How to Implement Total Quality Management? Implementation Approach for TQM

Successful TQM / Process Management Implementation
Ravi Thaver, Turnaround Manager, South Africa, Member
True, many people say the same things about this methodology, but evidence of what works better is not available.

Basic TQM Implementation Steps
Dmitriy Kudinov, Project Manager, Ukraine, Member
Yes you are right, no generic perfect TQM implementation approach exist.
But there is a possibility to make several TQM implementation checklists. Do you agree that a basic quality system should consist of certain basic things and that details can be added to the implementation check list?
The first step should be a quality system gap assessment worksheet, that will provide you the planning for further work.
So you have basic steps:
1. Gap Assessment worksheet.
2. Basic TQM implementation checklist which will be based on this worksheet.
3. Further work and steps can be planned on checklist results.

TQM Implementation on the Organizations
Augusto, Student (MBA), Mexico, Member
Yes you are right... Any TQM implementation is affected by the working environment, the employees, how TQM is implemented and understood by the workers and how the managers share TQM with their workers...

Poka Yoke Could Be a Solution
ANUJ KUMAR SHRIVASTAVA, Manager, India, Premium Member
True. TQM in terms of say 6 sigma or any other kind will always be difficult. Rather you can say impossible.
But you can focus your new research and development on Poka Yoke.
It's a Japanese system which believes in a complete quality.
For example you will find when you open the door of refrigerator the bulb turns on and when the door is closed it has to switch off, the arrangement is made so. This is complete error free, and automatically quality is updated.
You can now start practically looking and understanding the techniques so you can make some innovation depending on a kind of firm, industry or company you are working in!
And obviously this will be a move in TQM.

TQM Implementation Considerations
Hussain Abdulla, Manager, Bahrain, Member
I totally agree with you, no generic TQM implementation framework exists.
But, there are some TQM principles if studied by organization will help them to be successful. Most of the researchers stress that TQM can be implemented, but the obstacles are commitment from top management and employees, type of leadership or management, inadequate support of HR and finance.
Another thing is that TQM implementation is successful in developed countries, but, it may not be possible to implement it successfully in third world countries for several reasons, the main one being the required change culture.

Critical Success Factors for TQM Implementation
Anneke Zwart, Student (University), Netherlands, Moderator
CSF’s can be generally defined as those factors that are necessary to achieve the goals set by the organization. But according to Salahelding there are also various CSF’s for successfully implementing TQM; he calls them the TQM CSF’s. These CSF’s are divided into three subcategories. This is done so as to clarify the absolute importance of each factor, and to assess the relative importance between those three factors.
1. Strategic Factors: These factors have a broad nature; they can have a relatively large impact on organizations’ efficiency on the long-term. Not only have they large impact, they also require significant modifications in the way a business is managed. Therefore these factors are highly important and are greatly influencing the successfulness of implementing TQM. Examples include benchmarking; leadership; improving continuously; processes of adding value; commitment of top managers.
2. Tactical Factors: These factors are of less importance in comparison to the strategic factors. But this does not mean that they are not important at all, since they do influence the techniques and activities that are established so as to achieve the expected benefits of TQM implementation. Furthermore, tactical factors reinforce the former mentioned strategic factors in implementing TQM successfully. Examples are empowering, involving and coaching employees; relationship with suppliers; analyzing suppliers’ quality and performance; integrating other systems.
3. Operational Factors: These factors are considered to be the least important factors for successful TQM implementation. One of the reasons that operational factors are less significant is the short-term impact that they have on organizations’ efficiency rather than a long-run effect. Examples are management of consumer relations; management of conserving and utilizing resources; monitoring and controlling work and processes.

Source: Salahelding, S.I. (2009). “Critical success factors for TQM implementation and their impact on performance of SMEs.” International Journal of Productivity, Vol. 58