1.

Quality control of all products manufactured within the organization.

2.

Quality control of all services provided by the organization.

3.

Quality control of all operational processes which take place within the organization.

1.

Ensure total quality of operations, products, and services at the source.

2.

Ensure total quality of materials, tooling, and equipment.

3.

Ensure total quality of product, service, and process design.

4.

Ensure simplification of operational processes.

5.

Ensure simplification of product design.

6.

Ensure simplification of tooling design.

7.

Ensure the quality of materials, components, and services purchased from various suppliers.

8.

Maximize the communication with various suppliers related to the continuous quality improvement of materials, components, and services.

9.

Minimize the number of product, service and process defects.

10.

Maximize the low-cost automation of manufacturing and operational processes.

11.

Maximize the low-cost material handling, conveying, and lifting equipment.

12.

Ensure the implementation of an effective preventive maintenance program.

13.

Maximize the employee participation in a search for continuous quality improvement of products, services, and processes.

BASIC TQM GUIDELINES

1. Find Out What The Customers' Needs Are.

You must find out what your customers really want in terms of products and services. You can find this out through market surveys and special questionnaires.

2. Offer High Quality Products And Services.

Once you know what your customers really want, you must design, manufacture, or purchase high quality products, or be able to provide high quality service in order to offer the same to your customers.

3. Develop High Quality Methods For Product And Service Delivery.

You must design operational processes and methods which will enable you and your team to get the job done right the first time around. Always remember that mistakes may be very costly and sometimes they may drive companies out of business.

4. Monitor Your Company's Performance.

Constantly monitor you company's performance and keep track of its results particularly in the area of being able to satisfy customers' needs.

5. Identify Areas Of Inefficiency.

Identify all areas of inefficiencies and develop a program for continuous improvement of products, services, and processes.

6. Engage Your Suppliers And Distributors.

Extend your efforts of continuous improvement related to products, services and processes to all your suppliers and to your distributors.

BASIC TQM ELEMENTS

1. Search For Continuous Improvement.

Continuous improvement of all stages of manufacturing, service, and process operations.

2. Increased Employee Authority.

Giving employees authority to search for better ways of doing things, and to become fully involved in the search for a better all-around quality of products, services, and processes.

3. Team Approach.

Continuous encouragement of employees' participation in a team effort for improved quality of products, services, and processes.

4. Competitive Benchmarking.

Continuous examination of successful companies who may provide guidance in how to do things better, less expensive, and faster.

5. Decision-Making Based On Facts.

Continuous gathering of information which might be helpful in making the right decisions regarding continuous effort in improving quality of products, services and processes.

6. Continuous Training.

Provide your employees with the means for continuous training related to new or improved working methods and tools.

7. Engage Suppliers.

Maintain continuous communication with your suppliers and distributors regarding new or improved methods which may contribute to product, service, or process quality improvement.

Area 
Of Comparison

TQM 
Company

Traditional 
Company

Company's 
Mission

Provide total customer satisfaction.

Maximize the return on shareholders’ investment.

Company's 
Commitment

Long-term commitment to quality.

Short-term commitment to profitability.

Company's 
Management

Open-minded to new ideas for improving existing methods.

Not too open-minded to new ideas for improving existing methods.

Manager's 
Role

Provides continuous training of subordinates and builds trust.

Constantly issues new orders with a limited training effort.

Employee's 
Role

Has the authority to constantly seek for better ways of getting the job done.

Must get the job done without being required to provide additional input regarding improvements.

Problem-Solving 
Attitude

Everybody within a company is motivated to identify inefficiencies everywhere and to come up with better solutions.

Most employees are guided to just get the job done as quickly as possible without having a need to look for better solutions.

Employee 
Training

Employees are cross-trained to accomplish a broad range of tasks.

Employees are trained to accomplish a narrow range of tasks.

Inter-Departmental Communication

Open communication related to a broad range of subjects.

Specific communication limited to a narrow range of subjects.

Employees Overall Orientation

Process and quality orientation.

Product and service orientation.

Relationships
With Suppliers

Open-minded, friendly, and mutually helpful.

