Chapter 2 Flashcards
What is Total Quality Management (TQM)?
Total Quality Management is defined as a customer-oriented process and aims for continuous improvement of business operations. It ensures that all allied works (particularly work of employees) are toward the common goals of improving product quality or service quality, as well as enhancing the production process or process of rendering of services.
State the principles of Total Quality Management
- Commitment from the management
* Plan (drive, direct)
* Do (deploy, support, and participate)
* Check (review)
* Act (recognize, communicate, revise) - Employee Empowerment
* Training
* Excellence team
* Measurement and recognition
* Suggestion scheme - Continuous Improvement
* Systematic measurement
* Excellence teams - Customer Focus
* Partnership with Suppliers
* Service relationship with internal customers - Process Oriented
* Thinking about the process
* Handling of the process - Decision Making Based on Facts Only and Not on Opinions
* Integrated, strategic and systematic approach to ensure the entire organisation is aligned
* Communication must be open and at all levels of the organisation.
What are the seven 7 tools of TQM
- Cause-and-effect diagram : (also called Ishikawa or fishbone diagrams): Identifies many possible causes for an effect or problem and sorts ideas into useful categories.
- Check sheet: A structured, prepared form for collecting and analyzing data; a generic tool that can be adapted for a wide variety of purposes.
- Control chart: Graph used to study how a process changes over time. Comparing current data to historical control limits leads to conclusions about whether the process variation is consistent (in control) or is unpredictable (out of control, affected by special causes of variation).
- Histogram: The most commonly used graph for showing frequency distributions, or how often each different value in a set of data occurs.
- Pareto chart: A bar graph that shows which factors are more significant.
- Scatter diagram: Graphs pairs of numerical data, one variable on each axis, to look for a relationship.
- Stratification: A technique that separates data gathered from a variety of sources so that patterns can be seen (some lists replace stratification with flowchart or run chart).
Name the key elements required for successful implementation of TQM in the apparel industry
- Ethics
- Integrity
- Trust
- Training
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Recognition
- Communication
What is Service Quality?
Service quality is a measure of how an organization understands its users’ needs and fulfills their expectations. Understanding how to improve the service quality of your product is the key step to growth for any organization.
Mention the 5 dimensions of Service Quality
- Reliability
This refers to an organization’s ability and consistency in performing a certain service in a way that satisfies its customers’ needs. Customers have a certain expectation of reliability in buying a specific product, and a company’s success usually depends on its ability to meet those expectations. - Tangibility
This is an organization’s ability to portray service quality to its customers. There are many factors that give a company highly tangible quality, such as the appearance of its headquarters, its employees’ attire and demeanor, its marketing materials and its customer service department. - Empathy
Empathy is how an organization delivers its services in a way that makes the company seem empathetic to its customers’ desires and demands. A customer who believes a company truly cares about their well-being is likely to be more loyal to that company. - Responsiveness
Responsiveness implies receiving, assessing and swiftly replying to customer requests, feedback, questions and issues. A company with high service quality always responds to customer communication as soon as possible. - Assurance
Assurance is the confidence and trust that customers have in a certain organization. Company employees need to be mindful of earning the trust of their customers if they want to retain them.
What is Customer Retention?
Customer retention refers to a company’s ability to turn customers into repeat buyers and prevent them from switching to a competitor. It indicates whether your product and the quality of your service please your existing customers.
What are the key aspects of TQM in the apparel industry?
Customer Focus:
Understanding customer needs, preferences, and expectations is essential in the apparel industry. TQM emphasizes the importance of gathering customer feedback and using it to drive product and process improvements.
Continuous Improvement:
TQM promotes a culture of continuous improvement. This involves identifying and addressing quality issues, defects, and inefficiencies in the production process. Continuous improvement helps in reducing waste, enhancing product quality, and increasing efficiency.
Employee Involvement:
Engaging employees at all levels in the apparel industry is crucial for TQM. Employees often have valuable insights into how to improve processes and product quality. Empowering them to participate in problem-solving and decision-making is a fundamental aspect of TQM.
Process Management:
TQM emphasizes the need to define and document processes in the apparel industry. This includes everything from design and sourcing of materials to manufacturing andquality control. By standardizing processes and monitoring their performance, organizations can identify and rectify deviations from quality standards.
Supplier Relationships:
The apparel industry relies heavily on suppliers for raw materials and components. Building strong relationships with reliable suppliers is essential for TQM. Suppliers must meet quality standards and deadlines, and their performance should be continuously monitored and improved.
Data-Driven Decision-Making:
TQM involves collecting and analyzing data to make informed decisions. In the apparel industry, data can be used to identify trends, quality issues, and areas for improvement. Statistical process control and Six Sigma methods are commonly used to analyze and improve processes.
Quality Control and Inspection:
Quality control and inspection processes are integral to TQM in the apparel industry. These processes ensure that products meet quality standards and are free from defects. Inspections are carried out at various stages of production to catch and rectify issues early.
Lean Manufacturing:
TQM often incorporates lean manufacturing principles to eliminate waste, reduce lead times, and optimize production processes. Lean techniques such as 5S (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) and Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing are used to improve efficiency.
Compliance and Sustainability:
In the apparel industry, compliance with safety, environmental, and ethical standards is crucial. TQM includes a focus on ensuring that products are produced in a sustainable and socially responsible manner, in line with industry regulations and international standards.
Training and Education:
TQM encourages continuous training and education for employees to enhance their skills and knowledge. This helps them better understand quality standards, improve their work, and adapt to changes in the industry.
Implementing TQM in the apparel industry can lead to better product quality, reduced costs, increased customer satisfaction, and improved competitiveness in the market. It is a holistic approach that requires commitment from all levels of an organization and a dedication to ongoing improvement.
