Introduction
There was a time when quality was treated just a technical discipline in 1970s. Quality could be dispensed with till the time the goods and services could be delivered at low costs. However quality now finds a mention in every agenda of all top managements across all companies and departments. Quality is a central to profitability and crucial to success of every organisation. Born (1994) and Muhlemann, Oakland and Lockyer (1992).
Definition of Quality
In general terms, quality can be defined as the ability of a product or service to meets the customer’s requirement. Different people have different definitions of quality but they all have the same central theme. For example, Juran defines quality as “fitness for use”. Philip Crosby defines quality as “conformance of requirement”. However the definition of quality that best suits our topic of assessment is the definition by American Society for Quality. They define quality as “the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs”.
Total Quality Management
According to the Chartered Quality Institute, TQM is a strategy to achieve manufacturing and service excellence. It is a concept that focuses on combined efforts of all the employees of the organisation including the management and other staff to satisfy customer expectations by continuous improvement. TQM is not a one time phenomenon but a continuous process. As quality is indispensable, TQM is necessary for the survival of any organisation. Improvement in quality can help the firm to increase sales, reduce costs and improve their reputation and thus profitability. For TQM to be successful, it must be applied in all departments of the organi ...