Customer expectations are constantly evolving, and organizations need to adapt to meet these expectations in order to stay competitive. For IT organizations, the need to continuously improve their offerings is even more crucial. This is where Total Quality Management (TQM) comes into play, helping organizations maintain quality while pushing their speed and efficiency to the maximum.
What is Total Quality Management?
Total Quality Management is a management approach that aims to provide long-term success by delivering unparalleled customer satisfaction through the constant delivery of quality IT services. To effectively implement TQM, the entire organization needs to operate as a single unit, working towards excellence.
TQM is built upon several key principles:
- Customer first: TQM places an unwavering focus on the customer's experience in all interactions with the organization. From the first contact to purchase and continued support, the customer should always be the main priority.
- Employee ownership: TQM requires the involvement of every team member to ensure complete quality control at every level. Every department should contribute to providing customers with a great experience.
- Process-based: TQM focuses on creating and implementing processes that lead to success and can be repeated. Quantifying success and defining the steps taken to achieve it are essential for successful implementation of TQM.
- System integration: TQM strategies revolve around leveraging every asset available to the company. This is best achieved through system integrations that combine different parts of the organization into a single, well-coordinated machine.
- Communication: TQM requires effective communication and transparency among team members. This ensures that every team member is at their best and adds value to the team.
- Data-driven: TQM relies on data to drive improvement within the organization. Decisions are made based on quantifiable facts rather than guesswork.
- Constant improvement: TQM is an ongoing process. Perfection may be impossible to achieve, but organizations should always strive to get as close as possible.
These pillars act as a framework for decision-making within the TQM methodology. They provide guidance when organizations feel lost and help steer them in the right direction.
Implementing TQM
Implementing TQM requires an honest assessment of the organization's current state. There is no step-by-step guide for implementing TQM, as each business is unique and requires its own approach. However, the core tenets of TQM can guide decision-making.
Here are some areas of opportunity to consider when implementing TQM:
Emphasize customer satisfaction
Creating an emphasis on customer satisfaction changes the way departments think about their duties. Each employee should take ownership of their role and constantly look for ways to improve their department and outputs.
Communicate with everyone
Effective communication throughout the organization is crucial for educating everyone about the changes that are coming and for receiving feedback. Employees will feel a sense of ownership over the process when they know their voices are heard and they had a hand in guiding the changes.
Manage errors
Managing errors is a critical aspect of delivering quality. Creating processes that mitigate issues is essential for TQM success. Errors should be addressed and dealt with quickly, but they should also be recorded and tracked. Recurrent issues could indicate deeper problems that require large-scale changes to current procedures. Total quality management practitioners should take advantage of errors as learning opportunities and find ways to avoid them in the future.
TQM is everyone's responsibility
TQM requires all parties to take ownership of their roles, including admitting fault and giving praise. Accountability is essential for improving the quality of products and services. Tracking metrics and comparing results before and after changes allows organizations to learn what works and what doesn't. Systems should be structured and followed to ensure success can be replicated and improved upon. The pursuit of perfection should never stagnate.
Hewlett Packard has embraced Total Quality Management as a method to enhance their IT services and deliver unparalleled customer satisfaction. By focusing on the customer, involving every team member, implementing effective processes, integrating systems, promoting communication, relying on data, and striving for constant improvement, Hewlett Packard has been able to maintain quality while meeting customer demands in today's rapidly evolving technology landscape.
Implementing TQM requires a company-wide commitment to change and improvement, but the results are worth it. By adopting TQM principles and methods, organizations can provide exceptional customer experiences, drive efficiency, and stay ahead of the competition.