Total quality management (TQM) is critical for every organization that is willing to establish positive and long-lasting relations with its clients. That is why various companies often refer to one of three TQM models: ISO 9001, EFQM, and MBNQA. There are a wide range of basic principles but, basically, these three are the most critical, dealing with the focus on customers, leadership, and continual improvement.
Adding value for customers is seen as the major principle of all TQM models. It is believed that a successful company is the one that focuses on its clients. Thus, the main task of the organization is to find out what its customers are willing to receive and need so that the opportunity to meet their wishes and requirements can be created. It is also crucial to be able to look at the organization as clients do and to understand the way they perceive a company’s performance (ISO 9001 Consultant para. 3). Such an approach is advantageous as it allows consideration of a situation from the customers’ perspective and to ascertain whether they are satisfied or not. On the basis of the information received, a future plan of action can be developed.
Much attention is also paid to the leadership. In the framework of TQM models, it is critical to consider the way the company is led by its upper management team (ASQ para. 7). It is expected that its representatives can be role models, followed by the employees.
Continual improvement gives organizations an opportunity to create a sustainable future (EFQM, “Fundamental Concepts” para. 6). It presupposes a continuous advancing of different constituencies of a company’s performance, with the focus on quality.
Self-assessment provides an opportunity to define if the organization is moving towards excellence and successfully achieving its planned goals. EFQM allows companies to choose one of the numerous tools, depending on the resources available and expected outputs. For example, the simple self-assessment provides a quick overview of strengths and opportunities on the basis of opinion, while site visit simulation provides an external view on the company supported by evidence (EFQM, “Self-Assessment” para. 8). With ISO 9001, self-assessment here provides an opportunity to evaluate organizational performance online. During the exercise, the company can score a maximum of 30 points in demonstrating the success of its operations. The process does not require much time and resources, which is advantageous for an organization. MBNQA takes into consideration the Baldrige Excellence Framework. It focuses on the criteria for performance excellence when discussing an organization’s processes and their impact. Different tools allow the identification of strengths and opportunities (similar to EFQM) and any gaps in understanding. There is a requirement to complete the organizational profile, which means that the process of evaluation is rather time-consuming (NIST para. 3).
The EFQM Excellence Award recognizes industry leaders after interviews and an analysis of an organization’s performance. The winner must demonstrate excellence in all eight principles of this TQM Model. ISO 9001 Certification is meant to prove that the company operates according to its standards. Unlike the EFQM award, it is not maintained as a competition (Certification Europe para. 4). MBNQA is an award that proves that the organization uses a successful quality management system. It shows that a company has achieved quality and performance excellence in one of six areas. The main principles of this TQM model are seen as the criteria for the examination.
Works Cited
ASQ. Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. 2016. Web.
Certification Europe. ISO 9001 Certification. 2016. Web.
EFQM. Self-Assessment. 2016. Web.
EFQM. Fundamental Concepts. 2016. Web.
ISO 9001 Consultant. Basic principles of ISO 9001 Quality. 2016. Web.
NIST. Self-Assessing Your Organization. 2015. Web.
