WHAT IS TQM?

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a business management approach that focuses on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. TQM is based on the idea that every employee in an organization is responsible for the quality of their work, and that all processes in the organization should be continuously evaluated and improved in order to achieve the highest possible level of quality.

TQM is implemented through a set of principles and practices, including:

• Customer focus: TQM puts the customer at the center of all decision-making, and strives to understand and meet their needs and expectations.

• Continuous improvement: TQM is an ongoing process of identifying and correcting problems and inefficiencies in order to continually improve quality and performance.

• Employee involvement: TQM involves empowering employees to identify and solve problems, and encouraging them to take ownership of their work and contribute to continuous improvement.

• Process-oriented approach: TQM focuses on the processes used to create products or deliver services, and looks for ways to optimize these processes in order to improve quality and efficiency.

• Data-driven decision making: TQM relies on data and analytics to identify problems, measure progress, and make informed decisions about how to improve quality.

TQM has been applied in various industries and has been credited with improving quality, customer satisfaction, and financial performance in organizations that have implemented it. TQM is often used in conjunction with other quality management approaches, such as Six Sigma and Lean.