Closed-minded, adversarial, and profit motivated.

Search For Improvements

Continuous search for improvement by everybody in the company.

Limited search for improvement by specially assigned employees in the company.

Attitude 
To Customers

To always meet and exceed customers' expectations.

To make sufficient profits while trying to meet customers’ needs.

THE TWO BASIC OBJECTIVES OF TQM

1. To Solve A Broad Range Of Operational Problems.

This entails identifying and solving problems which may directly or indirectly affect the quality of products and services offered by the company.

2. To Improve A Broad Range Of Operational Processes.

This entails identifying inefficiencies and developing improved methods for various processes and operations which may directly or indirectly affect the quality of products and services offered by the company.

THE PROBLEM-SOLVING STEPS

Step 1: Identify The Problem.

Find out exactly what the problem really is by talking to customers and to employees within the company.

Step 2: Define The Improvement Requirements.

Decide what exactly needs to be done to rectify the existing problem as a result of information provided by customers and employees.

Step 3: Collect Relevant Information.

Identify all relevant information related to the existing problem by using check sheets, and other suitable tools.

Step 4: Evaluate The Problem.

Evaluate the problem using the existing tools, such as a Cause and Effect Diagram, or a Pareto Chart.

Step 5: Generate Optional Solutions.

Engage all relevant employees in the search for optional solutions by means of brainstorming, surveying customers and interviewing employees.

Step 6: Select The Most Suitable Solution.

Upon evaluating all possible options, select the most appropriate solution based on sound parameters.

Step 7: Implement The Solution.

Inform all concerned employees regarding the selected solution approach and ensure that it is implemented.

Step 8: Monitor The Solution Implementation.

Ensure continuous monitoring of the solution implementation and measure the obtained results against relevant expectations.

THE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT STEPS

Step 1: Identify Each Step In The Process.

Record each step in a specific process.

Step 2: Collect Information Related To Each Step In The Process.

Summarize information relevant to each step, i.e. inputs and outputs, employees involved, need for decision-making.

Step 3: Prepare A Process Flow Chart.

Prepare a flow chart summarizing all steps and activities related to a particular process.

Step 4: Evaluate The Existing Process.

Examine the existing process as follows:

• • What steps or activities might be missing?
• • What steps or activities might be redundant?
• • What steps do not add value to the finished product or service?
• • What steps can be eliminated?
• • Is there unnecessary waste of material, labor, or plant capacity?
• • What steps may be combined?

Step 5: Identify Areas Of Process Improvement.

Identify areas of possible improvement, time saving, labor saving, machine capacity saving, quality improvement, and waste elimination.

Step 6: Redesign The Process.

Redesign all components of the process which were identified as inefficient and prepare a documented summary of all details related to each step of the newly designed process. This should also include all anticipated elements of improvement, such as waste reduction, shorter operational time, higher customer satisfaction, improved morale of employees, improved profitability.

1.

Plan.
Start the cycle by studying the existing process. Record all relevant information and collect data. Identify problems and prepare a plan for problem elimination or improvement. Specify all actions which must be undertaken in this regard.

2.

Do.
Implement the problem elimination or improvement plan. Record all changes made during this stage. Summarize all relevant data for further evaluation.

3.

Study.
Analyze the data collected during the "do" stage. Verify how closely the results match the original goals set in the "plan" phase.

4.

Act.
Upon obtaining successful results, standardize the new method and communicate this information to the relevant personnel associated with the process. Provide training to ensure complete implementation of the new method. If the results are not successful, revise the "plan" phase and repeat the process, or stop the project.

1.

Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service with a plan to become competitive and to stay in business. Decide to whom top management is responsible.

2.

Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. We can no longer live with commonly accepted levels of delays, mistakes, defective materials, and defective workmanship.

3.

Cease dependence on mass inspection. Require, instead, statistical evidence that quality is built in. (Prevent defects rather than detect defects.)

4.

End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag. Instead, depend on meaningful measures of quality along with price. Eliminate suppliers that cannot qualify with statistical evidence of quality.

5.

