Quality Management

The implementation, design, and development of a service or product forms part of a method called quality management. This method (quality management) ensures that all the activities necessary (implementation, design, development) are both efficient and effective with respect to the performance of the system. The focus of any successful organization should thus always be to achieve more consistent quality. The responsibilities, quality policy, and objectives of an organization are determined and implemented by quality management. Four main components are concerned with quality management. These are:

• Quality assurance
• Quality planning
• Quality improvement
• Quality control

One of these components, quality control, will be discussed in more detail further in this article.

Total Quality Control

Total Quality Control is one of the most important components of Quality Management. In a nutshell it can be defined as the most necessary inspection control of all. Even though statistical quality control techniques and quality improvements are implemented, it does not guarantee an increase in a company’s sales. On the contrary, sales might even decrease.

If sales decrease, a total quality control should be launched. A total quality control incorporates a number of “characteristics”. These are:

• Reliability
• Maintainability
• Safety

Thus, in order to improve manufacture and overall business performance, a lot of careful planning, attention and detail must be given to the above characteristics. If this is done correctly, part of the total quality control was done.

Something else which forms part of a total quality control is the implementation of some refinements into all aspects of business. These include the following:

The marketing department must define the customer’s specifications.

Specifications should conform to certain requirements.

The quality levels of products should not be affected if workers are on holiday or on sick leave.

Inspections and tests should be carried out regularly on the products.

All complaints/feedback from customers should be dealt with by management.