Quality Management Techniques In TQM

Introduction

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a major management approach used by companies wishing to improve performance by decreasing error rates to increase the likelihood of delivering a product or service that meets customer expectations. A company can render itself operationally excellent and on the road to steady growth through a culture of continuous improvement supported by top quality management techniques.

• Sophisticated quality management techniques are tools that TQM would use towards achieving its goals. 
  
  
• Principles of customer focus, employee involvement, integrated system, and fact-based decision making were descriptive.
  
  
• It is not a commitment that ended; TQM is a culture that demands continual attention. 

Why Quality Management Is Important?

Quality management gives any organization the following: 

• Reduction in costs resulting from the prevention of waste and errors. 
  
  
• Better retention of and satisfaction from consumers. 
  
  
• Improved compliance with industry standards and regulations. 
  
  
• Increased reputation and market advantage.

Quality is not measured by the getting of the finalized product; quality is inherent from process, task, and contribution from each of the team members.Through various quality management techniques of TQM, these organizations not only ensure higher levels of customer satisfaction, but they also improve their processes, eliminate waste, increase employee involvement, and consistently deliver superior results. Quality circles, statistical process control, and Kaizen-these tools and methods are the very foundation of continuous organizational excellence.

Why Are TQM Techniques Important?

• Identify and eliminate defects in a systematic way.
  
  
• Understand better the needs and demands of the customer.
  
  
• Make processes simpler, eliminating wastages.
  
  
• Let the employee come out with solutions for a problem.
  
  
• Create a sustainable competitive advantage.

In a world taken over by customer reviews, social media influence, and global competition, guesswork just doesn't cut it anymore. Instead, organizations implement proven TQM techniques and tools in order to continuously measure, analyze, and improve quality outcomes.

Key Quality Management Techniques In TQM

Let's take a closer look at key and effective quality management techniques in organizations within the TQM framework.

1. PDCA Cycle.

PDCA is perhaps the most adopted of TQM techniques. It provides a structured, iterative process to test a solution and effect improvements. 

Plan: Define the problem, set objective(s), and plan for a change.

Do: Implement the plan on a small scale.

Check: Measure outcomes to ascertain whether objectives were met or not.

Act: Standardize successful solutions or, else, start the cycle again to continue improvements.

The entire procedure above is simply powerful, sustaining an experimental environment where refinement is ongoing.

2. Kaizen (Continuous Improvement)

Kaizen is a Japanese word which means "change for the better" and refers to continuous improvement for all members of an organization. Kaizen fosters an environment in which employees are encouraged to propose small, incremental changes that in time add up to many significant improvements. 

With Kaizen:

- Problems get fixed at their root.

- Employees feel encouraged to be creative.

- Workflows become simpler.

Because in TQM, Kaizen is used as a quality management method, it sustains ownership of quality at each and every level.

3. Benchmarking

Benchmarking is the comparison of your organization’s processes, performance metrics, and quality standards with those of industry leaders or best-in-class organizations.

To classify benchmarking, we have-

• Internal benchmarking: comparing against another department or unit in the same organization.
  
  
• External or competitive benchmarking: involves direct comparison with competitors.
  
  
• Functional benchmarking: comparing similar functions across different industries.

This technique in TQM helps one organization discover its gaps, establish targets for performance, and adjust proven best practices to remedy these gaps.

4. Statistical Process Control (SPC)

SPC controls and monitors production processes as per statistical tools. By means of keeping control charts and other statistical techniques in view while monitoring some variation in the process, managers would:

- Recognize early signs of trouble in the process

- Prevent defects from arising

- Identify the source of variability so as to provide a consistent product

The SPC is undoubtedly one of the best quality management techniques because it guarantees that processes will run efficiently and consistently produce products that meet customer requirements.

5. Six Sigma Methodology

Even though sometimes seen as a separate entity, Six Sigma perfectly complements TQM practices. The emphasis is on fewer errors and lower variation, using a defined structure of approach called DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control).

Key advantages offered by Six Sigma include: 

- Better process efficiency

- Data is on the side of solving real problems

- Cost savings from the reduction of waste

When merged into Total Quality Management, Six Sigma provides a sound working and analytical foundation for continued improvements. 

6. Quality Circles

Quality circles are small groups of employees who voluntarily meet to discuss and solve work-related quality problems. This technique contributes to increased participation of employees, teamwork, and ownership. 

Benefits for Organizations: 

- Increased capacity for problem-solving

- Increased employee motivation

• Deliver workable solutions that are immediately applicable and implementation of which might not have been visible to management

7. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

This technique of preventive quality management is used to identify any possible weaknesses in the design or manufacturing process and assess their influence before failures can occur.

Steps of FMEA include:

- Listing potential failure modes

- Analyzing their effects

- Ranking risks by severity, occurrence, and detection

- Taking preventive actions to eliminate high-risk failures

This methodology is extremely essential in those industries, like automotive, aeronautics, and healthcare, where the fallout of any failure is hugely consequential.

8. The 7 Quality Tools

The Seven Quality Tools are simple yet extensive tools used in TQM for problem-solving:

Cause-and-effect diagrams (Ishikawa/Fishbone)

• Flowcharts
• Check sheets
• Pareto analysis (80/20 principle)
• Histograms
• Control charts
• Scatter diagrams

By mastering these tools, employees are able to visualize data, recognize patterns, and make informed decisions that immediately impact quality. 

9. Just-in-Time (JIT)

JIT production minimizes waste by obtaining and producing goods only as they are needed. JIT reduces unnecessary inventory and cycle times while fostering processes without compromising quality.

With impeccable supplier relationships and process control, it leads to better quality and customer satisfaction.

10. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

The maintenance ought to be performed during production work time, so it ensures at that interchange that the machinery has been sustained at optimum productivity levels.

On the TQM front, the TPM not only leads to ensuring reliability of plant but also contributes to safety and productivity. 

Benefits Of Applying Quality Management Techniques In TQM

The application of techniques of quality management in TQM provides clear, measurable benefits: 

• More customer satisfaction and loyalty
  
  
• Lower operational costs on account of lower waste
  
  
• Greater compliance with international standards such as ISO 9001
  
  
• Stronger levels of employee engagement and problem-solving culture
  
  
• Sustainable, long-term business growth

Implementing TQM Techniques In Your Organization

For the successful integration of these TQM methods and techniques:

• Obtain leadership commitment to facilitate culture shift.
  
  
• Train employees in core methods, such as PDCA, Kaizen, and quality circles.
  
  
• Data-driven use through SPC, Six Sigma, or benchmarking.
  
  
• Start through pilot projects before rolling the improvements throughout the enterprise.
  
  
• Align all approaches with customer choice to ensure that results are relevant.

These tools, if consistently and uniformly applied, would govern not only the internal operations but also the external customer experience.

Conclusion

Mastering quality management techniques in TQM provides the organization with the capabilities to institutionalize a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and customer focus. Through PDCA cycles, Kaizen activities, or advanced methodologies like FMEA and Six Sigma, these techniques allow businesses to propel their performance much beyond the industry averages. As the market continues to change, only those companies that adopt TQM techniques with commitment and consistency will be resilient, responsive, and successful in the long term.