The Relationships of Tqm, Six Sigma, and Jit
1. Introduction
More and more companies have implemented quality management in their operations. According to isixsigma.com, many international organizations have implemented total quality management (TQM) such as Toyota Motor, Motorola, Ford Motor, and Philip semiconductor. TQM which is a strategy aimed at embedding awareness of quality in all organizational process (wikipedia) began in the 1950’s and it has become widely known in 1980’s. Also, Six Sigma was originated from Motorola in 1986. Its purpose is to “identify and remove the causes of defects and errors in manufacturing and business processes. It uses a set of quality management methods, including statistical methods, and creates a special infrastructure of people within the organization” (wikipedia). Another system, Just in Time (JIT) is used to manage inventory effectively and increase the return on investment. Just in Time is first applied by Ford Company in 1923, and then it was implemented by Toyota Motor. Applications of these strategies and techniques have provided many benefits for a company. Beasley states that some of the benefits of JIT are: cost savings, higher productivity, reduce scrap and rework. Wilson also mentions that TQM helps reduction in variation, and supplier integration. In discussing Six Sigma, Waxer lists some of the benefits of Six Sigma as cost avoidance, additional revenue, and increase in productivity. Thus, the practices of TQM, JIT, and Six Sigma have impacts to each other.
In this article, we will summarize the concepts of total quality management, Six Sigma, and Just in Time. At the same time, we will discuss the relationships of these topics.
2. Definition of TQM, JIT, and Six Sigma TQM
In the book–Introduction to operations and supply chain management, Bozarth & Handfield (2006, p. 77) define Total Quality Management (TQM) as a comprehensive and managerial approach in which the organizational is managed so that it excels in all quality dimensions that are
More and more companies have implemented quality management in their operations. According to isixsigma.com, many international organizations have implemented total quality management (TQM) such as Toyota Motor, Motorola, Ford Motor, and Philip semiconductor. TQM which is a strategy aimed at embedding awareness of quality in all organizational process (wikipedia) began in the 1950’s and it has become widely known in 1980’s. Also, Six Sigma was originated from Motorola in 1986. Its purpose is to “identify and remove the causes of defects and errors in manufacturing and business processes. It uses a set of quality management methods, including statistical methods, and creates a special infrastructure of people within the organization” (wikipedia). Another system, Just in Time (JIT) is used to manage inventory effectively and increase the return on investment. Just in Time is first applied by Ford Company in 1923, and then it was implemented by Toyota Motor. Applications of these strategies and techniques have provided many benefits for a company. Beasley states that some of the benefits of JIT are: cost savings, higher productivity, reduce scrap and rework. Wilson also mentions that TQM helps reduction in variation, and supplier integration. In discussing Six Sigma, Waxer lists some of the benefits of Six Sigma as cost avoidance, additional revenue, and increase in productivity. Thus, the practices of TQM, JIT, and Six Sigma have impacts to each other.
In this article, we will summarize the concepts of total quality management, Six Sigma, and Just in Time. At the same time, we will discuss the relationships of these topics.
2. Definition of TQM, JIT, and Six Sigma TQM
In the book–Introduction to operations and supply chain management, Bozarth & Handfield (2006, p. 77) define Total Quality Management (TQM) as a comprehensive and managerial approach in which the organizational is managed so that it excels in all quality dimensions that are