Category: Total Quality Management (TQM)

Key Performance Indicators for Monitoring TQM Success
Published:The whole notion of successfully implementing a new business methodology doesn’t come without numerous challenges. First and foremost among those challenges is getting internal stakeholders, like the day-to-day workers, to sign off on new processes. Total Quality Management has plenty of success stories, but even the best efforts didn’t go off without a […]
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The Role of Leadership in Total Quality Management Implementation
Published:Whether it’s Total Quality Management or another popular methodology used in the business world, a lot of the success rides on how engaged and involved the leadership is. There’s no question that it’s crucial in quality management, as it requires a strong leader to rally everyone behind the TQM cause and ensure everything […]
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TQM Case Studies: Lessons from Leading Organizations
Published:How are leading organizations leveraging TQM? Total Quality Management is a philosophy and approach that emphasizes the likes of continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement. The methodology itself reached the peak of its popularity in the 1980s, before the rise in popularity of methodologies like Six Sigma and Lean. TQM is still […]
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What is Total Quality Management (TQM), and Why Is It Still Relevant Today?
Updated:The origins of Total Quality Management and its ability to exceed customer expectations have surprisingly been around for a long time. You can trace its origins to just after World War II, something most people don’t know. Given that it has been around for so long, Total Quality Management has been at the […]
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Comparing TQM and ISO 9001: Understanding Their Differences and Synergies
Published:Whenever an organization has to make key decisions about improving its operations, it must decide how to best improve processes across the board. In this decision-making, someone must evaluate the different process methodologies, such as Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, and Quality Management Systems. These systems are popular approaches for […]
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Common Myths About TQM and the Realities Behind Them
Published:What common myths about TQM muddy the waters on how it is utilized? Total quality management is a powerful framework, but without a keen understanding of the methodology, you fall victim to issues with how to best use it. That said, it isn’t a difficult methodology to get behind, as we’ll explore a […]
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Integrating TQM into Organizational Culture: A Roadmap
Published:Total Quality Management, or TQM, often comes down to caring for customers. The best companies operating today have figured out that taking care of customers is the best way to directly impact the bottom line. Of course, to get to this point, you need to have a strong culture that wants to help […]
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Balancing Cost, Speed, and Quality: Insights from TQM Practitioners
Published:In the world of total quality management, you have a philosophy that focuses on improving the quality and products of an organization while ensuring that every person inside the organization is on the same page. Not only does this require a chain of continuous work to improve, but it also demands a balance […]
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TQM in the Digital Age: How AI and Automation Are Transforming Quality Management
Updated:It won’t surprise anyone to learn that smart decision-making relies heavily on the accuracy of all available data. What also won’t be surprising is that traditional Total Quality Management systems have heavily relied on manual processes to bring about change, which isn’t likely to continue. The rise of AI and automation has ensured […]
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The 8 Principles of TQM and How They Drive Continuous Improvement
Published:What are the 8 principles of TQM? TQM or Total Quality Management is a great way of driving continuous quality within an organization. It isn’t intended solely for products but can transform a business when properly implemented. However, that is only part of the equation when considering the move to this approach. Adhering […]
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Understanding the Concept of Quality
Published:Quality is one of those words and concepts that have many meanings. Let’s review the concept and discuss the different definitions associated with the term. It refers to the degree of excellence or superiority of something, often concerning its intended purpose or function. Further, it is a measure of how well something meets its specifications […]
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Introduction and Implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM)
Published:TQM is a management approach that originated in the 1950s and has steadily become more popular since the early 1980s. Total Quality is a description of the culture, attitude, and organization of a company that strives to provide customers with products and services that satisfy their needs. The culture requires quality in all aspects of […]
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The Eight Elements of TQM: Supercharge Your Management With This Flexible Approach
Published:TQM, or Total Quality Management, is a management approach that originated in the 1950s and has steadily become more popular since the early 1980s. This approach encompasses the culture, attitude, and organization of a company. Further, it helps to provide customers with products and services that satisfy their needs. However, the culture requires quality in […]
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Identifying and Managing Special Cause Variations: Dealing with the Unexpected
Published:When it comes to variance, there are two main types to consider. These are common cause and special cause. Common cause variations usually do not pose much of a problem. Special case variations are another story.
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Case Study: Increase Revenue by Decreasing Prices
Updated:A division of a diversified organization develops and manufactures samples of new drugs for clinical trials. This work entails different typical manufacturing problems for the following reasons: Quantity requirements can vary from a few grams to several tons from order to order. The effort of research and development (R&D) is central; new processes have to […]
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Littelfuse’s Journey to Operational Excellence: How Six Sigma Processes Improved Quality and Reduced Costs
Updated:Littelfuse is a manufacturing company that produces electronic products for various industries. The company was facing a problem with its production process, as it was experiencing a high defect rate that was causing delays and increasing costs. Products were experiencing defects and failures, which resulted in customer complaints, rework, and repairs. These quality issues were […]
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Motorola Uses Data-Driven Six Sigma Methodology to Improve Production Process
Updated:In the early 2000s, Motorola struggled with product defects and a decline in customer satisfaction. To improve its business processes and regain its competitive edge, Motorola turned to Six Sigma. This data-driven methodology for process improvement turned their fortunes around. The Impact of Six Sigma on Motorola’s Semiconductor Production Process Motorola is a multinational telecommunications […]
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How Total Quality Management Got Xerox Back on Track
Updated:Xerox went from being an industry leader to resting on its laurels. Their focus shifted away from improvement for the benefit of their customers. This, coupled with a financial scandal, brought the organization to the point where many financial experts believed that bankruptcy was on the horizon. A major shift in how Xerox did business […]
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Why Investing in Quality Assurance is Worth It
Updated:The concept of quality assurance began in the manufacturing industry and is now standard for most industries.
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What is Total Quality Management and Why Does it Matter?
Updated:Now wait a minute, we already have a Quality Management System and a Quality Manual, I don’t have time for this Total Quality Management fad, right? Think again, this is no fad. With successful deployment and adoption of TQM you can elevate your business to new quality highs and both your customers and employees will reap the benefits.
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Case Study: Improving Recruitment Processes – Part 2 of 2
Published:In this case study, a team strives to improve the recruiting process in a large, fast-moving consumer goods company. Part 1 focused on reducing the recruiting cycle time. Part 2 focuses on decreasing the effort required to fill a job opening. The case described here uses total quality management (TQM) to address the problem of […]
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Case Study: Improving Recruitment Processes – Part 1 of 2
Published:In this case study, a team strives to improve the recruiting process in a large, fast-moving consumer goods company. Part 1 focuses on reducing the recruiting cycle time. Part 2 focuses on decreasing the effort required to fill a job opening. Rising attrition is a common problem across industries. Tight monthly, quarterly and annual objectives […]
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Case Study: Reducing Turnaround Time of Lab Reports in the ICU
Published:A 250-bed hospital had implemented total quality management (TQM) to improve customer delight in its diagnostic clinics. After that success, the management team of the hospital was ready to proceed with further process improvement. After completing a brainstorming and prioritization exercise, the team determined to next address the problem: delay in receiving test reports for patients […]
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Resource Page: The Basics of Total Quality Management
Published:One of the most popular search terms on iSixSigma.com is total quality management (TQM). The best TQM references on iSixSigma can be found at the following links: Comments of – and on – Dr. James Harrington Debating the Origins of TQM Definition: Total Quality Management Introduction and Implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) Newspaper Aims […]
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