again. In Indian companies the same problems are solved again and again. The companies must ensure that problems are solved once for all and recurrence of these problems is prevented.
4. Principle of PDCA Cycle:
The plan-do-check-act principle is also an essential tool for implementing TQM programme. This is the principle of continuous improvement. TQM will work successfully only if continuous effects are made for improvements. A systematic process for examining how to improve things is necessary. Managers should never be satisfied by status quo. The complacency will allow competitors to win, but by following PDCA principle complacency can be avoided.
5. Employee Involvement:
TQM will be successfully implemented if employees are fully involved in this programme. The employees have proper understanding of various issues and can give practical suggestions for consideration. The company should recognise the importance of employees’ involvement and giving due weightage to their suggestions. This principle will encourage employers to think positively about the company and help management in solving various problems. The employee involvement is a precondition for the success of TQM programme.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – 3 Major Process Components of TQM
The major process components of TQM are policy management, daily management and team activity. Some companies include Vendor quality also in this process since their quality depends upon Vendor’s products and services.
Process # 1. Policy Management:
It can also be referred to as policy deployment, management by policy, etc. Policy management is a systematic process used to direct corporate resources towards solving problems and making improvements in selecting high priority areas. Policy management is essential for executing corporate strategy. There should be a total commitment from top management and other employees for policy management.
Process # 2. Daily Management:
Daily management process is to ensure that overall operations are improved and the things done as per planning. Daily management is a means both to control and to improve day to day operations. Day to day management problems are solved by daily management process. Top management ensures that processes for satisfying customer needs are in place. The managers and supervisors are responsible for actual execution and checking of TQM system.
Process # 3. Team Activity:
Team activity is essential to achieve organisational goals and helping in quality improvement. The team characteristics may differ depending on the type and nature of problem to be solved. A work atmosphere must be developed where managers and workers listen to and respect each other’s ideas. This type of atmosphere can be developed only when there is a commitment to achieve objectives. The team approach is a better way of building trust and respect.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – A Total Quality Oriented Organization Must Have At least Following Principal Objectives
TQM’s main aim is create an organization whereby everyone is working towards making their organization the best in its business, and to capitalize on the sense of achievement and working in a world-class organization.
A Total Quality oriented organization must have at least following principal objectives:
(i) Customer focus
(ii) Customer satisfaction.
(iii) Continuous improvement of the culture of the organization
(iv) Continuous focusing and relentless cost reduction & quality improvement.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – 8 Important Elements of TQM
Total quality management is not just products, process and customers and employees but it is the entire gamut of organisational activities which is involved in it.
Following are the important elements of TQM:
Element # 1. Commitment to Quality:
The first element of total quality management is the full commitment of top management to quality. It should not only encourage quality processes but should also provide sufficient funds for this cause.
Element # 2. Customer Satisfaction:
TQM is supposed to meet the requirements and expectations of customers. In an open economy as is practised at present, the consumer is the king. The existence of every organisation depends upon the customers. The customer should be given a priority in every scheme of quality improvement. His likings and disliking should be given due weightage while planning TQM.
Element # 3. Measurement of Quality:
Since quality is measurable entity, one should understand the current quality levels. The current quality levels should be compared with the required quality standard and efforts should be made to improve them. So quality standard is an important element of total quality management.
Element # 4. Prevention Rather than Detection:
TQM revolves around the process of quality improvement. It means that the system should be so devised where defects should be prevented. The approach is on preventing the defects rather than detecting them. The techniques such as statistical process control, continuous process improvement, problem solving emphasise prevention of defects rather than detection.
Element # 5. Proper Training:
TQM can be achieved only if the staff engaged in production is properly trained for this work. The employees will have to be provided training for continuous quality improvement.
Element # 6. Continuous Improvement:
TQM is a process of continuous improvement. The persons, equipments, suppliers, materials, procedures etc., related TQM are improved continuously for achieving higher quality standards. The systems are so improved that better results are achieved and product/service acceptability is better than that of past.
Element # 7. Reasons for Problems Solved:
Bad or lower quality may be the result of certain defective systems or certain drawbacks somewhere. TQM will aim to find out the root cause of the problem and find out the solutions. Once the problem areas are tackled, improvements will automatically come.
