Discuss Total Quality Management (TQM) and the steps for implementing Total Quality Management.

Total Quality Management is an approach of the management to provide long-term customer satisfaction where all the members of the organisation contribute towards improving processes, products, and associated services.

Today’s customer is spoiled by the choices available in the market. The customer will not buy a product of average quality when a product from a different organisation is available in the market which is of high quality. To ensure survival as well as success, organisations don’t have any choice but to adopt Total Quality Management.

TQM ensures high customer value and satisfaction.

For implementing effective and efficient TQM following steps are followed –
– The management should correctly identify the needs and wants of the buyers in the target market. The marketers should carry out research and analysis activities by trained and experienced people. If the data reflecting the needs and wants of the market place is not proper, the organisation will end up making an offering that has no demand. This will result in losses and give advantage to the competitors.

– The various functions in the organisation should work on creating an offering that meets the needs and wants of the maximum buyers in the market place. All the departments in the organisations should be encouraged to work for the vision of the organisation. All the staff members should work in sync to ensure the right offering is made basis the needs and wants of the marketplace. Studies have concluded that a well organised firm with employees motivated towards a common goal work more effectively (less costs) and efficiently (minimal hassles).

– The Marketer has to properly communicate to the buyers that the right offering has been created and is made available. The right communication message and message vehicle should be employed to meet the promotion objectives.

– Organisation should ensure the products are easily available for customer demo, training (technical assistance), buying and timely delivery. On-time delivery to middlemen, customers should be ensured for timely availability of the product. The middlemen should be adequately trained to help customers or retailers for any queries and demos.

– The customers should have easy access to service centres, easy claim on repair charges, warranties, guarantees, replacements, etc. The organisation should contact the customer regularly to ensure customer satisfaction.

– Communication should be kept open to receive customer inputs and feedback for making product changes and improvements in services. Any kind of input from the customer should be valued. The feedback should be stored such that it is easily accessible to the employees who work on products and its associated services so that they can implement necessary changes.

The entire organisation with its manufacturing, Human resources, customer service staff, research & development, marketing department, etc. should work in sync with common goal of achieving customer satisfaction. There should be easy access as well as flow of information in the organisation. The information should be fairly shared with the customers, suppliers and middlemen for proper functioning of all processes.