Find problems. It's management's job to work continually on the system (design, incoming materials, composition of materials, maintenance, improvement of machine, training, supervision, retraining).

6.

Institute modern methods of training on the job.

7.

The responsibility of foremen must be changed from sheer number to quality... which will automatically improve productivity. Management must be prepared to take immediate action on reports from foremen concerning barriers such as inherent defects, machines not maintained, poor tools, and fuzzy operational definitions.

8.

Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company.

9.

Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team to foresee problems of production that may be encountered with various materials and specifications.

10.

Eliminate numerical goals, posters, and slogans for the work force, asking for new levels of productivity without providing methods.

11.

Eliminate work standards that prescribe numerical quotas.

12.

Remove barriers that stand between the hourly worker and his right to pride of workmanship.

13.

Institute a vigorous program of education and retraining.

14.

Create a structure in top management that will push every day on the above 13 points.

THE SEVEN DEADLY DISEASES BY DEMING

1. Lack Of Constancy Of Purpose.

When a company does not have a defined long-term plan and purpose of being in business, this reflects negatively on employees and subsequently on the company's performance.

2. Emphasis On Short-Term Profits.

Many American companies are too pre-occupied with the short-term profits, and subsequently lose sight of the big picture related to long-term stability and growth.

3. Performance Evaluation By Merit Rating Or Annual Performance Review.

Such evaluation often creates fear and anxiety, and subsequently has a negative effect on productivity and morale among employees.

4. Mobility Of Management.

Managers frequently change jobs because they become dissatisfied with the existing situation within their companies.

5. Running A Company On Visible Figures Alone.

Managers often underestimate the importance of the invisible figures, such as customers' satisfaction and morale of employees.

6. Excessive Medical Costs For Employee Health Care.

By creating a more health-oriented organization companies may save money in medical treatment and related costs for employees, thereby decreasing the costs of products and services offered to customers

7. Excessive Cost Of Product Warranty.

The excess of these costs is fueled by lawyers who work on contingency basis. By improving the quality of operations, companies would be able to offer better products and services to customers, thereby reducing the product liability costs.

1.

Build awareness of the need and opportunity for improvement.

2.

Set goals for improvement.

3.

Organize people to reach the goals.

4.

Provide training throughout the organization.

5.

Carry out projects to solve problems.

6.

Report progress.

7.

Give recognition.

8.

Communicate results.

9.

Keep score of improvements achieved.

10.

Maintain momentum by making annual improvement part of the regular systems and processes of the company.

1.

Total quality control may be defined as an effective system for integrating quality development, maintenance, and improvement efforts in an organization that will enable engineering, marketing, production, and service to function at the most economical levels that allow for full customer satisfaction.

2.

The "control" element of "quality control" should involve setting quality standards, appraising performance relative to these standards, taking corrective action when standards are not met, and planning for improvement of these standards.

3.

Factors affecting product quality can be divided into two major categories: the technological and human factors. The human factor is by far more important.

4.

Quality control is an integral part of all phases of the company's activities: starting with the customers' specifications and finishing with the sale to the customer, through design, engineering and assembly, to product dispatch, installation, and field service.

5.

Operating quality costs can be divided into four categories: prevention costs, appraisal costs, internal failure costs, and external failure costs.

6.

Total quality program must be designed to control the quality at the source, i.e. by the operator at his work station.

CROSBY'S FOUR ABSOLUTES OF QUALITY CONTROL

1. The Definition Of Quality Is Conformance To Requirements.

According to Crosby the final product or service in a TQM environment reflects 10% conformance to specifications and 90% response to customers' wants.

2. The System For Causing Quality Is Prevention.

In a TQM organization, the system itself must produce quality on its own.  Companies must cultivate the culture of understanding the entire job and to strive for the highest quality at every stage.

3. The Performance Standard For Quality Is Zero Defects.

Crosby believes that companies can achieve a zero defect level through thorough planning and preparation.

4. The Measurement Of Quality Is The Price Of Nonconformance.

Crosby concluded that in final analysis it costs more not to produce quality than to produce it.

