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Why choose TQM for your manufacturing

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Total Quality Management, or TQM, is a management methodology that was created to manage and improve the quality of every aspect of an organization. It is not just about managing machines, but also people and resources. Because everything affects everything else, everything must be managed for quality. This is what is meant be the word "Total". The other two words speak for themselves, which is to manage in order to achieve quality.

In manufacturing, where there are a lot of processes taking place in order to make a product, TQM focuses on statistical analysis in order to locate and fix problems. In order to gather the required statistics, measurements must be taken. According to these measurements, decisions can be made to improve the life cycle of a product, or maybe to reduce the defect rate. For example, from time to time, the manufacturers of automobiles gather information from dealership service centers concerning warranty repairs. If they find that they are repairing a lot of a certain part, then they would examine whether or not they should upgrade the part in their next model. If there is a safety issue, they may even issue a recall so that they can avoid costly accidents.

A quality control specialist could take a certain number of manufactured devices, maybe electronic devices, and put them through a series of tests. According to their findings they may decide to make improvements. They may be interested in how long the product can be used before it fails. If there is a common trend in a given part that fails, then action for the next model of product can be taken to improve it.

Why should you choose TQM over other similar methodologies?

The principles of TQM and other methodologies such as Six Sigma, Reengineering and Lean manufacturing are similar in nature. It is not an all or nothing proposition. It does not hurt to become familiar with several methodologies and use a blend of them together as there is considerable overlap between them. TQM is not one of the most popular in this decade compared to the other methodologies, and yet it is still based on solid principles with a many companies having used it successfully. Some critics of TQM say that Six Sigma and Lean can deliver the same results, but quicker. TQM has also been criticized as taking too long to implement before results can be measured. The main thing to consider is that you should adopt a methodology that works for your organization.

The TQM holistic approach to improving every aspect of the business, not just the mechanics of manufacturing, may be just what your organization needs. There are many websites dedicated to the idea of process improvement, and you will be able to read real case studies that have taken place by similar organizations to yours. Imagine being able to achieve real savings and profits through improving your processes, and increasing productivity and profitability.

If you have a smaller organization or a smaller scale operation than a large manufacturing company, TQM may be a better fit for you according to some studies.

Compared to not implementing any of these methodologies at all, the debate about which one is better is a mute point. Also, the effectiveness of the implementation will also depend on how well the organization understands the principles involved, and how well they can be put to good use.

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