General quality management

The words of this abbreviation mean the following:

• General  — means involvement in process of all staff of the enterprise, including auxiliary network and product lifecycle.
• Management  is the step-by-step organization of process including such stages as planning, control, the management, workforce recruiting, supply, etc.
• Quality  — care of providing to the client the best goods which are most corresponding to his requirements.

International Organization for Standardization (International Organization for Standardization  is ISO) defines the concept TQM as the organizational approach concentrated on quality, which is based on participation of all employees and the process aimed at long success which is achieved thanks to improvement of working conditions, complete satisfaction of consumers and all members of society.

Concepts

The concept of general management on the basis of quality, was developed by the American scientists Walter Shukhart and William Edward Deming.

Shukhart's concept

The main idea of the concept of Shukhart consists in "improvement of quality due to reduction of variability of a production process". Shukhart disclosed importance of permanent and conscious elimination of variations from all production processes of products and from the sphere of provision of services. The scientist developed the concept of production supervision. For this purpose he invented and successfully used cards of statistical check  — so-called "Check cards of Shukhart". Statistical techniques of control allowed to concentrate efforts on increasing quantity of effective articles due to the maximum reduction of variations. Shukhart also offered the cyclic model separating quality management into 4 stages:

• Plan;
• Do;
• Check;
• The adjusting influences (Action).

Concept of Demminga

The Deming developed and offered the program on work quality improvement which is based on 3 pragmatic axioms:

• Any activity can be considered as technology process, so, can be improved.
• For effective work fundamental changes in process of ZhTs of a product are necessary.
• The top management of the enterprise should assume responsibility for the activity.

E. Deming also gave definition of 14 postulates of quality which allow to organize production work correctly. The main sense of these postulates comes down to the fact that at high degree of responsibility of the management, permanent improvement of goods quality and each production process separately, at inadmissibility of discrepancies and continuous training of all workers it is possible to lower considerably production costs and to improve product quality.

Dzhuran's concept

Other concept was offered by Joseph Dzhuran. This scientist developed the space model defining stages of continuous development of works on quality management, called "Dzhuran's spiral". This spiral includes the following rounds:

1. market Researches.
2. Development of the detailed design.
3. Project design works.
4. Drawing up specifications.
5. Development of technologies and preparation of production.
6. Logistics.
7. Production of tools and facility instrumentations.
8. Production.
9. Control of a production process.
10. Control of finished goods.
11. Testing of performances of products.
12. It is sold.
13. Maintenance.
14. Utilization.
15. New research of the market.

Effectively to move on this spiral it is necessary to adhere to the following scheme of work:

• planning of improvement of quality at all levels and in all fields of activity of the enterprise;
• development of the actions directed to an exception and warning of errors;
• transition from administrative to systematic management of all activity in the field of quality.

Crosby's concept

F. Crosby developed the theory of faultless production of products. Its concept includes following provisions:

• Warning of emergence of defects, but not their correction.
• Direction of efforts to reduction of level of deficiency in production.
• Justification of needs of the consumer in faultless products.
• Formation of the accurate purposes in area of quality improvement for the long period.
• Understanding that the quality of work of a campaign is defined not only by quality of production processes, but also quality of activity of non-productive divisions.
• Recognition of need of financing of the analysis of activity in the field of quality.

The key principle of the program of faultless production of products is the complete elimination of defects from the production sphere.

Theory of quality of Feygenbaum

Armande Feillguenbaoum developed the theory of total quality management. Which main idea  — general quality management which affects all stages of creation of products and all levels of enterprise management when implementing technical, economic, organizational and social and psychological actions.

In the Japanese option of total quality management which author is to Cahors Isikava it is possible to select the following conceptual provisions:

1. the Main line is participation of workers in quality management;
2. introduction of regular internal checks of functioning of the quality system Is necessary;
3. Continuous personnel training;
4. Widespread introduction of methods of statistical check.

In general, irrespective of the concept, TQM is based on two main engines: quality control  (Quality Assurance — QA) and quality improvement  (Quality Improvements — QI). Quality control  — supports the necessary quality level, i.e. providing accurate guarantees by the company as these goods or service. Quality improvement directionally on permanent improvement of quality and, as a result, increase in level of guarantees. Two of these mechanisms allow to improve and develop business constantly.

Principles of TQM

• Orientation of the organization to the consumer

The organization entirely depends on the consumers and therefore to understand needs of consumers, to fulfill its requirements and to aim to exceed its expectations. Even the quality system meeting the minimum requirements should be focused first of all on consumer requirements. System approach to orientation to needs of the client begins with collecting and the analysis of complaints and claims of consumers. It is necessary for prevention of such problems in the future.

Practice of the analysis of complaints and claims is conducted by many organizations which do not have the quality system. But in the conditions of application of TQM information should arrive systematically from many sources and be integrated into the process allowing to receive exact and valid conclusions concerning requirements and desires of both the specific consumer, and the market in general.

In the organizations implementing at themselves TQM, all information and data should extend on all organization. In this case the processes directed to determination of consumer evaluation of organization activity and to change of representation of consumers about as far as the organization can satisfy their requirements are implemented.

