What Is Meant By Total Quality Control?
Introduction:
Total Quality Control (TQC) has been defined in a variety of ways, all of which emphasize its important role in focusing on the various activities within organisations.
Definition of the TQC:
TQC has for example been described as:
‘A management framework to ensure continuing excellence’
This management framework was suggested to include the following statements/ programmes for action:
- TQC is a business philosophy which groups together manufacturing, engineering, marketing and sales amongst others, linked together by a two way flow of information;
- TQC should be considered as a mind-set to approve only criteria which lead to better than acceptable quality (via the use of continuous improvement);
- TQC is a continuous process for improvement where current standards present the opportunity for the achievement of new and higher targets (standards);
- TQC provides reliability and consistency in th e delivered product service as a check-and-balance system.
Company Wide Quality Control
- This is another terminology for TQC which is used in Japan.
- The emphasis here is once again on the total control of quality organisation wide and with the contribution of every department and every individual within the organisation.
- CWQC looks at the process of serving customers from the point of view of the customer-supplier chain (both internally and externally). It therefore assumes that all the roles have to be conducted with quality, efficiency, speed of response, etc.
Some definitions of TQC:
1.The application of a number of important management principles and the statistical control of quality to all stages of planning, design, production, service, marketing, accounting and administration. It aims at achieving disruption-free, error-free activities that produce defect-free products and services at a quality cost suited to their market, and with dependable delivery.
2.Problem analysis in order to develop long term solutions rather than response to short term variations. Concern with direct cost reduction and a preoccupation with efficiency are ousted in favor of the pursuit of quality through the elimination of waste and non-value adding procedures and assuring continuous improvement through the refinement and expansion of quality control systems and procedure.
3.A unique concept in business management style that involves every member of any business organisation, from the top executive to the person on the lowest rung of the organisational hierarchy, in solving quality, cost and production problems. Total Quality Control is the statistical control of quality applied to the total operation of an organisation to produce dependable goods and services at a low cost suited to the market.