CROSBY'S 14 POINTS ON QUALITY CONTROL

1. Management Commitment.

Management must make it clear where it stands on quality. Management must focus its attention and strategy and to center its quality efforts around the customers' needs.

2. Quality Improvement Team.

Management must run a continuous process of quality improvement to maintain a quality edge.

3. Measurement.

To provide a display of current and potential nonconformance problems in a manner that allows objective evaluation and corrective action. Management must understand the baseline and control variance.

4. Cost Of Quality.

To define the ingredients of the cost of quality (COQ) and explain its use as a management tool. The real problems arise when the management is not focused on quality methods and results.

5. Quality Awareness.

To provide a method of raising the personal concern felt by all employees toward the conformance of the product or service and the company's quality reputation. Training in TQM principles and practices is essential.

6. Corrective Action.

To provide a systematic method of resolving forever the problems which are identified through previous action steps. Quality at the source enables employees to intervene at any step of the process.

7. Zero Defects Planning.

To examine various activities that must be conducted in preparation for formally launching Zero Defects Day.

8. Employee Education.

To define the type of training all employees need in order to carry out their role in the quality improvement process.

9. Zero Defects Day.

To create an event that will let all employees know, through personal experience, that change has occurred.

10. Goal Setting.

To turn pledges and commitments into action by encouraging individuals to establish improvement goals for themselves and their groups. Setting targets brings employees together to work toward the same goal.

11. Error Cause Removal.

To give the individual employee a method of communicating to management the situations which make it difficult for the employee to meet their pledge to improve. Management must provide a supportive environment where employees can deliver results.

12. Recognition.

To appreciate those who participate in the quality improvement process. Employees need recognition for their efforts.

13. Quality Councils.

To bring together employees who can share quality-management information on a regular basis.

14. Do It All Over Again.

To emphasize that quality improvement is a continuous and dynamic never-ending process which must respond to new requirements and standards.

1.

Top management needs to provide continuous support and leadership and to serve as a role model for employees in their commitment to quality.

2.

Top management needs to set standards and measure individual and group initiative and results in quality improvement areas.

3.

Top management has the main responsibility for poor quality.

4.

Quality improvement does reduce costs.

5.

There are internal customers and external (real) customers. The internal customer is every operator who is next to get the job from the previous operator.

6.

The quality improvement process must flow through employees who have a shared vision of continuous quality improvement.

SEVEN BASIC TOOLS FOR TQM

1. Cause And Effect Diagram.

This diagram has been discussed above.

2. Flow Charts Or Process-Flow Diagrams.

These charts or diagrams provide a visual presentation of various steps in a specific process. These charts are particularly useful in describing steps in the service industries where it is difficult sometimes to offer a visual demonstration.

3. Pareto Charts.

Pareto Charts are simple bar charts which offer visual presentation of specific results.

4. Run Or Trend Charts.

Run or Trend Charts provide a visual illustration of results plotted over a specific period of time.

5. Histograms.

Histograms are used to provide a visual presentation of frequency of specific events during a specific period.

6. Scatter Diagrams.

Scatter Diagrams provide a visual presentation of relationship between two variables.

7. Control Charts.

Control Charts represents the most advanced tool for presenting a variation in a particular system.

8. Employee Education.

To define the type of training all employees need in order to carry out their role in the quality improvement process.

Reprinted, with permission of the publisher, from Taking the Mystery Out of TQM, by Peter Capezio and Debra Morehouse, p. 115. © 1995 National Press Publications. Published by Career Press, Franklin Lakes, NJ. All rights reserved.

1.

Create an atmosphere of open discussions which will focus on employees' concerns and needs.

2.

Encourage employees to make suggestions on a continuous basis to improve work processes.

3.

Offer individual and team recognition to employees who contributed to specific improvements in the workplace.

1.

Goals and objectives.

2.

Progress reports.

3.

Problem-solving about work issues.

4.

Work issues and concerns.

5.

Learning exercises and training analysis.

1.

Improving customer service.

2.

Reducing costs.

3.

Eliminating waste.

4.

Increasing safety.

5.

Working smarter.

1.