• Leading role of the management

Heads of the organization set the uniform purposes and the main activities and also methods of realization of goals. They should create such microclimate at which employees will be most involved in process of achievement of effective objectives in the organization.

For any activity such management at which creation of all processes is guaranteed is provided so that to receive maximum capacity and it most full to satisfy customers needs.

Establishment is more whole and the analysis of their accomplishment from the management should be a permanent component of activity of heads, is equal as plans for quality should be included in strategic plans of organization development.

• Employee involvement

All personnel  — from the top management to the worker  — should be involved in activities for quality management. The personnel are considered as the biggest richness of the organization, and all necessary conditions are created as much as possible to open and use its creative potential.

The employees involved in implementation process are more whole than the organization, should have the corresponding qualification for accomplishment of the duties assigned to them. Also the management of the organization should aim at that the purposes of individual employees were as close as possible to the purposes of the organization. The huge role is played here by a financial and moral incentive of employees.

The personnel of the organization should own methods of team working. Works on permanent improvement will mainly be organized and carried out by groups. At the same time the synergy effect at which the cumulative result of work of a command significantly exceeds the amount of results of certain contractors is reached.

• Process approach

For achievement of the best result appropriate resources and activity in which they are involved need to be considered as process.

• System approach to management

The effectiveness and efficiency of organization activity, according to the principles of TQM, can be increased due to creation, providing and system management of the interconnected processes. It means that the organization should aim at consolidation of processes of creation of products or services with the processes allowing to keep track of compliance of products or service to needs of the customer.

Only at system approach to management complete use of a feedback with the customer for development of strategic plans and the plans for quality integrated into them will become possible.

• Permanent improvement

In this area the organization should not only trace the arising problems, but also, after the careful analysis from the management, take the necessary adjusting and warning actions for prevention of such problems further.

The purposes and tasks are based on results of assessment of degree of the satisfaction of the customer (got during a feedback) and on indicators of activity of the organization. Improvement should be followed by participation of the management in this process and also providing with all resources necessary for implementation of effective objectives.

• Approach to decision making, factual

Effective solutions are based only on reliable data. Results of the internal checks of the quality system adjusting and the warning actions, complaints and wishes of customers  , etc. can be sources of such data. Also information can be based on the analysis of the ideas and offers arriving from the staff of the organization and directed to performance improvement, expense reduction  , etc.

• Vendor relations

As the organization is closely connected with the suppliers, it is reasonable to improve with them mutually beneficial relations for the purpose of further expansion of opportunities of activity. At this stage the documentary procedures obligatory for observance by the supplier at all stages of cooperation are established.

• Loss minimization, connected with low-quality work

Loss minimization, connected with low-quality work, provides an opportunity to offer products at the smaller price with other things being equal. The standard of work is the lack of defects, or  — "do correctly from the first".

Problems at implementation of TQM

There are several problems which should be eliminated in the organization for successful implementation of TQM. The negligent relation to liquidation of these problems can not only prevent application of TQM, but also gradually destroy the organization.

• Management only of the main line. The organization which cares only for the main line of development and manages only digits is doomed to a failure. Management  is a hard work; the manager who relies only upon digits simplifies the task. Managers should know process, to be involved in it, to understand sources of emergence of problems and to give examples of their solution to the subordinates.
• Activity assessment on the basis of the system of quantitative indices. Assessment using the system of quantitative indices, reports, ratings or annual reviews of achievements sometimes leads to the classification, forced quotas and other formations causing the unhealthy competition, breaking team work within the organization. Instead of use of such systems, managers should comment personally on individual work of employees to help them to improve it.
• Emphasis on obtaining short-term benefits. If the worker in the past had experience of receiving fast profits, he will try and to work further in the same key. The management should convince employees that the organization should give preference to the long and stable growth and improvement, but not short-term benefits.
• Lack of strategy. If in the organization there is no sequence of the implementable purposes, employees of the organization will feel uncertainty in a possibility of the permanent professional and career development. The organization should have constantly implementable strategic plan in which the place and to issues of quality improvement should be given.
• Routine of the personnel. If in the organization the high staff turnover is observed, it indicates serious problems. Liquidation of the first four problems can help to overcome also this. The management should take measures that workers felt an important part not of the aloof organization, but a uniform command.

Advantages of TQM

• Increase in degree of customer satisfaction products and services. In the conditions of the TQM system the firm is simply obliged to satisfy all clients and also to make additional effort  — to anticipate their expectations.
• Gain of image and reputation of firm. Between these terms essential distinction. The image  is a look the client's eyes on the company. Reputation  is that clients speak to others about the company.
• Increase in a customer loyalty. If products and services are sufficient on quality, the client will return, bringing the repeating business and even forgiving "human defects" which can sometimes take place.
• Work performance improvement. It comes automatically as soon as workers become partners in implementation of TQM.
• Growth of moral of workers. It is one of system bases. Involve the worker in process of improvement of firm, at the same time stimulating it in this process  — one of key tasks of TQM.
• Increase in profit. This factor is obvious and follows from previous.

See Also

Total Productive Maintenance

Quality management of data

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