Quality Management and Quality Tools: Evolution of Total Quality Management

Total quality Management (TQM) is defined as both as philosophy and a set of guiding principles. It represents the foundation of a continuously improving organization.

Basic Approach TQM requires six basic concepts:

1. A commitment and involved management to provide long-term all level organizational support.

2. Focuses on the customer, both internally and externally.

3. Effective involvement and utilization of the entire work force.

4. Continuous improvement of the business and production process.

5. Treating suppliers as partners.

6. Establish performance measures for which Quantitative data are necessary to measure the continuous quality improvement activity.

The article introduces the development of Total Quality Management (TQM), the definition, principles; standards and application of TQM are being discussed to gain more insight. As you go through the contents of this blog you will come across different interpretations which are placed on the word ‘quality’. The evolution of quality management is described through the stages of inspection, quality control, quality assurance and to TQM and further World Class Quality.

Evolution of quality management-

1924	Statistical process control charts
1930	Tables for acceptance sampling
1940’s	Statistical sampling techniques
1950’s	Quality assurance /TQC
1960’s	Zero defects
1970’s	Quality assurance in services
1990’s	Total Quality management
2010	Quality everywhere, Excellence

TQM

Total quality management abbreviated as TQM is an approach to improve the flexibility and effectiveness of a business in its entirety.

Elements of TQM are:

1. People who aspire for GRAPES ( Growth, Recognition, Achievement, Participation, Esteem and self-actualization).

2. Quality tools and techniques such as SPC (Statistical process control), OR (operation research), IE (industrial engineering).

3. Integrated Management System comprises ISO 9001 on QMS, ISO 14001 on EMS and OHSAS 18001 on SMS.

Quality

Quality- meeting the customers requirement

Quality is meeting the customer’s requirements, and this is not restricted to the functional characteristics of the product or services.

Definition – ISO 9000:2015- “Quality is the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils requirements”.

Mathematically Expression-

Through quality is an abstract perception, it has a quantitative measure-

Q= P/E

Where,

Q= quality

P= performance (as measured by the manufacturer) &

E= expectations (of the customer)

The Quality Gurus and their key contributions-

1. Walter Shewhart (1891-1967)

- “ Father of Statistical quality control”

- Control charts

- Common and special causes of variations

- Reduction of variations.

2. W. Edwards Deming (1900-1993)

- 14 Business philosophy points

- 7 deadly diseases of top management

- PDCA approach

- Definition of quality according to him is “A predictable degree of uncertainty and dependability at low cost and suited to market”.

3. Joseph M. Juran (1904-2008)

- Quality is fitness for use; quality trilogy

Quality planning- the process of preparation to meet quality goals

Quality control- the process of meeting quality goals during operations.

Quality improvement- the process of breakthrough to unprecedented levels of performance. He blended statistical, technical and managerial concepts

- Conceived the idea of “cost of quality”.

4. Armand Feignbaum 1922

- Quality is a total field

- The customer defines quality.

- Feigenbaum (1983) defined quality as Quality is total composite product (goods and services) characteristics, through which the product in use will meet the needs and expectations of the customers.

5. Philip B. Crosby (1926-2001)

- Quality is free

- Zero defect concept- right first time and every time.

- According to him “quality is conformance to requirements”.

6. Kaoru Ishikawa (1915-1989)

- Cause and Effect diagrams

- Quality circles

7. Genichi Taguchi 1924

- Taguchi loss function

- Innovation in Designs and associated linear graphs

QC and QA difference

Aspects	QC	QA
Definition	QC is a set of activities for ensuring quality of products.	QC is a set of activities for ensuring quality of processes by which products are developed.
Philosophy	Inspection	Compliance to standard
Approach	Segregation of good from bad. Product control	Process control
Responsibility for quality	QC Department	QA Department
Focus	Product	Manufacturing
Benefits	Few	Consistency in manufacture
Limitations	Does not address root causes of problem	Difficulty in interpretation for service sector. Still an inspection process.

Evolution of QC over centuries

Period	Basic approach
Upto 18^th Century	Product control philosophy- segregation good from bad- leading to quality at ANY cost.
19^th Century	It is based on corrective philosophy. Process control- quality building approach- quality assurance function - Quality at A cost. This lead to emphasis on technical aspects of QC comprising a blend of technology and statistical methodology and corrective action only after root cause analysis.
20^th Century	Emphasis on prevention of defects Stress on pre-process control- quality of designs, input materials’ inherent quality, competence of men inducted in the job, quality of training with emphasis on behavioral aspects. With all this rear guard action ultimately quality is free. This was the beginning of TQM.
21^st Century onwards	Realizing productivity gives short term profit but quality brings long term stability, organization consolidated TQM process and moved to total quality of management (TQOM) or world class management (WCM). This is the order of the day.

Traditional v/s TQOM culture-

Aspect	The Traditional Culture	The TQOM or WCM Culture
Attitude to change	Resistance- “do what we always do”	Welcomes change: change is seen as an opportunity for improvement
Customer requirements	Fail to understand them	Strive to meet them
Departmental communications	Nonexistent: departments work independently as silos.	Departments work together as a team.
Communication between management and workforce	Managers speak and do not listen	Two- way process
Problem solving	Constant fight against recurring problems	Addresses root cause of problems
Attitude to mistake	Find someone else to blame	Seen as a part of the organization’s problem
Attitude to trust	No trust	Trust is essential