Element # 8. Benchmarking:
Benchmarks are the standards against which a firm can measure its performance. Benchmarks are the best practices or better standards which should be achieved in order to make improvements. Benchmarks not only help in finding out the comparative performance but they also help in finding out the deficiencies and taking correcting measures. This will help a firm to learn and incorporate the best practices in its own operations.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – 16 Commonly Adopted Tools
TQM can be put to practice by adopting TQM methods. Adopting the right method is important as success of TQM largely depends upon selection of the method, its suitability for quality management problems and effective implementation by effective leaders.
Some of the commonly adopted tools are discussed below:
1. Benchmarking:
The purpose of benchmarking is to fill gaps in firms’ performance by taking an independent look at it, comparing it with others and adopting the best practice being followed by competitors in all areas of operations. Benchmarking helps organisations move from introspective to externally focused areas of business operations.
2. Deming Wheel:
Aiming at full satisfaction of consumers, Deming, a famous TQM theorist, suggested a concept to satisfy the customer requirements by developing a cycle called PDCA cycle. It refers to Plan, Do, Check and Action and helps in developing a new product based on requirements of the customers.
3. ISO-9000:
It aims at providing an effective management system to firms and their customers so that tasks are standardized, that is, carried out in the same way irrespective of who does them. It aims at providing consistent quality to customers.
4. Just-in-Time:
When firms want to keep minimum stocks to avoid unproductive costs, this method aims at delivering the raw materials and components to the production line just-in-time when they are needed. This system is also known as ‘zero inventory’ and ‘stockless production’.
5. Quality Circles:
These are small groups of people consisting of about 3 to 12 people who do similar work and meet voluntarily for about an hour every week to identify their problems and search for solutions. Once the problems are solved, they identify further problems and, thus, self-regulate their work. This method of TQM develops the quality of products and also the individuals.
6. Critical Path Analysis:
At the project design stage and later on at all subsequent major project reviews, critical path analysis is a project planning technique that separates the work on a project into discrete elements, specifies the time and costs associated with competition of each element, allows key elements that affect the overall project to be identified and determines the path that is most critical in terms of usage of time and cost. It is the path that takes the longest to complete the project and directs management’s attention towards that path so that project does not take longer than the critical path for its completion.
The benefit of this method, underlies the fact that it allows the effects of different courses of action to be determined at the planning stage thereby allowing the best overall approach to be decided about the completion of the project.
7. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA):
This method helps in designing foolproof products and processes by detecting problems at early stage in a structured manner. It provides a structure for analyzing the problems, identifies their possible causes and examines the product or service to look for possible causes of deviation. FMEA, thus, allows for planning the failures and their prevention.
8. Force-Field Analysis:
As a means to implement change and allow organisation development, force field analysis allows a team of individuals to identify forces that help and those that hinder in reducing the gap between where the firm is and where it wants to be. It helps managers identify the forces which have maximum impact on implementation of change and, therefore, concentrate their efforts in those areas.
9. Brainstorming:
When managers want to find the cause or solution of any problem, they use the method of brainstorming where they try to generate as many ideas as possible by encouraging all organizational members to contribute to the solution. This method breaks barriers between the departments and the levels of hierarchy and encourages everyone to develop collaborative behaviour which strengthens their groups skills.
10. Nominal Group Technique:
At the end of the brainstorming session when the leader has a lot of ideas with him, he brings together these ideas, concise them and reaches a conclusion to solve the problem. The nominal group technique is “a way of generating ideas from a group and identifying the level of support within the group for those ideas”. The group remains committed to the final outcome and accepts the decision and control exercised by the group leader.
11. Suggestion Schemes:
Suggestion schemes aim to generate new ideas for moving to continuous improvement through incremental changes. It provides substance to the quality improvement plan and generates ideas to keep it going.
12. C-Charts:
The control charts are graphic representations where managers set standards of expected normal variation due to chance causes which are acceptable within the range of upper quality level and the lower quality level.
Any variation outside the acceptable limits is investigated for its causes and attempts are made to correct those deviations, whether they are with respect to wear and tear of the machine, poor quality of materials, obsolescence of machines or disharmony in superior-subordinate interaction etc.
13. Histograms:
At the early stages of problem-solving, when the team tries to find the progress of work, it displays continuous data collected by check sheets so that patterns of regularity or non-regularity can be displayed. Histograms are visual representation of data that highlight the problem areas which pinpoint to the team the need for corrective action or analysis of data.
