Common principles underlying most approaches to TMQ are explained below:
Quality Circles became. Extremely popular in the 1980s, particularly in the aerospace, automobile, steel and consumer goods industries.
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Although, the term “quality circles” has declined in popularity, the incidence of such groups has grown. Quality circles are almost always featured in TQM programmes.
A quality circle consists of a small number of volunteers, typically eight to ten employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to examine productivity and quality problems. QC members identify a problem, study it and present their recommendations for change and improvement to a committee of higher management.
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Thus, TQM is a set of principles and practices whose core ideas include understanding customer needs, getting things right the first time, and striving for continuous improvement.
Principles
1. Customer-first orientation.
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2. Top management leadership of the quality improvement process.
3. Focus on continuous improvement.
4. Respect for employees and their knowledge (employees are actively involved in the improvement process)
5. Reduction of product and process variation.
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6. Provision of on-going education and training to employees.
7. Familiarity with a statistical way of thinking and the use of statistical methods throughout the organisation.
8. Emphasis on prevention rather than detection.
9. View of vendors as long-term partners.
10. Performance measures that is consistent with the goals of the organisation.
11. Standardisation – the development of an adherence to the best known ways to perform a given task.
12. Product or service quality begins with its definition and design.
13. Cooperation and involvement of all functions within an organisation.
14. Awareness of the needs of internal customers.
15. Substantial cultural change.