Joseph M. Juran was one of the leaders in “Total Quality” as we now know it. He offered many ideas and solutions to help businesses to improve the quality of their products and services. This paper will define total quality, discuss the application of total quality elements, their application in today’s environment, and the future of total quality.
Total Quality Defined
According to Goetsch and Davis, total quality (TQ) is defined as “an approach to doing business that attempts to maximize the competiveness of an organization through the continual improvement of its products, services, people, processes, and environment” (2010, pg. 7). Total quality focuses on many aspects of business and management like the customer'”both internally and externally. It also focuses on the quality of the product or service, the training and education of staff; the staff’s involvement in the business, the company’s willingness to empower staff to make decisions, teamwork among the staff, and the continual improvement of the business and its employees.
Application of Total Quality Elements
Juran established many avenues for helping businesses or people to achieve success in Total Quality Management (TQM). He has formed workshops, written books, recorded videos, held seminars to educate and train those interested in TQM. His resources have been published in 14 languages. He teaches that businesses should inform workers of company goals and their current position in relation to the set goals. Workers should remain informed of all progress and given recognition; a plan should be in place to easily rectify any problems that may arise. In regards to the customers, he teaches that businesses should know exactly who the customers are and what they want and need from the company and its product; then produce it.
Application to Today’s Environment
Businesses must always research their product and customers’ needs and desires (“The source for,” 2009). Businesses today spend a great deal on money researching what their customers want from their products and services. Many companies offer surveys with the opportunity to win prizes or money if the customer completes the questionnaire or answers the operator’s questions. Many of these surveys are listed on the cash register receipts or heard on an automated system while waiting for a representative to answer the phone. Information obtained from these surveys helps the business to tweak products in hopes of making them better or to provide employees with more training to make the customers’ experience better.
The Future of Total Quality
As technology increases companies will be forced to increase the technology of their product and service. Customers will require that services become easier and faster to use and the products remain a “step ahead” of the competitor. This will require businesses to press employees to receive a higher education and develop more innovative ideas for the products and services. Products and services will never be great because they can always be better.
Conclusion
Total Quality is an ever-changing field; businesses must remain up-to-date on customer or product trends to remain competitive with other companies. They must continually train staff, improve the product and service for the customers to deem the company and its product as one of quality.
References
Goetsch, D.L., & Davis, S.B. (2010). Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
The source for quality. (2009). Retrieved from http://juran.com/
