Total Quality Management (TQM)

Total quality management (TQM) is the continual process of identified and minimizing or removing errors in manufacturing, streamlining supply chain management, enhance the customer experience, and ensuring that workers are up to speed with training (BARONE, 2020).

“Total” mean all departments apart from production such as planning, accounting, maintenance, etc. are obligated to improve their operations; "management" means executives are obligated to actively manage quality through funding, training, recruiting, and goal setting.

History of Total Quality Management (TQM)

1920s	·         Some of the first seeds of quality management were planted as the principles of scientific management swept through the U.S. industry. ·         Businesses clearly separated the processes of planning and carrying out the plan, and union opposition arose as workers were deprived of a voice in the conditions and functions of their work. ·         The Hawthorne experiments in the late 1920s showed how worker productivity could be impacted by participation.
1930s	·         Walter Shewhart developed the methods for statistical analysis and control of quality.
1950s	·         W. Edwards Deming taught methods for statistical analysis and control of quality to Japanese engineers and executives. This can be considered the origin of TQM. ·         Joseph M. Juran taught the concepts of controlling quality and managerial breakthrough. ·         Armand V. Feigenbaum’s book Total Quality Control, a forerunner for the present understanding of TQM was published. ·         Philip B. Crosby’s promotion of zero defects paved the way for quality improvement in many companies.
1968	·         The Japanese named their approach to total quality "companywide quality control." It is around this time that the term quality management systems arises. ·         Kaoru Ishikawa’s synthesis of the philosophy contributed to Japan’s ascendancy as a quality leader.
Today	·         TQM is the name for the philosophy of a broad and systemic approach to managing organizational quality. ·         Quality standards such as the ISO 9000 series and quality award programs such as the Deming Prize and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award specify principles and processes that comprise TQM. ·         TQM as a term to describe an organization's quality policy and the procedure has fallen out of favor as international standards for quality management have been developed. Please see our series of pages on quality management systems for more information.

Source: (Westcott, 2013)

Quality tools

1. Pareto chart

A Pareto chart is a bar graph. The lengths of the bars represent frequency or cost (time or money), and are arranged with longest bars on the left and the shortest to the right. In this way, the chart visually depicts which situations are more significant. We used a Pareto chart

• When analyzing data about the frequency of problems or causes in a process
• When there are many problems or causes and you want to focus on the most significant
• When analyzing broad causes by looking at their specific components
• When communicating with others about your data  

Figure 01: Pareto chart example

Source: (asq.org, 2020)

2. Scatter diagram

The scatter diagram graphs pairs of numerical data, with one variable on each axis, to look for a relationship between them. If the variables are correlated, the points will fall along a line or curve. The better the correlation, the tighter the points will hug the line. Scatter diagram using,

• When you have paired numerical data
• When your dependent variable may have multiple values for each value of your independent variable
• When trying to determine whether the two variables are related, such as:
• When trying to identify potential root causes of problems
• After brainstorming causes and effects using a fishbone diagram to determine objectively whether a particular cause and effect are related
• When determining whether two effects that appear to be related both occur with the same cause
• When testing for autocorrelation before constructing a control chart

Figure 02: Scatter Diagram example

Source: (asq.org, 2020)

3. Control chart

The control chart is a graph used to study how a process changes over time. Data are plotted in time order. A control chart always has a central line for the average, an upper line for the upper control limit, and a lower line for the lower control limit. These lines are determined from historical data. By comparing current data to these lines, you can draw conclusions about whether the process variation is consistent (in control) or is unpredictable (out of control, affected by special causes of variation). Control chart using,

• When controlling ongoing processes by finding and correcting problems as they occur
• When predicting the expected range of outcomes from a process
• When determining whether a process is stable (in statistical control)
• When analyzing patterns of process variation from special causes (non-routine events) or common causes (built into the process)
• When determining whether your quality improvement project should aim to prevent specific problems or to make fundamental changes to the process

Figure 03: control chart example

Source: (asq.org, 2020)

4. Fishbone Diagram

The fishbone diagram identifies many possible causes for an effect or problem. It can be used to structure a brainstorming session. It immediately sorts ideas into useful categories. fishbone diagram using,

• When identifying possible causes for a problem
• When a team’s thinking tends to fall into ruts

Figure 04: fishbone diagram example

Source: (asq.org, 2020)

5. Check Sheet

A check sheet is a structured, prepared form for collecting and analyzing data. This is a generic data collection and analysis tool that can be adapted for a wide variety of purposes. Checklist using,

• When data can be observed and collected repeatedly by the same person or at the same location
• When collecting data on the frequency or patterns of events, problems, defects, defect location, defect causes, or similar issues
• When collecting data from a production process

Figure 05: check sheet example

Source: (asq.org, 2020)

6. Histogram

A frequency distribution shows how often each different value in a set of data occurs. A histogram is the most commonly used graph to show frequency distributions. It looks very much like a bar chart, but there are important differences between them. Use a histogram when

• The data are numerical
• You want to see the shape of the data’s distribution, especially when determining whether the output of a process is distributed approximately normally
• Analyzing whether a process can meet the customer’s requirements
• Analyzing what the output from a supplier’s process looks like
• Seeing whether a process change has occurred from one time period to another
• Determining whether the outputs of two or more processes are different
• You wish to communicate the distribution of data quickly and easily to others

Figure 06: histogram example

Source: (asq.org, 2020)

7. Stratification

Stratification is defined as the act of sorting data, people, and objects into distinct groups or layers. It is a technique used in combination with other data analysis tools. When data from a variety of sources or categories have been lumped together, the meaning of the data can be difficult to see. Stratification using,

• Before collecting data
• When data come from several sources or conditions, such as shifts, days of the week, suppliers, or population groups
• When data analysis may require separating different sources or conditions

Figure 07: Stratification Diagram example

Source: (asq.org, 2020)

Successful organizations have figured out that customer satisfaction has a direct impact on the bottom line. Creating an environment that supports a quality culture requires a structured, systematic process. Implementing a quality management system organizations able to achieve the organization’s goal. The above quality management tool helps to each and every department in the organization to monitor and maintain the required quality level in the department.