14. P-Charts:
Similar to C-charts, P-charts help in identifying the percentage of defective items in a sample of variable size which varies by more than 25 per cent of the mean sample size.
15. Pie Charts:
It is a pectoral representation of data where relative size, in terms of percentage, of each individual part is shown to the total.
16. Tally Charts:
While defining a problem or implementing a solution, when the team needs to collect data to find out what is happening or to monitor the new situation, it collects data and presents it in the form of tally bars. These bars depict the value of defects or failures and help the team identify the causes of failure and search for ways to remove them. Tally bars is a simple method of data collection and interpretation which can be applied in office and work areas. It helps people of all areas to deal with problems related to quality improvement.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – Some Common Functions of TQM
Though the chief function of TQM is emphasis on quality, but its works is multidirectional.
Some common functions of TQM are:
i. Quality policy & its communication
ii. Team work & participation
iii. Problem solving tools & technique.
iv. Standardization
v. Quality system
vi. Quality costs & management
vii. Process control
viii. Customer-supplier integration
ix. Education & training
x. Quality audit & review.
TQM is an integrated organizational approach for quality improvement. TQM is a system approach to quality management. It refers to complete commitment to quality in all spheres of the organization. Total in TQM stands for an overall integrated approach to all aspects of quality, all domains of system, including, organization, people, resources, time, hardware/software and even management commitments.
TQM is a management approach of organization, centered on quality, based on the participation of all its members and aiming at long term of success through customer satisfaction and benefits to the members of organization and society.
Total Quality Management (TQM) is the organization-wide management of quality. Management consists of planning, organizing, directing, control, and assurance. Total quality is called total because it consists of two qualities – quality of return to satisfy the needs of the shareholders, or quality of products.
Total Quality Management is a business management strategy aimed at embedding awareness of quality in all organizational processes. TQM has been widely used in manufacturing, education, hospitals, call centers, government, and service industries, as well as NASA space and science programmes.
i. Create constancy of purpose for improvement of product and service. (Plan to stay in business.)
ii. Adopt the new philosophy. (Stop tolerating poor quality)
iii. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. (Improve the process.)
iv. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag alone. (Seek longer-term supplier relationships; reduce the number of suppliers.)
v. Improve constantly and forever every process in the system of planning, production, and service.
vi. Institute modern training (for everybody).
vii. Institute modern methods of supervision. (The responsibility of foremen must be changed from sheer numbers to Quality.)
viii. Drive out fear. (Encourage employees to speak up.)
ix. Break down barriers between departments.
x. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force.
xi. Eliminate work standards that prescribe numerical quotas.
xii. Remove barriers to pride in workmanship. (Poor supervisors, poor materials, inadequate equipment, lack of training, etc.)
xiii. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement for everyone.
Place everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation and create a structure in top management that will push every day on the above points.
TQM refers the control for all transformation processes of an organization to best satisfy customer’s need in the most economical manner. TQM is a management philosophy rather than a quality-technology. Ironically, TQM began in Japan based on the quality philosophy of Dr. W. Edwards Doming who is an American.
TQM is an organization-wide quality focused culture. It is a journey to achieve excellence in all aspects of the organization’s activity. It involves all members of the organization at all levels of operation.
TQM is a Comprehensive Management System which:
i. Focuses on meeting owners’/customers’ needs by providing quality services at a cost that provides value to the owners/customers
ii. Is driven by the quest for continuous improvement in all operations
iii. Recognizes that everyone in the organization has owners/customers who are either internal or external
iv. Views an organization as an internal system with a common aim rather than as individual departments acting to maximize their own performances
v. Focuses on the way tasks are accomplished rather than simply what tasks are accomplished
vi. Emphasizes teamwork and a high level of participation by all employees.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – 14 Important Aspects
TQM is not new to any organization, many aspects of it are already in practice by organizations. For an integrated TQM the following aspects have to be made operational in an organization.
These are:
1. Establishing Aims and Objectives:
It is the first step of TQM in which the owner or top management of the organization set the aims and objectives to which all employees of the organization as a whole stands committed.
2. Quality Policy:
It is basic principle of the organization which is to guide the action of the organization, to fulfill the quality mission. It is essential document and make it known to all employees of the organization.
3. Quality Planning and Organization:
It is a frame work from which the functional areas can effectively integrate quality into their day to day operation. Establishment of an organization frame-work to support and implement policy may consist of a TQM council at the top level.
