Quality Control and Total Quality Management Quiz

Quality Control

• Quality control (QC) is a process for ensuring that a product or service meets defined quality criteria or customer requirements
• QC differs from quality assurance (QA) - QA focuses on verifying that requirements are met while QC inspects the product or service
• Quality assurance and control are often combined as QA/QC

Total Quality Management (TQM)

• TQM is a management approach aimed at improving the production of goods and services
• It emerged in the 1950s and gained popularity in the 1980s
• TQM focuses on creating a culture of continuous improvement in all aspects of a company
• TQM emphasizes satisfying customer needs and reducing waste
• Examples of companies that have implemented TQM include Ford, Phillips Semiconductor, SGL Carbon, Motorola, and Toyota

TQM Defined

• TQM involves integrating all organizational functions to meet customer needs and achieve company goals
• TQM views an organization as a collection of processes that must be continually improved
• TQM emphasizes incorporating the knowledge and experiences of employees in process improvements
• The core objective of TQM is "Do the right things, right the first time, every time"
• TQM is adaptable and can be applied to manufacturing, service, and public sector organizations

Key activities in TQM

• Commitment to quality from senior management and all employees
• Meeting customer requirements
• Reducing development cycle times
• Implementing just-in-time/demand flow manufacturing
• Utilizing improvement teams
• Lowering product and service costs
• Establishing systems to facilitate improvement
• Empowering employees and encouraging their involvement
• Recognizing and celebrating achievements
• Setting challenging quantified goals and benchmarking
• Focusing on processes and improvement plans
• Integrating TQM into strategic planning

8 Principles of TQM

• Customer focus: The quality of a product or service is defined by the customer. Satisfying customer needs and exceeding their expectations is essential
• To implement customer focus:
  • Conduct research to understand customer needs and expectations
  • Align company goals with customer needs
  • Communicate with customers, measure satisfaction, and use the results to improve processes
  • Manage customer relationships
  • Find a balance between satisfying customers and other stakeholders (employees, suppliers, investors)
• Benefits of customer focus:
  • Increased sales, revenue, market share
  • Strong customer loyalty