Quality Management: Questions and Answers

1.0 Total Quality Define total quality & quality. Total Quality: an approach of doing business that attempts to maximize the competitiveness of an organization through the continual improvement of the quality of its products, services, people, processes, and environments Quality: a dynamic state associated with products, services, people, processes, and environments that meets or exceeds expectations and helps produce superior value. List the elements of total quality 1. Strategically based: Comprehensive strategic plan that contains at least the following elements: vision, mission, broad objectives, and activities that must be completed to accomplish the broad objectives. 2. Customer Focus: External customers define the quality of the product or service delivered. Internal customers help define the quality of the people, processes, and environments associated with the products or services. 3. Obsession with Quality: All personnel at all levels approach all aspects of the job from the perspective of “How can I do this better?” 4. Scientific Approach: Hard data are used in establishing benchmarks, monitoring performance, and making improvements. 5. Long Term Commitment: Whole new way of doing business that requires an entirely new corporate culture. 6. Teamwork: Energy should be focused on improving quality and in turn external competitiveness. 7. Continual Process Improvement: To continually improve products and services it is necessary to continually improve systems. 8. Education and Training: People who know how to work hard also learn how to work smart. 9. Freedom through Control: Controls such as scientific methodologies lead to freedom by empowering employees to solve problems within their scope of control. 10. Unity of Purpose: It means that all employees work toward a common goal. 11. Employee Involvement and Empowerment: Structuring work that allows employees to make decisions concerning the improvement of work processes within well specified parameters.