4. Functions Responsibilities:
All divisions, departments and sections have to spell out in clear terms their responsibilities. It is important to define the required quality in each section and to achieve the target without failure.
5. Information Sharing:
It is very important to create an overall awareness about organisation at all levels. All policies, procedures, and rules affecting employees must be known to them and updated.
6. Statistical Thinking:
It is necessary to make decisions based on facts. The identification and minimization of variation in each of the step will lea J to achievement of the desired goals.
It is philosophy of learning based on the following fundamental principles:
(i) All works occur in a system of inter connected process;
(ii) Variation exists in all processes; and
(iii) Understanding and reducing variation are key to success.
7. Education and Training:
Quality can begins and ends with education. Education means to change the way of thinking. No employee should be put on the job unless he has the necessary information about his job and sufficient training and capacity to perform it.
8. Process Quality Control:
It is necessary to introduce quality control philosophy in organization. It means to check the process or product during production not after the production.
9. Quality Cost:
It is to systematically evaluate and analyze cost of quality for prevent, appraisal/inspection, internal failures, external failures in each area of the organization.
10. Quality Audit:
It means to study the quality of a given product by taking samples from time to time either from within the organization or from the market place. It checks the quality of product to see if the requirements of the customer are satisfied.
11. Quality Circle:
It is a people building philosophy based on the premise that an employee doing a particular job is the biggest expert of that field and thus is in better position to identify, analyze and resolve the work related problems through their innovative and unique ideas. It is a part of TQ M activities.
12. Purchase Quality Control:
An operating system and procedure for assuring quality of materials, equipment and spares, source selection, and development to meet all quality requirements consistently and includes proper packaging handling, storage and issue.
13. Quality Marketing:
TQM encompasses every one Marketing is essential aspects of it. Developing the skill and also by including marketing people as a part of TQM council can serve a customer better.
14. New Product Evaluation:
Tight quality assurance programme is to be instituted while the products are in the state of development from new product planning, design, trial, manufacturing, testing, and preparation of mass production to manufacturing, marketing and after sales service evaluation has to be tightly conducted.
Once the HRM department has learned to make quality a way of life within its own function, it can assume an expanded role of supporting TQM throughout the organization. Number of researches have focused on the relationship between product quality and HR practices and systems.
The following HR practices can have a significant impact on quality performance:
i. Recruitment and Selection;
ii. Remuneration system;
iii. Performance and potential appraisals;
iv. Training and development;
v. Career planning;
vi. Welfare activities; and
vii. Industrial Relations.
Organization which aim at reaching business excellence must devote adequate time in dealing with employees, suppliers, distributors, customers and other business partners. There should be a regular two-way communication system for getting feedback from all these partners, leading to continuous improvements in products and services.
In-today’s knowledge era, special focus must be given to the knowledge management through knowledge workers. In the Total Quality HRM approach, all employees of the organization participate in the quality improvement processes diligently and whole heartedly.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – 6 Key Areas Activities Should be Taken Care of
Before planning TQM system it is essential to identify key activity areas which will have to be tackled. TQM is possible only when every activity of a company is geared up to achieve the desired results.
Following key areas activities should be taken care of:
1. Preproduction Quality Evaluation:
It is not only the actual production activity but product and process design which are also important in TQM system. The process and design should be so laid down that it will lead to the desired quality standards. Sometimes the system is so defective that it cannot lead to desired results even with best efforts.
2. Quality Planning:
The planning of those activities which will lead to desired quality standards is also essential. The activities start from purchase of raw materials to actual execution of production. There should be a proper procedure to control the quality of purchased materials. This procedure should include even the Vendors who supply the materials so that quality norms are conformed. There should also be norms to measure, attain and control the desired product quality and consistency of manufacturing process.
3. Quality Evaluation of Product and Process:
This step involves the evaluation of the whole system designed for TQM. There should be quality checks by personnel – The operators should have the means to measure the desired quality standards. A provision should be made to maintain proper quality records.
4. Quality Information System:
An information about the systems and equipment should be readily available. The information should be properly analysed and used to control quality activities. When information is readily available then it enables remedial measures also if the things are not going as per plans.
5. Quality Training and Orientation:
The training and orientation of personal concerned with quality maintenance is essential. They should know what is expected of them. The effectiveness of quality training and orientation will be measured by personnel capability developed as part of this act of activity.
