Total Quality Management

1. Discuss how an organization can benefit from a Total Quality Management program.

According to Total Quality Management as Competitive Advantage: a Review and Empirical Study, TQM “improved understanding of customers’ needs, improved customer satisfaction, improved internal communication, better problem-solving, and greater employee commitment” (Powell, 1995). Within an organization, TQM is synonymous with equality. It doesn’t belittle or bemoan the importance of various departments, no matter how diminutive, but concentrates on ensuring that each area receives the same attention as its counterpart. TQM can literally save a company from ruin. For example, Downey Regional Medical Center (DRMC) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009 (Veneracion, 2011). Today, the hospital is expecting a highly coveted ISO 9001 certification, has passed several important inspections, and credits the implementation of TQM as the reason for their resurgence (Veneracion, 2011). Companies can benefit from TQM because it insists upon excellence or quality across the board. It allows for more complete organizations that have more synergy and continuity from top to bottom.

2. Analyzing the case more closely, speculate which definition of quality each of the four main players was adhering to and explain your rationale for each employee.

In regards to Delta Plastic’s decision to release its new “super-plastic” there were a few opposing thoughts. Isabelle Harrison, Director of R&D, believes the product is safe, but she also wants to safeguard against unexpected defects in quality that may appear. Isabelle and Jose De Costa both want to ensure that the product can withstand the rigors of production and use. They adhere to a “conformance to specifications” definition of quality (Reid & Sanders, p.151). Conformance to specifications is defined by the text as “how well a product or service meets the targets and tolerance determined by it designers”...