Total Quality Management (TQM) ensures that all components of an industry work together to improve the quality of its services and products.

Required:
Explain THREE (3) features of Total Quality Management.
(5 marks)

Features of Total Quality Management (TQM):

  1. Continuous Improvement:
    TQM emphasizes the need for ongoing improvement in all processes, products, and services. This involves consistently seeking ways to reduce waste, increase efficiency, and enhance the quality of outputs. Continuous improvement is often implemented through methodologies like PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) and Six Sigma.
  2. Customer Focus:
    TQM places a strong emphasis on understanding and meeting customer needs and expectations. The primary goal is to achieve customer satisfaction by delivering high-quality products and services. This involves actively listening to customer feedback, understanding their requirements, and ensuring that these needs are met or exceeded.
  3. Employee Involvement:
    TQM encourages the involvement of all employees at every level of the organization in the quality improvement process. It recognizes that quality is everyone’s responsibility and that empowering employees to contribute ideas and take ownership of their work can lead to significant improvements in quality. This feature promotes teamwork, open communication, and a sense of ownership among employees.

(Any 3 points @ 1.667 marks each = 5 marks)