Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management– (TQM) employs statistical methods and benchmarking of products and services against industry standards to ensure continuous quality improvement of organizational activities. This management approach is based on the postwar Japan works of W. Edwards Deming. It is a set of principles and practices whose core ideas include understanding customer needs, doing things right the first time, and striving for continuous improvement. Human resources is integrated with the TQM process in the selection and placement of employees based on problem-solving skills, cross-functional training, autonomous work teams,  team-based performance appraisal, group incentives, and horizontal career paths.