• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Computer Notes

Library
    • Computer Fundamental
    • Computer Memory
    • DBMS Tutorial
    • Operating System
    • Computer Networking
    • C Programming
    • C++ Programming
    • Java Programming
    • C# Programming
    • SQL Tutorial
    • Management Tutorial
    • Computer Graphics
    • Compiler Design
    • Style Sheet
    • JavaScript Tutorial
    • Html Tutorial
    • Wordpress Tutorial
    • Python Tutorial
    • PHP Tutorial
    • JSP Tutorial
    • AngularJS Tutorial
    • Data Structures
    • E Commerce Tutorial
    • Visual Basic
    • Structs2 Tutorial
    • Digital Electronics
    • Internet Terms
    • Servlet Tutorial
    • Software Engineering
    • Interviews Questions
    • Basic Terms
    • Troubleshooting
Menu

Header Right

Home » Management » System Concepts » Total Quality Management (TQM)
Next →
← Prev

Total Quality Management (TQM)

By Dinesh Thakur

The concept of quality has changed over time. The awareness about quality started in the early half of the twentieth century but back then quality was considered more of a technical issue and the onus of quality was vested in a department, which was called quality control department. As the name of the department suggests; quality was a control issue, and hence statistical quality control techniques were developed to keep a ‘control’ over the quality. However, with time and with Japanese influence, this concept has changed.

Now, quality ownership is not vested with one department only but with the entire organization. Everybody in the organization is now quality conscious and quality has become more of a managerial and cultural issue rather than being just a narrow technical one. This transformation of the narrow concept of quality management over time into an all-encompassing broad concept of quality in everything and for everyone has been brought about by the concept of total quality management. In short, total quality management means quality for everyone, in everything and by everybody in the entire organization. It is a much broader concept and views quality more as a management issue than a technical one.

Most importantly, TQM is a continuous process and must be viewed as a process of perpetual improvement to improve the quality of about anything in the organization. It focuses on getting things done right in the first attempt and is more of a philosophy of working (attitude towards working), than anything else. The concept is not new and has been in use in Japanese companies from the mid 1950s, but has gained acceptance in the West from 1980s onwards. TQM has some principles that if adhered to in designing management strategies and processes will result in total quality within the organization.

We’ll be covering the following topics in this tutorial:

  • The Principles of TQM
  • Six Sigma

The Principles of TQM

The principles of TQM are as follows:

  1. Quality can be managed and requires management will to be managed. Itis an extremely important ingredient of successful management.
  2. Everyone in an organization has a customer.
  3. People are not the main problem for quality but processes are.
  4. Everyone is responsible for quality. The ownership of quality is vested in each employee.
  5. Problems must be anticipated and with proactive decisions, prevented not merely solved.
  6. Quality must be measured in understandable terms (preferably in quantitative terms).
  7. Improvements in quality are itself a continuous process and must not be viewed as frozen in time.
  8. Zero defects or six sigma should be the quality standard.
  9. Goals once defined on the basis of known requirements are not negotiable.
  10. One must always measure lifetime costs instead of upfront costs.
  11. Management must be completely involved with quality management and should lead the effort. There should be complete buy in at the top management level.
  12. Quality management initiative must be a planned and organized effort.

Six Sigma

Six Sigma is a method used for measuring, improving and controlling process performance. A methodology, which improves customer satisfaction significantly, by reduction of variation in the processes.

‘Six Sigma is not something else that you do … it is what you do.’

What is six sigma?

  1. It is a philosophy which results in operational excellence.
  2. It reduces variation in processes and operations.
  3. A statistical measure of a process capability – 3.4 defects per million opportunity _ 99.99966 per cent probability of passing non-defective products to customer.

Benefits of six sigma

  1. Increased customer satisfaction
  2. Reduced defects
  3. Increased productivity
  4. Better and consistent processes

Six Sigma Methodologies

For Existing Processes (DMAIC):

                                             Six Sigma for an Existing Process

For new design and new processes (DMADV/DFSS):

                                             Six Sigma Methodology for a New Design and a New Process

Organizations implementing six sigma

 

Six sigma has been successfully implemented by manufacturing organizations like GE, AT&T, Motorola, Honeywell, etc., service organizations like American Express, IBM, Accenture, Microsoft, J.P. Morgan Chase, to name a few.

Six sigma approach

Y=f(X)

Where, Y = Output or Effect

X = Input or Cause

DMAIC model

Define phase

The define phase focuses on customer feedback or VOC (voice of customer). It is important to understand who the customer is and then understand the customer requirements. There are tools like interview, survey, focus group, etc., used to collect customer requirements. Once the VOC is obtained, it is translated into a measurable metric called the CTQ (critical to quality). A CTQ should be SMART (Simple, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound).

The next step in define phase is to create the six sigma project charter. This is similar to a project plan and has six mandatory sections:

  1. Business case
  2. Problem statement
  3. Goal statement
  4. Scope
  5. Timelines or milestones
  6. Team/resources

Any six sigma initiative consists of customer, sponsor (who finances the project), project champion (the subject matter expert), six sigma team (master black belt, black belt, green belt) and team members (who help in the project).

The last deliverable in define phase is creation of a high-level process map or IPOC.

