Total Quality Management is an integrative philosophy of management for continuous improvement of the quality of the products and processes.  It basically involves all the persons who create or consume the products or services offered by any organization. TQM capitalizes on the involvement of management, workforce, suppliers, and even customers, in order to meet or exceed customer expectations. Considering the practices of TQM as discussed in six empirical studies, Cua, McKone, and Schroeder (2001) identified the nine common TQM practices as cross-functional product design, process management, supplier quality management, customer involvement, information and feedback, committed leadership, strategic planning, cross-functional training, and employee involvement.  In a TQM effort, all members of an organization participate in improving processes, products, services and the culture in which they work. The main difference between TQM and Six Sigma (a newer concept) is the approach. At its core, Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction.

A core concept in implementing TQM is Deming’s 14 points, a set of management practices to help companies increase their quality and productivity:
1.    Create constancy of purpose for improving products and services.
2.    Adopt the new philosophy.
3.    Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality.
4.    End the practice of awarding business on price alone; instead, minimize total cost by working with a single supplier.
5.    Improve constantly and forever every process for planning, production and service.
6.    Institute training on the job.
7.    Adopt and institute leadership.
8.    Drive out fear.
9.    Break down barriers between staff areas.
10.    Eliminate slogans, exhortations and targets for the workforce.
11.    Eliminate numerical quotas for the workforce and numerical goals for management.
12.    Remove barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship, and eliminate the annual rating or merit system.
13.    Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement for everyone.
14.    Put everybody in the company to work accomplishing the transformation.

Quality management is not a quick fix. It is a long term investment.

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