Total Quality Management and Approaches to Defining Quality

Vocabulary flashcards covering key TQM concepts, quality definitions, cost categories, core principles, organizational elements, and contrasts with traditional management.

An organization-wide philosophy of continual quality improvement aimed at meeting or exceeding customer expectations.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Transcendent Approach

Defines quality as the inherent goodness, superiority, or excellence of a product—an abstract, subjective judgment.

Product-Based Approach

Views quality as a function of the quantity of specific, measurable product attributes or features.

User-Based Approach

Defines quality as fitness for intended use; a product is high quality if it satisfies the user’s needs.

Manufacturing-Based Approach

Sees quality as conformance to predetermined specifications or standards during production.

Value-Based Approach

Relates quality to the ratio of perceived benefits to price; more benefit for the same or lower cost means higher quality.

Customer-Based Approach

Defines quality as the extent to which a product or service meets or exceeds customer expectations.

Quality of Design

The minimum set of characteristics a product or service must possess to satisfy customer requirements identified through market research.

Quality of Conformance

The degree to which a product or service adheres to the design intent during production.

Quality of Performance

How well a product functions or a service performs in actual use, focusing on satisfying customer expectations.

Appraisal Costs

Expenses incurred to detect defects or assure quality, such as inspection and testing.

Prevention Costs

Expenses aimed at avoiding defects before they occur, including training and quality planning.

Failure Costs

Costs resulting from defective products or services; divided into internal and external failure costs.

Internal Failure Costs

Defect-related costs discovered before delivery to the customer, e.g., scrap, rework, equipment damage.

External Failure Costs

Defect-related costs found after delivery, such as warranty work, complaint handling, or liability claims.

Customer Satisfaction (TQM Core Concept)

Placing the customer’s requirements at the center of all quality efforts.

Employee Empowerment

Granting workers authority and responsibility to identify problems and make improvements.

All Work Is a Process

The view that every task results from a combination of methods, materials, manpower, and machines.

Four M’s

The foundational elements—Methods, Materials, Manpower, Machines—combined in any process.

Measurement (TQM Core Concept)

Assessing current performance as a prerequisite to improvement.

Synergy in Teamwork

The idea that collective effort produces results greater than the sum of individual contributions.

Quality at the Source

Making each worker responsible for doing the job right the first time and ensuring the quality of their own output.

Continuous Improvement

The ongoing pursuit of incremental enhancements to processes, products, and services.

Prevention (Zero Defects)

The belief that defect-free work is attainable by doing it right the first time, every time.

Ethics (TQM Foundation)

Moral principles guiding behavior and decisions in quality management.

Integrity

Incorruptibility and consistency in upholding quality standards.

Trust

Confidence among employees, management, and customers that fosters open communication and cooperation.

Leadership (Building Brick)

Guiding and motivating people toward shared quality objectives.

Teamwork (Building Brick)

Collaborative effort among employees to achieve quality goals.

Training (Building Brick)

Providing employees with the skills and knowledge necessary for quality improvement.

Communication (Binding Mortar)

The flow of information that connects all TQM elements and enables coordination.

Downward Communication

Information transmitted from higher to lower organizational levels, e.g., memos from management.

Upward Communication

Information flowing from lower to higher levels, allowing employee feedback and ideas.

Lateral Communication

Horizontal information exchange between peers or departments.

Recognition (TQM Roof)

Acknowledging and rewarding contributions to quality improvement.

Traditional Management Style

Results-oriented approach that may sacrifice quality to meet short-term quotas and internal goals.

Quality-Focused Management

Management style that prioritizes high product quality and customer satisfaction over merely meeting quotas.

Cyclic Thinking (Kaizen)

An iterative, small-step approach to stable, continuous improvement in TQM.

Adversarial Supplier Relationship

Traditional stance viewing suppliers mainly as cost factors, often leading to conflict.

Partner Supplier Relationship

TQM view of suppliers as collaborators in achieving mutual quality goals.

Process-Oriented Focus

TQM emphasis on the effectiveness of the process used to create products or services.

Product-Oriented Focus

Traditional emphasis on the end product, often overlooking the processes producing it.