ST.

LOUIS COLLEGE VALENZUELA

PRELIMINARY Examination
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM)

Name: Hugo, Ashley Niña L. Course/yr: BSAIS 2nd Year Score___/80

Instructor: CR Tubera

Test Discussion
1. What is the meaning of TQM? Take each letter of the buzzword and describe/define
what it connotes. 10 pts.

Total - made up of the whole

Quality - degree of excellence a product or service provides
Management - act, art or manner of planning, controlling, directing,…

Therefore, TQM is the art of managing the whole to achieve excellence.

2. “Do the right things right , the first time, every time”. In TQM, everyone must be guided
by this principle. How may this be applied in an organization by the people or employees
running it? You may use an example to illustrate its intent and full meaning. 10 pts.

This may be applied in an organization by doing their responsibility which is to fully

understand the customer requirements and to strive to meet them every time. Therefore,
the organization could achieved the quality by doing the right things right, the first time,
every time.

3. Productivity and TQM go hand in hand. On the following spaces, differentiate between
the traditional view of productivity and the continuous improvement view. 10 pts.

Based on the traditional view of productivity, quality cannot be improved without

significant losses in productivity and according to the view of continuous improvement,
the foundation of total quality is a management philosophy that supports meeting
customers requirements.

4. Enumerate and briefly describe the five tenets of TQM. 20 pts.

Basic Tenets of TQM

1. The customer makes the ultimate determination of quality.
  The organizations depend the quality of their product on their customers so we
must understand the current and future customer needs and meet their
requirements and strive to exceed their expectations.
2. Top management must provide leadership and support for all quality initiatives.
 Leaders cannot delegate responsibility for Total Quality because the success of TQM
depends on good leadership.
3. Preventing variability is the key to producing high quality.
 If we will not be mindful in preventing the variability, the quality of our product
could become low and cheap and this could result to the loss of sales.
4. Quality goals are a moving target, thereby requiring a commitment toward continuous
improvement.
 We must have a commitment because it will lead to a continuous and systematic
improvement of an organization
5. Improving quality requires the establishment of effective metrics. We must speak with
data and facts not just opinions.
 Metrics are used to drive improvements and help the organization focus their
people and resources on what’s important.

5. Of the three given aspects of TQM- COUNTING, CUSTOMERS, CULTURE, which do you
think should be given more emphasis to achieve excellence in quality. Why do you think so?
Substantiate your answer. 15 pts.

Among the three given aspects of TQM, the one that should be given more
emphasis to achieve the excellence in quality is the “Customers” because it is important
to improve the customer satisfaction by having a customer focus and consistently meeting
customer expectations. Customers are almost always satisfied when their expectations
are met. When they expect a certain product or service, and you deliver it without
problems and at a fair price, you’ve built a solid customer relationship. Happy, satisfied
customers become repeat customers and they provide word-of-mouth marketing – the
most powerful kind.

6. Based on lessons learned, and in your honest discernment, what is the genuine foundation
of total quality management? Support your answer. 15 pts.

Based on the lessons I’ve learned, the genuine foundation of total quality
management is concentrating on quality and productivity enhancement in all functions,
departments, and processes around the organization in order to provide excellent services
that meet customer expectations. Organizations use TQM to improve customer
satisfaction, reduce the price, and promote teamwork. Organizations can also gain higher
returns on sales and investment. The ability to provide quality services allow for higher
prices to be charged. Total quality means better access to global markets, greater
customer loyalty, wider recognition as a quality brand, etc. It requires immense efforts,
time, courage, and patience to successfully implement TQM. Businesses successfully
implementing TQM can witness improved quality across all major processes and
departments, higher customer retention, higher revenue due to improved sales, and
global brand recognition.