Key Developments in Total Quality Management Essay

Key Developments in Total Quality Management - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that total quality management (TQM) is a participative and systematic approach to the planning and implementation of process involving continuous improvement in an organisation   It is one of the most comprehensive approaches to performance improvement as it encompasses a whole range of concepts including business process management; change management; project management; supply chain management; supplier development; balanced scorecard; concepts relating to rewards and recognition; benchmarking; lean management systems; quality management systems; and management and employee transformation. The aim of TQM is to satisfy customers’ future and current needs, identify problems, build commitment, and promote the involvement of employees in decision-making. Juran described TQM in terms of a chain reaction as ‘the set of management processes and systems that create delighted customers through empowered employeesà ¢â‚¬â„¢ which leads to increased revenue and a reduction in cost. Since the 1940s there have been three distinct groups of quality gurus. The first group was the Americans who originated in the early 1950’s and took the messages relating to quality to Japan. There are four stages in the evolution of TQM – inspection, quality control (QC), quality assurance (QA) and total quality management (TQM). These stages correspond to various changes in business requirements. In the initial stages, the focus was on inspection after goods were manufactured in order to test for conformity with requirements. This test was not effective in solving problems in so far as it did not identify which supplier, process or worker caused the problem.