Total quality

Total Quality Management (or TQM) is a management concept coined by W. Edwards Deming. The basis of TQM is to reduce the errors produced during the manufacturing or service process, increase customersatisfaction, streamline supply chain management, aim for modernization of equipment and ensure workers have the highest level of training. One of the principal aims of TQM is to limit errors to 1per 1 million units produced. Total Quality Management is often associated with the development, deployment, and maintenance of organizational systems that are required for various business processesTQM and Six Sigma
The main difference between TQM and Six Sigma (a newer concept) is the approach. TQM tries to improve quality by ensuring conformance to internal requirements, while Six Sigmafocuses on improving quality by reducing the number of defects and impurities
Quality management can be considered to have three main components: quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement.Quality management is focused not only on product/service quality, but also the means to achieve it. Quality management therefore uses quality assurance and control of processes as well as productsto achieve more consistent quality
Quality management evolution
Quality management is a recent phenomenon. Advanced civilizations that supported the arts and crafts allowed clients to choose goodsmeeting higher quality standards than normal goods. In societies where art responsibilities of a master craftsman (and similarly for artists) was to lead their studio, train and supervise the on, theimportance of craftsmen was diminished as mass production and repetitive work practices were instituted. The aim was to produce large numbers of the same goods. The first proponent in the US for thisapproach was Eli Whitney who proposed (interchangeable) parts manufacture for muskets, hence producing the identical components and creating a musket assembly line. The next step forward was promoted...