Total Quality Management

Table of contents

List of figures………………………………………………………….iii

1. Introduction………………………………………………………1

2. The Foundations of TQM………………………………………..2

      1. Quality……………………………………………………2
      2.   Evolution of TQM……………………………………….2

3. Relevance and practice of TQM…………………………………3

4. Costs of quality………………………………………………….6

5. Quality standard and Awards……………………………………7

6. Implementation of TQM………………………………………...8

      1. Key elements of TQM……………………………………9
      2. Implementation issues……………………………………12

7. Conclusion………………………………………………………12

Appendix…………………………………………………………….13

Bibliography…………………………………………………………14

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List of Figures

  1. Foundations of TQM……………………………………………….4

  2. The PDCA cycle……………………………………………………5

  3. Cost of quality model………………………………………………6

  4. THE EFQM Excellence model…………………………………….8

  5. Key elements of TQM……………………………………………..9

  6. Framework for TQM implementation…………………………….11

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1.0   Introduction

In today’s world, organisations need to compete in order to survive in the marketplace and quality has been identified as the most important basis for this competition (Oakland, 2003). There is hardly any organisation that does not know the importance of quality management to remain competitive and meet customers’ expectations. The major challenge however lies in the implementation of quality management.

The concept of quality management was pioneered by American gurus such as Armand Feigenbaum, Joseph Juran and Edwards Demin. They took the message to Japan in the early 1950s. The Japanese companies popularized the concept of TQM; first undertaking its commercial applications after the concept was extended and further developed by Japanese gurus notably Genichi Taguchi, Kaoru Ishikawa and Shigeo Shingo (Beckford, 2002).
Embracing quality management practices in the 1950s changed Japan’s notoriety for cheap imitation products to being recognized for cheap high quality ones.... [continues]

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