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Few Warns On Tqm

A FEW WORDS ABOUT - TQM

A FEW WORDS ABOUT

TQM



Total Quality Management is an approach to the art of management that originated
in Japanese industry in the 1950's and has become steadily more popular in the
West since the early 1980's.

Total Quality is a description of the culture, attitude and organization of a
company that aims to provide, and continue to provide, its customers with
products and services that satisfy their needs. The culture requires quality in
all aspects of the company's operations, with things being done right first
time, and defects and waste eradicated from operations.

Many companies have difficulties in implementing TQM. Surveys by consulting
firms have found that only 20-36% of companies that have undertaken TQM have
achieved either significant or even tangible improvements in quality,
productivity, competitiveness or financial return. As a result many people are
sceptical about TQM. However, when you look at successful companies you find a
much higher percentage of successful TQM implementation.

Some useful messages from results of TQM implementations:
if you want to be a first-rate company, don't focus on the second-rate
companies who can't handle TQM, look at the world-class companies that have
adopted it
the most effective way to spend TQM introduction funds is by training top
management, people involved in new product development, and people involved
with customers
it's much easier to introduce EDM/PDM in a company with a TQM culture than in
one without TQM. People in companies that have implemented TQM are more likely
to have the basic understanding necessary for implementing EDM/PDM. For
example, they are more likely to view EDM/PDM as an information and workflow
management system supporting the entire product life cycle then as a
departmental solution for the management of CAD data

Important aspects of TQM include...