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It’s no secret that many people have taken to baking during the lockdown. If you’ve baked something too, you know how important every step of the process is. From correctly measuring the ingredients to choosing the appropriate utensils and setting the right temperature, it takes a lot to perfect baking.
You follow every step with utmost diligence because you want to make sure that the end product is perfect. Similarly, businesses make sure that they deliver superior quality goods and services through a system called Total Quality Management. Read on to understand the definition and principles of total quality management.
What Is Total Quality Management?
Total Quality Management (TQM) has emerged as a widely popular business tool in modern times. It’s a management approach by which organizations continuously improve the quality of their products and services for long-term success. TQM entails exceeding customer expectations, identifying problems, building commitment and encouraging open decision-making among employees. It integrates all organizational functions—manufacturing, engineering, marketing, research and development, and human resources.
Importance Of Total Quality Management
Having everybody focus on quality management and continuous improvement allows organizations to establish and uphold cultural values that create long-term success. Let’s look at the importance of TQM in work settings.
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Holistic Approach To Management
TQM helps businesses bring behavioral change by facilitating teamwork, self-development and improved employee engagement. People are motivated to drive business goals because organizations prioritize their well-being and job satisfaction.
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Continuous Improvement
A core purpose of TQM is to continuously improve business performance. Through progress-trackers and milestones, businesses monitor employee performance at all times. It leads to internal gains like better workplace culture, effective teamwork and employee retention; and external gains like better product quality, increased profitability and customer satisfaction.
Principles Of Total Quality Management
Let’s look at the 8 principles of TQM required for its successful implementation.
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Customer Focus
Of all the principles of TQM, customer focus is arguably the most important. By identifying customer needs, organizations can allocate their resources for initiatives or strategies that’ll improve customer satisfaction. They can find new ways to exceed expectations too. Fostering customer relationships lead to increased market share, revenue and loyalty.
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Leadership
Leaders are responsible for creating productive and progressive business environments. In addition to motivating, leaders provide guidance on setting personal goals that align with an organization’s mission and vision. Strong leadership helps people stay driven, find meaning in their work and focus on the larger goals.
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Employee Involvement
Employees are the building blocks of an organization. When everyone fully understands what’s expected of them, they are encouraged to shoulder additional responsibilities and improve the quality of work. Employees at every level are crucial for an organization’s success.
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Process Approach
Organizations achieve their desired business results when resources and activities are managed as a process. A process-driven approach helps avoid logistical problems, leaving no room for confusion. TQM improves efficiency, effectiveness and consistency by standardizing its production process, delivery methods and performance expectations.
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Systems Approach
Identifying, understanding and managing different processes using a clear system will help streamline your business. A systematic process allows everyone to access any stage of a process and stay updated about the progress. TQM stresses the importance of several independent processes—the quality of products, employee satisfaction, consumer satisfaction and better utilization of resources.
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Continual Improvement
Continual progress is a long-term goal of any successful organization. If you take the most successful business in the world, you’ll see how they’re always on the lookout for the next big thing. (teachworkoutlove.com) TQM is a process of incremental changes that helps organizations stay committed to improvement, increasing their chances of being market leaders.
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Fact-Based Decision-Making
TQM facilitates a factual approach to decision-making. Decisions are based on data collected from in-depth research and analysis. Facts, figures and statistics can help anyone understand the product or service and marketplace in detail. Businesses make clear decisions based on objective data.
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Communications
One of the most essential principles of TQM, communication, encourages mutual respect and teamwork. When you foster a single organizational culture of excellence, everyone follows and shares similar principles. Silos are eliminated as people are encouraged to collaborate and improve cross-functional coordination.
If you want to successfully implement the TQM framework, you need to first understand how different teams function. Harappa Education’s Managing Teamwork course will teach you about the key characteristics that make effective teams. The Bruce Tuckman Model will help you understand how a team develops and grows. The Social Styles Model will teach you how to cope with different team members’ working styles. Let teamwork make your dreams work!
Explore topics such as Functions of Management, Quality Management, Management Styles, List of Management Skills & MBWA from our Harappa Diaries section and manage your workplace effectively.
