Total Quality Management - Explained
What is Total Quality Management?
Written by J. Mance Gordon
Updated at April 22nd, 2024
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What is Total Quality Management?
Total Quality Management (TQM) refers to a structured process aimed at enhancing customer satisfaction through the improvement of a company's output (goods and services) and internal processes.
TQM is a continuous process of removing or reducing to a minimum the manufacturing errors and internal inadequacies that affect the overall quality of a good or service.
How does Total Quality Management Work?
TQM was developed by William Deming, it is an approach to organizational management that focuses on improving processes and standards that translate to customer satisfaction.
TQM aims to reduce manufacturing and internal defects of a company. It shares a lot in common with the Six Sigma improvement processes - but they are not the same.
Total Quality Management (TQM) is an approach organizations use to deliver improved goods and services.
This entails using internal practices and standard measures to avert or eliminate errors during production and also correct them when they occur.
Embracing acceptable industry standards and professional practices and ethical operations can help improve the quality of an organization's outputs.
Central to the aims and goals of TQM is customer satisfaction. This is why TQM is regarded as a customer-based approach or process.
TQM calls for guidelines and standards for employees to follow. These standards are not expected to be realistic rules, protocols and standards that employees should practice.