Total Quality Management (TQM) Components

      TQM has four basic components

1.      Put customers first 
2.   Make Continuous Improvement 
3.      Aim for zero defects 
4.      Training and development

Put Customers First

A quality product or service satisfies customer's needs and expectations. Whether a product or service is of high or low quality, will be decided by how it made the consumer feel and whether consumer expectations were satisfied or exceeded. See quality. If customers are not put first, then customer expectations will be difficult to satisfy and consequently quality will not be achieved. Customers can be put first through a variety of initiatives including

• Undertaking market research to discover consumer needs so that the organisation can develop products and services that exceed their consumer's needs. 
• Looking after all customers whether internal or external. Internal customers are employees of the organisation and are known as customers when they approach each other for a service. External customers are all non-employees (of the organisation) that approach the organisation in connection with a service or product. 
• Effective customer care systems. 
• Ensuring that all service standards are met. 
• Listening to customer views and opinions. Responding to customer views including, resolving customer complaints in a manner that satisfies their expectations. Once customer complaints are resolved they should be analyzed to prevent future recurrence. 

Make Continuous Improvement

The Japanese term "kaizen" has contributed to this component. Kaizen believes that there are no limits to continuous improvement. This means that a TQM organization will continuously strive to improve their product/service and increase the quality standards. A TQM organization will also view change positively whether the change involves a process change or a change in customer needs and expectations. This is because changes will enable the organization to develop and explore quality.

Aim for Zero Defects

There are a number of reasons behind the aim to eradicate defects. Defects are expensive because they will lower the customer's confidence in the product. Also it is more expensive to rectify defects than it is to prevent them occurring in the first place. Zero defects can be achieved through a combination of quality assurance and quality control.

Training and Development

An organization will need to train their employees to ensure that they understand the principles of TQM. A TQM organization employee will need to understand how TQM is to be achieved or maintained and how they as an employee will ensure that the organization emulates TQM. Unless each employee accepts and believes in TQM it will be difficult for the organization to practice TQM.