Quality is not a catchy phrase or cliché. Quality is survival. Yet there is uncertainty about how to use quality as a management tool to survive and succeed in the new millennium.

Quality is nothing new. As early as the 1920's, people began to realize that if you could fix the process, you could prevent problems and not have to repair or discard the faulty product or process.   Although the U.S. and Great Britain developed quality control methods for manufacturing, it was the Japanese who most enthusiastically embraced quality control and improvement techniques. With the help of American gurus W. Edwards Deming and Joseph Juran, the Japanese used quality techniques in all business functions, not just the manufacturing sector, and emphasized employee involvement within and across departments.  U.S. companies, faced with increasing costs and competition, now recognize the value of quality as an essential business strategy.

What is Quality? 

There is no single, correct definition of "quality." Some would define it as 'meeting customer needs;' others might say it means "zero defects."   The right definition is the definition that produces the results which the organization wants. Any working definition of quality addresses the need for continuous improvement in meeting the needs of both customers and staff while practicing sound fiscal responsibility.  The organization that improves quality eliminates rework, waste and inefficiency, elevates customer satisfaction and enhances the firm's bottom line.

What is Total Quality Management? 

Whether it's called Total Quality (TQ), Total Quality Control (TQC), Total Quality Improvement (TQI), Continuous Quality Improvement (CPI), or Total Quality Management (TQM), the fundamental objective is the same: to produce the desired results by continually improving work processes. TQM translates the corporation's vision into specific goals.

Developing a TQM Strategy. 

The overall TQM strategic plan takes the vision and values outlined in the company's philosophy and turns these principles into long-term goals.  Successful TQM strategies identify specific results which the organization wants to achieve. Many businesses also have each department develop its own strategy outlining how that strategy will help reach the quality goals.

The process must involve everyone, empowering everyone to contribute to continuous quality improvement. Employees should have the authority to solve problems and implement new ways of working. An effective quality improvement strategy helps people take initiative to improve their own and other departments. Each person is accountable for his/her role in producing the desired results. The organization should also ask customers for ideas on how to give better service. 

Techniques used in the quality process include brainstorming, flowcharting, Pareto charts, trend charts, cause-and-effect diagrams, to name just a few. Using those methods will help identify improvement opportunities, promote the collection of information and measure results before, during and after implementation.  The role of the TQM Committee is key to the quality management process by assuring that all employees have the right mix of knowledge, skills and abilities to use TQM to achieve goals and objectives. Recruitment and selection also need to include quality factors as part of the process.  The organization must develop an effective employee incentive program integrated with TQM to reward the achievement of results.

The program should: 

f         Include all employees 

f         Be based upon achievement of standards or goals 

f         Be based upon quality measurements that employees can strongly influence or control 

f          Encourage continuous improvement 

f         Be based upon both individual and team/group performance 

f          Encourage informal feedback and non-financial rewards for success

Conclusion 

To create the environment for continuous quality improvement, organizations must redesign their management systems to encourage results-oriented rewards and employee involvement. Quality is not an end in itself, but rather the company's strategic method to translate its mission into reality.

Gary R. Thornton, MBA, SPHR, CEBS, RPA, GBA is the Principal of Thornton & Associates, a human resources management consulting firm located in Scarborough, ME. He has more than 25 years’ experience in human resource management for both private and nonprofit organizations. He holds credentials as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), Retirement Plan Associate (RPA) and Group Benefit Associate (GBA). He currently serves as a Special Expertise Panel Member - Total Rewards, Compensation & Benefits for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). He has also held leadership roles in the Maine Employee Benefits Council and the Human Resources Association of Southern Maine. For more information about the information contained in this article, you may contact him at 207-885-9333 or email gthorn@ThorntonAndAssociates.net