6. Post Production Quality Service:
This activity is a part of ‘after sales service’. There should be a mechanism to answer complaints and making rectifications which will result in satisfied customer.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – 14 Point Set of Practices for Total Quality Management
TQM is a structured management approach which seeks to improve the quality of products and services continuously. It is a comprehensive process in which all members of an organisation strive towards achieving higher quality levels in products, services, processes, etc. Constant feedback is also taken from customers to enable the firm in meeting their expectations in a better way. TQM can be applied in any field of business for its long term sustenance and growth.
Edward Deming, the quality management expert, gave a 14 point set of practices for TQM:
1. Create constancy of purpose for improving products and services.
2. Adopt the new philosophy in the new economic age.
3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality by building quality into the product in the first place.
4. End the practice of awarding business on price alone; instead, minimize total cost by working with a single supplier.
5. Improve constantly and forever every process for planning, production and service.
6. Institute training on the job.
7. Adopt and institute leadership.
8. Drive out fear so that everybody may work effectively for the company.
9. Break down barriers between staff areas.
10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations and targets for the workforce.
11. Eliminate numerical quotas for the workforce and numerical goals for management.
12. Remove barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship, and eliminate the annual rating or merit system.
13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self- improvement for everyone.
14. Put everybody in the company to work accomplishing the transformation.
TQM is a management approach that basically originated in Japan with the Kaizen method and then spread over to other parts of the world. For TQM to be successfully implemented in any organisation, it is pertinent that all members including the top management, workers, suppliers and even customers interact and work together towards achieving the objective of high quality products and services that conform to the specified standards.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – Kaizen (Applications, 5S and Implementation Steps)
The Kaizen philosophy was developed to improve manufacturing processes, and it is one of the elements which led to the success of Japanese manufacturing through high quality and low costs. It focuses on continuous improvement and it was developed in Japan. KAI means “Change” and ZEN means “Good”.
KAIZEN = CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
KAI = CHANGE
ZEN = GOOD (to better)
The aspect of Kaizen is that Kaizen is on-going and never ending-process. In western civilization, Kaizen is often broken down into four steps (assess, plan, implement and evaluate). It is used to describe a company culture where everyone, from the CEO to the front desk clerk is involved in quality creation.
The method and the word have become part of the Toyota Production System (TPS), where it means “small, continuous improvements on everyone’s part. Kaizen is a system that involves all employees from senior management to the junior staff. Everyone is encouraged to come up with small improvement ideas and recommendations on a regular and continuing basis.
Applications of Kaizen:
Application of Kaizen improves organizational performance through many small improvements rather just a few major improvements. Kaizen aims to improve all the processes in an organization and it involves everyone in the organization to find and eliminating waste of every type. Kaizen involves setting standards and then continually improving those standards.
To support the higher standards Kaizen also involves providing the training, materials and supervision that is needed for employees to achieve the higher standards and maintain their ability to meet those standards on an on-going basis. Kaizen can be applied to the office environment as well as a manufacturing environment.
In fact, Kaizen has been applied to the following areas:
i. Human resources.
ii. Sales and marketing.
iii. Purchasing and materials management.
iv. Product design engineering.
v. Accounts payable/receivable.
vi. Records/document administration.
vii. Customer service.
viii. Engineering support.
5S of Kaizen:
5S is a productivity method whose name is derived from the five first letters of Japanese words: Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke. The method was
originally intended to organize a workspace for efficiency. Let’s examine each ‘S’ and determine what it means.
1. Seiri:
Sorting- Keep the necessary in work area, dispose or keep in a distant storage area less frequently used items, discard unneeded items.
2. Seiton:
Systematic-Arrangement- for the most efficient and effective retrieval. There should be a place for everything and everything should be in its place. The place for each item should be clearly labeled or demarcated. Items should be arranged in a manner that promotes efficient workflow, with equipment used most often being the most easily accessible. Workers should not have to bend repetitively to access materials.
3. Seiso:
Shining- Clean the workspace and all equipment, and keep it clean, tidy and organized. After the first thorough cleaning when implementing 5S, daily follow-up cleaning is necessary in order to sustain this improvement. A “Shining” work environment will lead to great efficiency gains.
