Improve processes and customer satisfaction with total quality management.
Have you ever purchased something (be it offline or online) only to get home and find the product defective? You wanted to try out this new item right away, but now you have to go through the process of returning that item.
As a small business owner, team lead, project manager, or quality control personnel involved in the production process, you have to think along these lines. Are your products and services doing this to your customers?
Quality management is critically important in manufacturing. If you're pumping out products at a breakneck pace but they disappoint your customers, it's all for naught and will negatively impact your business.
The good news? Negative experiences are avoidable. In addition to having good logistics software in place, you can take advantage of the concept of total quality management (TQM) to revolutionize not only your manufacturing activities but your entire business model.
What is total quality management (TQM)?
In the logistics sphere, TQM is an approach that integrates all quality-related functions and processes companywide to improve the quality and performance of the finished product.
It helps you focus on continuous improvement and addresses not just the end product but also the entire production process. It is an umbrella for all the procedures and processes centered on the customer so that you can build quality into every project.
Why should TQM be a top priority when it comes to managing projects?
You can't deny the fact that quality control is a crucial factor in successful project delivery. Poor quality can lead to service delays, dissatisfied customers, and even costly reworks. Adopting TQM helps bring the focus back to customer satisfaction and product quality.
TQM helps you...
Minimize reworks and production delays: With a set of quality policies in place, you can reduce the risk of defects and errors, resulting in faster project delivery and fewer reworks.
Reduce costs and risks: By ensuring product quality and eliminating errors, you can reduce costs associated with fixing mistakes, delays, and dissatisfied customers, making your project more efficient and risk-free.
Improve the quality of deliverables: By having quality control built into the system, you can easily monitor and ensure that project deliverables meet the pre-defined requirements.
Enhance customer satisfaction: By ensuring that the project deliverables meet customers' expectations with regard to quality, you can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Improve stakeholder relationships: By delivering high-quality projects on time, you can strengthen your relationships with stakeholders and boost their confidence in your project.
The cons of total quality management you shouldn't overlook
Even though TQM has numerous advantages, there are certain drawbacks that you should be aware of before implementing it.
High initial costs: Implementing a TQM system requires an upfront investment in resources and personnel, which can be financially prohibitive for small businesses.
Inability to measure results: Quality management methods may be difficult to measure and quantify, making it difficult to track the effectiveness of the system.
Time-consuming: Compliance with quality control protocols can be time-consuming, requiring lengthy meetings and paperwork.
Lack of flexibility: Quality management processes may be rigid and inflexible, making it difficult to adapt to changing business needs.
Unrealistic expectations: Quality management systems may set unrealistic standards that are difficult to meet, leading to low morale and decreased productivity.
The 8 principles of total quality management: Pillars of quality control
The 8 principles of total quality management are the cornerstones upon which the entire practice is based. You must follow these principles to ensure the successful implementation of TQM.
1. Focus on the customer
Your primary focus under TQM should be the customer and their needs. You must ensure that the services provided or products delivered meet customer needs and expectations. For instance, anticipate customer requirements and preferences and design processes keeping them in mind.
2. Streamline processes
It's important to design and operate a process with the aim of providing customers with quality products. Identify areas where processes can be improved and develop strategies to make them more efficient. Let's say you want to reduce the number of errors in the production process. You could use automated processes such as robotic arms and zero-defect manufacturing systems.
3. Partner with all employees
Quality improvement is not something that you can do alone. It needs to be actively pursued and supported by all employees at every level of the organization. Involve every employee in quality improvement initiatives, from the top management to front-line staff.
4. Implement a strategic and systematic focus
Quality improvement is not something that can be done on a whim. It needs to be systematically planned, implemented, and tracked. Establish clear goals and objectives and involve all stakeholders in the process. For example, you could set a goal of reducing customer complaints by 10% in the next 6 months by making improvements to your customer service processes.
5. Pursue continual improvement
Quality improvement is a continuous process. Strive to constantly improve the quality of your products and services, even if you have already achieved success in one area. Let's say you've successfully reduced customer complaints by 10% in 6 months as planned. Next, you could aim to reduce customer complaints by 20% over the next 6 months.
6. Integrate with other departments
Quality improvement should not be the sole focus of one department. You need to ensure that it is integrated into all areas of the organization in order to gain maximum benefit. For instance, you could develop a strategy to improve customer service that involves the sales and marketing departments as well as the customer service team.
7. Develop seamless communication
It's a known fact that communication is key to success. Develop a communication strategy to ensure that all employees are in the loop with regard to quality improvement initiatives. For example, if you think that customer service should be improved, make sure that all employees understand the importance of this initiative and why it is being implemented.
8. Adopt fact-based decision-making
Quality improvement efforts must be based on data and facts. Collect the necessary data, analyze it to identify problems, and use the results to develop actionable strategies for improvement. Make sure that all decisions are based on fact rather than opinion. Let's say you want to reduce customer complaints. You could analyze the data and identify weak points in your customer service process and develop strategies to address them.
Successful examples of TQM: Experts weigh in
/ CASE STUDY
TQM improves customer satisfaction
Sean Stevens[1] was tasked to improve the customer service strategy to deal with the growing cases of dissatisfied customers. He developed a TQM strategy focussed on identifying customer needs and expectations, setting up quality improvement plans, and taking corrective actions to address customer complaints. The result was a 25% reduction in customer complaints and significantly improved satisfaction level.
About Sean Stevens
Director at Immerse Education
/ CASE STUDY
TQM reduces transactional errors
Steve Rose[2] is vice president at MoneyTransfers, a money transfer service company. He wanted to reduce errors in international transactions, improve response times for customer queries, and ensure the highest quality of service.
To achieve this, he developed and implemented a TQM system with measures, such as employee feedback surveys, quality inspections, customer satisfaction reports, and monthly progress meetings. As a result, he managed to reduce errors in international transactions by 65% and improve customer satisfaction ratings and response times.
About Steve Rose
Vice president at MoneyTransfers
TQM made simple: Actionable tips for successful implementation
When you think of total quality management, it can seem like a daunting task. When broken down into simple steps and actionable tips, you will be able to implement TQM easily and quickly.
Tips for successful implementation: |
|---|
Analyze customer feedback and use the data to identify areas for improvement. |
Create an actionable plan for improvement and assign specific tasks to responsible parties. |
Establish quality standards and monitor performance against them. |
Integrate improvement efforts with other departments. |
Facilitate seamless communication between departments. |
Make decisions based on facts and data rather than opinions. |
Track progress and measure results. |
Reward success and use lessons learned to inform future decisions. |
Continuously review and update the improvement plan as needed. |
Leverage quality management software to automate such processes. |
Want to learn more about project management and related topics? We've got a few great resources you can dive into right now to explore the concepts: