Introduction
The quality of a product, service, or procedure is determined by its performance and ability to meet customer expectations. Functionality, reliability, and conformity are three crucial factors that contribute to quality. However, the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach is widely used in the industry to control quality in the supply chain. In this essay, we will focus on three key points from Deming’s 14 principles of TQM to better understand its implications for business management.
Three Principles from Deming’s Total Quality Management Approach
First, having a clear, long-term vision for the company and directing all activities towards that goal is crucial. It is emphasized by the first principle of creating constancy of purpose (Stevenson, 2020). This creates a stable and reliable supply chain, as all parties know what to expect.
The second point emphasizes the need to embrace change to succeed in today’s business environment: adopt a new philosophy (Stevenson, 2020). This motivates companies to enhance their supply chain systems and adapt to changes. Finally, the need to switch from a response-based inspection strategy to a preventive one is stressed, which is emphasized by the cessation of dependence on inspection to achieve quality (Stevenson, 2020). Organizations can improve the final product quality and enhance their supply chains by reducing the likelihood of faults and detecting and resolving issues early.
Comparison of the Principles
However, the practical, functionality, reliability, and conformity dimensions of quality are equally important. First, when discussing a product’s functionality, we discuss how well it serves its intended function. If a product cannot accomplish what it is supposed to, then it cannot hope to satisfy its target audience.
Second is reliability, a product or service’s consistent and dependable quality (Beckford, 2023). Customers place a high value on this since they want to know that their purchases will function as advertised and not fail (Mukherjee, 2019). The third is the degree to which a product or service conforms to its declared criteria or specifications, which is referred to as conformance to specifications. It is crucial since reputation and consumer happiness are at stake when products are not up to par with their requirements.
Conclusion
In conclusion, quality is determined by three crucial factors: functionality, reliability, and conformity. TQM offers a practical approach to controlling quality in the supply chain by focusing on three key principles: having a clear vision, embracing growth, and switching to a preventive inspection strategy. By applying these principles, businesses can improve their supply chain systems and enhance the final product quality.
References
Beckford, J. (2023). Quality management: Reconsidered for the digital economy. Routledge.
Mukherjee, S. P. (2019). Quality domains and dimensions. Springer Singapore.
Stevenson, W. J. (2020). Operations Management (14th ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education.