4. Seiketsu:
Standardizing- Work practices should be consistent and standardized. Work stations for a particular job should be identical. All employees doing the same job should be able to work in any station with the same tools that are in the same location in every station. Everyone should know exactly their responsibilities.
5. Shitsuke:
Sustaining- once the previous 4S’s have been established, they become the new way to operate. Maintain focus on this new way and do not allow a gradual decline back to the old ways. The effect of Kaizen leads to less waste, better quality and faster leads times.
Steps Involved in Implementation of Kaizen:
Kaizen changes the way your employees work look for ways to make the workplace safer and more productive and create a new procedure for the way products are manufactured. The core of the Kaizen system is organizing almost the entire work force in multi-level and multi-task teams and empowering them to become effective tools for improvement in the organization.
These teams perform the work of identify problems and opportunities for improvement in the current working methods, Develop and suggest ways of overcoming problems and improving performance, implement improved method and decide the way to implement Kaizen in the organisation.
The following steps are involved in implementation of Kaizen:
Step-I:
The first step in implementation of kaizen is developing this kind of commitment to kaizen among the top management. The key to success in kaizen is the way it is implemented. It is more of a total working culture in the organization rather than on of the many activities performed. Such a cultural transformation requires that the top management must be fully commitment to the kaizen thinking and culture.
Step-II:
The second step is to providing orientation and training programs to develop understanding and support for kaizen at all levels of management.
Step-III:
The third step focus on Development of suitable systems for resource allocation, measurement, and reward and incentives.
Step-IV:
Once these preparations are in place, it is time to get all the employees in the kaizen program. Every employee must be motivated to accept kaizen as a means by which the firm can achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Towards achieving this end wide publicity must be provided to the kaizen program, making sure that employee at all levels understand and accept the kaizen approach.
Step-V:
Then employees are encouraged to form kaizen teams. Goals of each team is formed is set in consultation with team member.
Step-VI:
Team members are given suitable training in kaizen methods; with this initial preparation the kaizen teams are ready to start functioning effectively.
Step-VII:
However for continued success of kaizen it is essential to give wide publicity to each team’s goals, and achievements. A system must be in place to evaluate and reward the team members for their contribution.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – Six Sigma and Its Features)
Six Sigma is a business management strategy, initially implemented by Motorola that today enjoys widespread application in many sectors of industry.
The term “Six Sigma” is derived from a field of statistics known as process capability studies. Originally, it referred to the ability of manufacturing processes to produce a very high proportion of output within specification. Processes that operate with “six sigma quality” over the short term are assumed to produce long-term defect levels below 3.4 defects per million opportunities (DPMO). Six Sigma’s implicit goal is to improve all processes to that level of quality or better.
Sigma (the lower-case Greek letter σ) is used to represent the standard deviation (a measure of variation) of a statistical population. The term “six sigma process” comes from the notion that if one has six standard deviations between the process mean and the nearest specification limit, there will be practically no items that fail to meet specifications. This is based on the calculation method employed in process capability studies.
Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and variation in manufacturing and business processes.
Features of Six Sigma:
i. A clear focus on achieving measurable and quantifiable financial returns from any Six Sigma project.
ii. An increased emphasis on strong and passionate management leadership and support.
iii. A special infrastructure of “Champions,” “Master Black Belts,” “Black Belts, etc., to lead and implement the Six Sigma approach.
iv. A clear commitment to making decisions on the basis of verifiable data, rather than assumptions and guesswork.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – Top 6 Quality Gurus
Three Western management gurus—Edwards Deming, Joseph M. Juran, and Philip Crosby have been credited with developing the concept of TQM to a totally new level. This section also elaborates on the work of Japanese gurus of quality management namely Kaoru Ishikawa, Shigeo Shingo, and Yoshio Kondo.
1. Edwards Deming:
Born in 1900, Dr. W. Edwards Deming completed his doctorate in mathematical physics before working in US Government service where he applied statistical process control concepts in his work at National Bureau of Census that led to almost six-fold productivity improvement in some processes.
After World War II, Deming was sent to Japan by General MacArthur as an advisor to the Japanese Census Board. There he gained eminence by giving lectures to the executives of Japanese companies by emphasizing on a systematic approach to problem-solving for quality improvement programmes.
The captains of Japanese industry adopted and implemented his concepts with an enthusiasm beyond his expectations making Deming probably the most famous quality guru. His systematic approach to problem-solving later came to be known as plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle or the Shewart Cycle.
