Total Quality Management (TQM) and 14 Points

Theory / Concept Name
Total Quality Management (TQM) and 14 Points
Description

W. Edwards Deming is widely recognized as the father of the Total Quality Management (TQM) movement. He played a pivotal role in teaching Japanese manufacturers quality improvement methods after WWII, which significantly contributed to Japan's industrial revolution.

Key Concept: PDCA Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act)

This is a foundational concept for continuous improvement, also closely associated with Deming and sometimes referred to as the Deming Wheel or Deming Cycle.

Deming's 14 Points for Management

  1. Create constancy of purpose for improvement of product and service.
  2. Adopt the new philosophy of quality-first, rejecting commonly accepted levels of defects.
  3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality; instead, build quality into the product from the start.
  4. End the practice of awarding business on price alone; consider total cost and long-term relationships with suppliers.
  5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service to improve quality and productivity.
  6. Institute training on the job for all employees.
  7. Institute leadership, not merely supervision, to help people do a better job.
  8. Drive out fear so that everyone may work effectively for the company.
  9. Break down barriers between departments to encourage teamwork and cooperation.
  10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the workforce that ask for zero defects or new levels of productivity without providing methods.
  11. Eliminate numerical quotas and management by objective; focus on improving processes instead.
  12. Remove barriers that rob workers of pride in workmanship, such as annual rating or merit systems.
  13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement for everyone.
  14. Put everyone in the organization to work to accomplish the transformation. This is everyone's job.

TQM Principles

  • Customer focus: Understanding and meeting customer needs.
  • Continuous improvement (Kaizen): Ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes.
  • Employee involvement: Empowering all employees to contribute to quality improvement.
  • Process approach: Managing activities as processes to achieve desired results.
  • Fact-based decision making: Using data and analysis, not intuition, for decisions.
Theorist / Pioneer
W. Edwards Deming
Year
1986
Category
Quality

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