Recognize a problem, potential problem, or opportunity for improvement.

2.

Be specific and present facts and any relevant information which may offer a solution or cost saving.

QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM

1. Reliability Engineering.

To ensure that the design will have an adequate expected useful life.

2. Value Engineering.

To ensure that products will perform the necessary function at the minimum cost.

3. Evaluation Of Usability.

To ensure that products will be convenient and safe in the hands of the users.

4. Process Control.

To ensure that the materials, processes, and other inputs to the transformation process are adequate for the intended products.

5. Product Screening And Appraisal.

To ensure that products sold to customers are of high quality.

6. Service Assurance.

To see that customers are adequately trained to use and maintain the products and that service parts and manuals are made available.

7. Corrective Action.

Quality feedback to provide corrective action when field use indicates inadequate quality.

1.

Partial sampling of products.

2.

Application of statistical quality control methods in assessing the standard of selected products.

Stage 1: Prior To The Beginning Of The Manufacturing Or Service Process.

Stage 2: During The Manufacturing Or Service Process.

Stage 3: At The End Of The Manufacturing Or Service Process.

1.

Checking that all drawings contain the latest product modifications.

2.

Checking that all equipment, tooling, and instruments are in good working order.

3.

Checking that all raw materials, bought-out components and sub-contracting services were carefully inspected upon their delivery.

1.

Reduction of the cost of damaged goods and scrap.

2.

Reduction of the cost of production rework.

3.

Reduction of the cost of quality control inspection.

4.

Improved standard of products and services.

5.

Improved satisfaction of customers.

1.

Continuous efforts to achieve stable and predictable results related to various operational processes (i.e. reduction of process variation) are essential to business success.

2.

Manufacturing and operational processes can be measured, analyzed, improved and controlled.

3.

All employees, and particularly top management, must be fully committed to achieve sustained quality improvement.

4.

A clear focus on achieving measurable and quantifiable financial returns from any Six Sigma project.

5.

An increased emphasis on strong and passionate management leadership and support.

6.

A special infrastructure of "Champions," "Master Black Belts," "Black Belts," etc. to lead and implement the Six Sigma methodology.

7.

A clear commitment to making decisions on the basis of verifiable data, rather than assumptions and guesswork.

Methodology 1
DMAIC

DMAIC is used for projects designed to improve the existing business process. The five phases in the DMAIC project methodology include the following:

1. Define high-level project objectives and
    the current process.

2. Measure key aspects of the current
    process and collect relevant data.

3. Analyze the data to verify cause-and-
    effect relationships. Determine what the
    relationships are, and attempt to
    ensure that all factors have been
    considered.

4. Improve or optimize the process based
    upon data analysis using techniques
    like design of experiments.

5. Control to ensure that any deviations
    from target are corrected before they
    result in defects. Set up pilot runs to
    establish process capability, move on to
    production, set up control mechanisms
    and continuously monitor the process. 

Methodology 2
DMADV

DMADV is used for projects designed to create new product or process designs.
The five phases in the DMADV project methodology include the following:

1. Define design goals that are consistent
    with customer requirements and the
    overall strategy of the company.

2. Measure and identify CTQs
    (characteristics that are Critical To
    Quality), product capabilities, production
    process capability, and risks.

3. Analyze, develop and design
    alternatives, create a high-level design
    and evaluate design capability to select
    the best design.

4. Design details, optimize the design, and
    plan for design verification. This phase
    may require simulations.

5. Verify the design, set up pilot runs,
    implement the production process and
    hand it over to the process owners.

Note: DMADV is also known as DFSS, an abbreviation of "Design For Six Sigma". 

1.

Developing a set of procedures which outline all key processes in the organization.

2.

Monitoring processes to ensure they are effective.

3.

Keeping adequate records related to the company’s operations.

4.

Checking the output (products and services) for defects and taking appropriate corrective action where necessary.

5.

Reviewing individual operational processes on a regular basis and the quality system itself for effectiveness.

6.

Monitoring the effectiveness of the quality control system on a continuous basis.

7.

Facilitating continual improvement of all operational activities within the organization.