Deming pushed senior managers to become actively involved in their company’s quality improvement programmes. His idea helped revive the post-war Japanese economy. His thinking in the late 1980s can be best expressed as management by positive cooperation, which creates a new climate consisting of three elements—(i) joy in work; (ii) innovation; and (iii) cooperation.
2. Joseph M. Juran:
Dr. Joseph Juran was born in 1904 and started out as an engineer in 1924. He published the Quality Control Handbook in 1951, which led to his international eminence. Juran, like Deming, was also invited to Japan by Japan Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) in early 1950s and conducted seminars for top and middle-level executives.
Juran emphasized that quality control should be conducted as an integral part of management control. He is best known for the quality trilogy which includes quality planning, quality improvement, and quality control.
3. Philip Crosby:
Philip Crosby was born in 1926 and began his career as a reliability engineer. He worked his way up in IT&T and became its Director of Quality with worldwide responsibilities for quality. In 1979 he published a bestseller, Quality is Free. Crosby’s name is best known in relation to the concepts of ‘do it right first time’ and ‘zero defects’.
He does not believe that workers should take prime responsibility for poor quality. According to Crosby, management should set the tone on quality and workers follow their example.
Crosby’s quality improvement process is based upon:
i. Quality is defined as ‘conformance to requirements’, not as goodness or elegance
ii. The system for creating quality is prevention not appraisal
iii. The performance standard must be ‘zero defects’ and not ‘that is close enough’
4. Kaoru Ishikawa:
Professor Ishikawa was born in 1915 and graduated in engineering from Tokyo University. He is best known as a pioneer of the quality circle movement in Japan. Through his writings, he simplified statistical techniques for workers to understand and practice quality control.
He emphasized good data collection and presentation. The Ishikawa diagram (cause and effect diagram) and Pareto diagrams were some of the tools advocated by him for sorting and documenting the causes of variation in production quality.
Ishikawa developed simple quality control tools for company-wide quality effort and believed that quality does not mean the quality of the product alone, but also of after-sales service, quality of management, the company, and ultimately, the human being.
5. Shigeo Shingo:
Shigeo Shingo was born in 1909 and graduated as a mechanical engineer before being employed by Taipei Railway Factory in Taiwan in the area of quality management. During his varied career at Toyota Motor Company, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Matsushita Electric Industrial Company he gained eminence in training workers for quality and productivity improvement.
Shingo introduced the concept of mistake-proofing poke-yoke, which prevented the worker from making errors and avoiding defects. Shingo introduced simple mechanical devices into assembly operations which prevented incorrect assembling or missed parts, thus fool-proofing the process against the defects.
These devices are known as poke-yoke devices. The approach was successfully applied at various plants for defect-free operations. Shingo also contributed to the development of Just-In-Time (JIT) whereby inputs are delivered to the production process just as they are needed.
6. Yoshio Kondo:
Professor Kondo was born in 1924 and graduated from Kyoto University. ‘He believed that quality is more compatible with human nature than other productivity parameters. He advocated that human work should have the component of creativity, physical activity, and social interaction.
Kondo sees no basic contradiction between creativity, leadership, and humanity, and proposes effective ways to develop both creativity and leadership.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – 7 Important Advantages of TQM
The following are the important advantages of TQM:
Advantage # 1. Customer Satisfaction:
TQM is basically for the satisfaction and welfare of customers. Needs and expectations of customers are given special attention in TQM. The attention is on customers and zero defect goods will be supplied to them. As a result, there will be reduction in the complaints of consumers/customers. TQM is not for profit-making at the cost of customers but it is for giving satisfaction and welfare to them.
Advantage # 2. Quality Improvement:
One major advantage of a TQM is quality improvement at all levels and in all activities. There is a systematic attempt to eliminate deficiencies such as production scrap or rework, customer complaints and material shortages. The cornerstone of any successful TQM system is the organised elimination of waste.
The rejection rate in the production process will be low and this minimizes waste of materials and human efforts. Due to quality improvement, the sales and profits will also increase. The company will also develop goodwill and market recognition as supplier of quality goods.
Advantage # 3. Absence of Additional Investment:
One advantage of TQM is that TQM does not require any additional investment. It improves operational quality as well as reduces cost. This technique is quite convenient to developing countries which are facing financial difficulties due to various reasons. TQM gives many benefits but without additional financial burden.