SIPOC =Supplier – Input – Process – Output – Customer GE uses COPIS:

COPIS = Customer – Output – Process – Input – Supplier

Measure phase

The following activities are undertaken as part of measure phase:

  1. Defining performance standards – consists of the target and the specification limits (operating range on the target)
  2. Data collection – data is collected for all potential causes
  3. Data analysis
  4. Measurement system analysis – no process can be completely variation free. In the measure phase, we call this the measurement system analysis. In a six sigma project before we start analyzing data, we have to ensure that the measurement system does not contribute errors of its own due to person measuring, or the measuring instrument or the sample that is getting measured
  5. Process capability – it is the measure of the current state of the process

Analyze phase

The following activities are undertaken as part of analyze phase:

  1. Basic data analysis on Y
  2. Identifying all potential causes, which are called ‘Trivial Many X’s’
  3. Finding out the root causes or ‘Vital Few Causes’ – tools such as fish bone diagram, Pareto analysis, cause and effect matrix, etc., are used to separate the vital few from the trivial many
  4. Validation of root causes

Improve phase

After the previous phases, we have a set of validated X’s. The deliverables in improve phase are:

  1. Design solutions – when X’s are isolated and independent, tools such as brainstorming, lateral thinking and TRIZ are used to design solutions. When X’s are interdependent, DOE (design of experiments) is a method used for conducting controlled experiments of how a process performs under differing conditions of variables
  2. Risk assessment – failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) evaluates the different ways an input to a process step can fail and tries to understand the cause of that failure
  3. Solution Implementation
  4. Solution validation – used to measure the success of the process. Cost benefit analysis is used for the same.

Control phase

Control phase attempts to find out the stability of the process and ensures sustainability. Every completed six sigma project should have not only a control chart but also a control plan. This ensures that the process does not revert to the way it previously operated.




You’ll also like:

  1. What Is Management? Levels of Management
  2. C Program Sum Total of Five Subject and Calculate Average and Percentage
  3. What is Quality of Information?
  4. Write Different Software Quality Factors
  5. Quality of Service (QOS)
Next →
← Prev
Like/Subscribe us for latest updates     

About Dinesh Thakur
Dinesh ThakurDinesh Thakur holds an B.C.A, MCDBA, MCSD certifications. Dinesh authors the hugely popular Computer Notes blog. Where he writes how-to guides around Computer fundamental , computer software, Computer programming, and web apps.

Dinesh Thakur is a Freelance Writer who helps different clients from all over the globe. Dinesh has written over 500+ blogs, 30+ eBooks, and 10000+ Posts for all types of clients.


For any type of query or something that you think is missing, please feel free to Contact us.


Primary Sidebar

MIS Tutorials

MIS Tutorials

  • MIS - Home
  • MIS - Classification
  • MIS - Characteristics
  • MIS - Implementation
  • MIS - Benefits
  • MIS - System Types
  • MIS - Simon’s Model
  • MIS - Different Systems
  • MIS - Open Vs Closed Systems
  • MIS - Different Functional IS
  • MIS - System Maintenance
  • MIS - MIS Functions
  • MIS - Information
  • MIS - Systems Approach
  • MIS - DSS
  • MIS - Information System Types
  • MIS - Deterministic Vs Probabilistic
  • MIS - System Analyst Role
  • MIS - MIS Planning
  • MIS - QoI
  • MIS - Types of System
  • MIS - Role of Information
  • MIS - Quality of Information
  • MIS - Home
  • MIS - Traditional Vs Modern Marketing
  • MIS - Development Approaches
  • MIS - Organizational Need
  • MIS - Nolan's Six-stage Model
  • MIS - Decisions Types
  • MIS - Selecting Hardware
  • MIS - Management Levels
  • MIS - Information Dimensions
  • MIS - System Design
  • MIS - Systems Types
  • MIS - Information Value
  • MIS - Business Strategy
  • MIS - Management Reports
  • MIS - Anthony's Framework
  • MIS - System Characteristics
  • MIS - Information Systems
  • MIS - Types of IS
  • MIS - Structure
  • MIS - Problems in Implementing
  • MIS - Limitations
  • MIS - Planning
  • MIS - Stages of Development
  • MIS - Conceptual Design
  • MIS - Four Stage Model
  • MIS - Prerequisites
  • MIS - System Investigation Stages
  • MIS - DSS Classification
  • MIS - Subsystems
  • MIS - Business Expert Systems
  • MIS - Nolan Stage Model
  • MIS - Control Systems Types
  • MIS - SQA Benefit
  • MIS - Development Factors
  • MIS - Systems Approach
  • MIS - Decision Support System
  • MIS - Efficiency and Effectiveness

Other Links

  • MIS - PDF Version

Footer

Basic Course

  • Computer Fundamental
  • Computer Networking
  • Operating System
  • Database System
  • Computer Graphics
  • Management System
  • Software Engineering
  • Digital Electronics
  • Electronic Commerce
  • Compiler Design
  • Troubleshooting

Programming

  • Java Programming
  • Structured Query (SQL)
  • C Programming
  • C++ Programming
  • Visual Basic
  • Data Structures
  • Struts 2
  • Java Servlet
  • C# Programming
  • Basic Terms
  • Interviews

World Wide Web

  • Internet
  • Java Script
  • HTML Language
  • Cascading Style Sheet
  • Java Server Pages
  • Wordpress
  • PHP
  • Python Tutorial
  • AngularJS
  • Troubleshooting

 About Us |  Contact Us |  FAQ

Dinesh Thakur is a Technology Columinist and founder of Computer Notes.

Copyright © 2023. All Rights Reserved.