Define Total Quality Management
University of Phoenix
Quality Management and Productivity MGT/449
May 6, 2006
Israr Hayath
Total Quality Management
Producing a quality product, whether a tangible item or a service, is the goal of all organizations, how this goal is achieved will be the challenge. Quality of the end product has been an obstacle in America for decades. In the post World War II era as production of products in America rose, the quality of those products diminished. At the same time other countries such as Japan were not experiencing the same quality issues.
The secrete to successful quality control was in the method of product management the Japanese were using. The Japanese organizations used an approach which motivated all employees and organizational functions to provide a consistently high quality product. America took some time in developing the same dedication to quality control. The slow response of American businesses was due to the initial excuse making phase, and the inability to clearly define what is meant by Total Quality Management (TQM).
Define Total Quality Management
Until 1990 there was not a clear definition of what Total Quality Management (TQM) truly meant. In an effort to provide a single definition which would include the entire process of TQM the SEMATECH (semiconductor manufacturing technology) consortium developed a definition which can not be challenged. The definition is represented as "Total Quality Management is a business management methodology that aligns the activities of all employees in an organization with the common focus of customer satisfaction through continuous improvement in the quality of all activities, goods, and services" ( Burrill & Ledolter, 1999).