Skip to main content
Biology LibreTexts

2.4: Feigenbaum - Total Quality Management (TQM)

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF
  • Page ID
    39480

    • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Dr. Armand Vallin Feigenbaum (1922-2014)

    Dr. Armand Vallin Feigenbaum was an American-born quality expert. He devised the concept of Total Quality Control, later coined as Total Quality Management (TQM) (Feigenbaum Foundation, 2016).

    TQM is an extensive, company-wide quality improvement program. It gets everyone involved in developing an agreed-on company-wide and plant-wide work structure documented ineffective, integrated technical and managerial procedures. The integration provides coordination to the actions of the workforce, machines, and information of the company in the most practical ways, ensuring customer quality satisfaction and economic costs of quality. To learn more about Feigenbaum, visit the Feigenbaum Foundation.

    Often a company quality control department only focuses on production. However, Feigenbaum realized that the customer might have a problem not only with the product but also with the call center, shipping, or records. TQM is a consumer-based improvement system, and all the workers need to participate and educated. He identified 10 product and service conditions that must be met or considered to satisfy customer requirements. The aim of these requirements is that quality establishes the proper balance between the cost of the product or service, and the ‘customer value' it renders (including safety).

    Feigenbaum's 10 Product and Service Considerations

    1. Specification of dimensions and operating characteristics.
    2. Life and reliability objectives.
    3. Safety requirements.
    4. Relevant standards.
    5. Engineering, manufacturing, and quality costs.
    6. Production conditions under which the product is manufactured.
    7. Field installation, maintenance, and service objectives.
    8. Energy utilization and material conservation factors.
    9. Environmental and other side effects considerations.
    10. The cost of customer operation and use and product service.

    Today quality involves a total company commitment to quality. The TQM approach states that every employee in the business is responsible for quality. Note that this is distinct from the old model of an adversarial relationship between labor and management and closer to the model of labor-management cooperation. “Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management approach that places emphasis on continuous process and system improvement as a means of achieving customer satisfaction to ensure long-term company success.” (Summers, 2010)

    TQM is not a temporary fix or used for short-term problem-solving. A long-term, deeply committed management style is dedicated to the improvement of the process of an unwavering commitment to meeting the customers' needs. Since their needs are continually changing, TQM must also be amenable to change. Later assignments will explore TQM as well as other management styles to help meet customer needs.

    The TQM philosophy influencing corporate culture:

    • leadership
    • information and analysis
    • strategic quality planning
    • human resource development and management
    • management of process quality
    • quality and operational results
    • customer focus and satisfaction

    Explore!

    Learn about Total Quality Management (TQM) at this website.

    It can be difficult to get employees on board with a new management style. What are some things you would recommend helping transition employees in a positive way to this management style?

    This page titled 2.4: Feigenbaum - Total Quality Management (TQM) is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jack O'Grady.