Advantage # 4. Raises Competitiveness:
TQM technique is useful for raising quality and reducing costs. This naturally raises competitiveness in the domestic as well as global markets. TQM technique is useful for exports by raising global competitiveness.
Advantage # 5. Facilitates Expansion and Diversification:
TQM leads to large turnover and high profits along with market reputation and consumer support. The company can use this profit for the execution of its expansion and diversification programmes. In brief, TQM facilitates expansion and diversification of business.
Advantage # 6. Provides Trained and Motivated Employees:
TQM philosophy has its positive impact on employees. They are given proper training, monetary and non-monetary incentives, attractive working conditions and proper treatment. Workers take pride in manufacturing defect-free products.
Advantage # 7. Miscellaneous Advantages:
TQM technique offers other advantages as noted below:
i. Long-term consumer support,
ii. Prestigious position in international marketing,
iii. High standard of living to employees, and
iv. Cost control.
Total Quality Management (TQM) – TQM in Indian IT Industry
The quality movement in India formally began when Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) adopted TQM as its philosophy during the 1980s. Many other companies followed suit and the 1990s saw the widespread adopting and implementation of the TQM approach by Indian firms in pursuit of business excellence. According to NASSCOM, if the IT industry in India continued to grow at 35%, it would account for 7.7% of the GDP by 2008. In 2000-01 the industry grew by over 50%, its highest growth ever, despite the slowdown in the US and the rest of the world.
Quality is the hallmark of the Indian software industry. Two out of six companies in the world that have acquired SEICMM (Software Engineering Institute Capability Maturity Model) level-5 maturity, are located in India. These are Motorola and Wipro. In June 2000, out of fourteen SEI level-5 certified companies in the entire world twelve were in India. Out of the top 3,000 software companies in India, 167 have already acquired ISO: 9000 quality certification. However, despite the consistent growth in market share, export and market capitalization etc., the Indian share in the global market is just a fraction i.e. 0.04%.
The number of companies along with the TQM maturity scores, along with the TQM maturity scores as per the questionnaire. As is visible from the figure, the maximum number of companies have a score of less that 140 out of 300. It implies that despite a positive trend in business results for the time period, the TQM maturity is quite low in these companies.
The large companies are doing much better, in terms of not only growth in market share and export earnings, but also in TQM implementation. The 80-20 principle is applicable in IT industry as well. Corporate giants like Wipro Ltd., Infosys Technologies, and Satyam computers have the highest share not only in the domestic market, but also in the world market.
AS regards the process of TQM implementation and quality consciousness, fifty five companies (77.5%) responded in the affirmative, whereas sixteen (22.5%) replied in the negative. Twenty nine (40.8%) respondents were in the process of implementing the CMM model as compared to forty two (59.2%) who were not implementing it. A question pertaining to the development of a self-assessment procedure elicited a positive response from sixty (98.45%) respondents in contrast to only eleven respondents (91.55%) who replied in the negative.
We now look into the question of the relevance of ISO: 9000/CMM accreditation in improving the quality of products/processes. Sixty one companies (85.9%) believed that it helped, whereas ten (14.1%) were of the opinion that it did not mater. Of the total respondents 69% had a separate human resource department, but 31% of the organizations did not set up the same.
No company has attained the top score between 260 to 300. It implies that most Indian companies are still operating at the initial level as regards TQM implementation. Only twenty companies have obtained scores between 221 to 260. It seems that even CMM level-5 certified companies have not achieved the highest level of TQM maturity. Indian companies obviously have a long way to go. In order to achieve world class status and business excellence, the Indian IT sector should concentrate more on quality assurance and product development.
Employee involvement has not been given due consideration. An in-depth process analysis has not been undertaken in most organizations. Thus, there are three major determinants of competitiveness, quality delivery, and total cost.
These criteria can be achieved by:
i. Adopting a TQM approach,
ii. Initiating a continuous improvement process, and
iii. Using benchmarking, as a vehicle, to direct the organization towards world class competitiveness.
TQM as a philosophy is an excellent concept but it runs the risk of becoming an end in itself, rather than a means to an end. Unless TQM is expertly controlled as a process, it could also pose another risk of supplanting the primary purpose of the company. Therefore, it can be concluded that a lot depends on a particular organization, the approach that its management adopts and the commitment that it shows to its development.