The purpose of this essay is to give an overview of the development in management of quality over the last six decades. Today’s business environment is such that management must plan strategically in order to regain market share. An aim of companies is to satisfy the customer’s needs and desires before the competition will do so. Over years the direction and visions in organisations changed, one significant reason is the quality movement. This has a deeply impact of the policies, attitudes, and operations of organisations. However, the essay will discuss the four phases of quality management: Inspection, quality control, quality assurance, and total quality management. Further, there are a number of tools for management in order to reach their objectives of which some will be presented.
In the early 1900s the Jobs of the employees, characterised by Taylorism, were broken down into their fundamental structures in order to increase efficiency and productivity. This division of labour formed repetitive jobs in which the employee has to work and follow the instruction of the management in order to give attention to the maximisation of the output. Only the management were setting the rules and were allowed to change the way of work through the calculation and analysis of job records, instruction cards, etc., and through time and motion studies on the shop floor (Hutchins 1985). The information system was often not standardised and informal. Further, since there was very little conversation, there was very little real recognition that each dealt with aspects of the same difficulty. Furthermore, Beardwell (1994) explained that the work was monotone, demotivating and inhumane because it offers no challenging and satisfying tasks.
In the first stage, the inspection phase of development in quality management, factories determined quality by comparing their manufactured product to some master part. If the produced good did not equal the master entirely, a team of inspectors carried it out. The inspectors took samples of the manufactured parts, but could not inspect all of them. As a result, the quality of inspection was low and not very productive. The quality inspection was technical focused. For example, the mass producer of automobile Ford used a method of industrial management based on assembly line systems and caused in this time a lot of waste and the deterioration in the quality of the products was extremely high.
Table of Contents
1. History of the origins of - Total Quality Management
Objectives and Topics
This essay aims to provide a comprehensive historical overview of how quality management has evolved over the past six decades, shifting from reactive inspection methods to a holistic, strategic approach. It explores the foundational concepts, the role of leadership, and the integration of quality processes across organizational departments to satisfy modern consumer demands.
- Evolution of quality management through four distinct phases
- The impact of Taylorism and early inspection-based industrial methods
- Statistical process control and the contributions of experts like Deming and Juran
- The role of organizational culture and employee involvement in TQM
- Strategic importance of quality standards like ISO 9000 and quality awards
Excerpt from the Book
The four phases of quality management
The purpose of this essay is to give an overview of the development in management of quality over the last six decades. Today’s business environment is such that management must plan strategically in order to regain market share. An aim of companies is to satisfy the customer’s needs and desires before the competition will do so. Over years the direction and visions in organisations changed, one significant reason is the quality movement. This has a deeply impact of the policies, attitudes, and operations of organisations. However, the essay will discuss the four phases of quality management: Inspection, quality control, quality assurance, and total quality management. Further, there are a number of tools for management in order to reach their objectives of which some will be presented.
In the first stage, the inspection phase of development in quality management, factories determined quality by comparing their manufactured product to some master part. If the produced good did not equal the master entirely, a team of inspectors carried it out. The inspectors took samples of the manufactured parts, but could not inspect all of them. As a result, the quality of inspection was low and not very productive. The quality inspection was technical focused. For example, the mass producer of automobile Ford used a method of industrial management based on assembly line systems and caused in this time a lot of waste and the deterioration in the quality of the products was extremely high. The management reacted to quality problems in a short-term response in order to solve the problems (Feigenbaum 1991).
Summary of Chapters
1. History of the origins of - Total Quality Management: This chapter traces the transformation of quality management from early Taylorist inspection techniques to modern, comprehensive Total Quality Management systems that emphasize continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.
Keywords
Total Quality Management, TQM, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Inspection, Deming, Juran, Continuous Improvement, ISO 9000, Taylorism, Customer Satisfaction, Business Strategy, Process Improvement, Zero Defects
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this essay?
The essay provides a historical overview of how the management of quality has evolved over the last sixty years, detailing the shift in organizational focus and strategy.
What are the four phases of quality management discussed?
The four phases covered are Inspection, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, and Total Quality Management (TQM).
What was the main goal of early quality management?
Early management, characterized by Taylorism, focused on maximizing output and efficiency through strict division of labor and reactive product inspection.
How did Deming influence the evolution of quality?
Deming introduced statistical quality control and emphasized that top management is responsible for fostering a culture of quality through teamwork and training.
What role does the customer play in modern quality management?
In modern TQM, the customer is central; quality is defined as "fitness for use," and the organization must align all processes to meet or exceed consumer expectations.
What are the key themes explored in the text?
The text focuses on the transition from technical, product-focused inspection to a strategic, people-oriented management philosophy that involves every department in the organization.
What is the significance of ISO 9000 in this context?
ISO 9000 provides a standardized framework for quality assurance, serving as a global benchmark to help companies improve performance and demonstrate compliance to customers.
How does the author describe the concept of "Kaizen"?
Kaizen is described as a philosophy of continuous process improvement, often utilized in Japan, which treats quality as a way of life involving all business activities.
- Quote paper
- Christine Klock (Author), 2004, History of the origins of Total Quality Management, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/32008
