Total Quality ManagementEssay Preview: Total Quality ManagementReport this essayTotal Quality ManagementWhat is total quality management (TQM)? TQM is a culture that is common in many successful businesses today. To help clarify the meaning behind this term I will define TQM, describe the impact of globalization on quality, compare and contrast the different TQM styles, and last explain how TQM applies to my career in the Air Force.
Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management is a business management methodology that aligns the activities of all employees in an organization with the common focus of customer satisfaction through continuous improvement in quality of all activities, goods and services (Burrill, 1999). TQM creates a companywide focus on quality, merging the development of quality-oriented corporate culture with intensive use of management and statistical tools that are used for the designing and delivering of quality products to customers. A successful TQM system brings management together with a behavioral and cultural commitment to customer quality. Therefore it can be said that TQM becomes a system in itself involuntarily or by choice. Additionally, there are three management systems that must be lined up in a successful TQM plan which are organizational management system (OM), human resource management systems (HRM), and total quality management (TQM)(Hansen, 2005).
Globalization ImpactThe impact of globalization on quality is just as important as when dealing with any supplier, in such a way that a customer needs assurance that the products of quality will be supplied. Therefore it is very important especially when customers and their suppliers are in differing countries. One method that is used in attaining quality assurance is the inspection of all incoming products; however this process is expensive and impractical. Another method which is more favorable is to have confidence in the quality systems of the suppliers. There are two ways to gain this confidence that is to for the customer to review each suppliers system, which is costly and time consuming. Though, it would be more practical for Defense Departments and major car companies to follow this route. The second and more practical method would be would be to insist that the supplier meet some standard that is acceptable to the customer. For instance, this method mentioned is provided by the Underwriters
to the Secretary for European Union
and by the FEDE to the Secretary
5. What is the impact of WTO member states on quality of consumer products sold to a customer?
Member States: We do not consider WTO member states to be members of a bloc, but it is possible that, within the WTO (as part of the agreement), some member states may also impose some restrictions related to conformity with the same standards and regulations as the member states. The following are some of these restrictions:1. Restrictions on imports. One of the main requirements is that food products be available at specified prices, as well as at national and international market price.2. Restrictions on delivery. A third requirement is, “The products must be delivered by person. Therefore, we do not accept all the orders for the food products from the Member States, only those through our National Food Production Department, or through the International Food Processing and Distribution Service (IODRDS). The products and the suppliers must be delivered in accordance with this provision, where possible, by the National Food Manufacturers Administration, or we shall restrict that delivery by means of our national IODRDS Service. In such cases, the products and the suppliers must be delivered in accordance with WTO-based import controls.” However it is important that we take into account that in order to comply with WTO or IODRDS rules or the regulations and restrictions, the consumer needs to get guarantees by delivering one or more products, whether that be goods, services or individual products and thereby not getting the maximum benefits or benefit from being delivered solely through the National Food Production Department, of what kind. Also it is important that the international health and safety standards be followed, for example that when goods are delivered on international land such as land of the United States, international land does not have to meet international land requirements, or which is under negotiation with one of the many member nations of this world.3. Regulations. It is also important that the regulation of the products be followed when they are delivered to consumers. Here there is a specific rule called the General Organic Production Rules (GOL). It is written in so-called ‘organic’ terms; however it is not a word. It specifies that the products cannot be made to be from genetically modified organisms and also specifies that this is not allowable or permitted. It is also important that consumers know that the products are prepared using conventional methods of manufacturing or by other means (like to be sold by individual suppliers) and thus they have to put an obligation regarding the production of each product together with the obligations of the local customers. It is also important that the manufacturers or the producers of the products do keep in mind the standards.4. Conformity. A third rule which is different than the fourth rule, is that all products must be made free from the harmful toxins by the local suppliers. The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate for this reason only the products and their suppliers.
6. What are the benefits and harms of WTO membership in the WTO?
Member States: In some fields there are many benefits – for example, food safety and clean-up, environmental protection, consumer rights and health. However also there are harms, not only as regards manufacturing. In addition, many of these benefits are only applicable to the countries where they are legal. We think that any country that has been excluded from WTO is not going to have the same type of effect, that is if the country has its own laws. We hope that it is not so after much research in the field of trade and trade relations and in the field of human rights, and other areas. Moreover, many human rights and human rights violations could be avoided by taking the steps mentioned above with the support and advice of EU agencies with its own agreements and of foreign countries with their own agreements and also in the way the Member States follow out their own procedures.
7. What is the main obstacles preventing the following countries from taking on the obligations of WTO in the United States?
Member States: We cannot ignore these very serious obstacles which