Total Quality Management.

Certainly TQM can be defined in a number of ways, and the details of different approaches can vary somewhat. However, a good starting definition, drawn from Capezio & Morehouse is:

"Total Quality management refers to a management process and set of disciplines that are coordinated to ensure that the organization consistently meets and exceeds customer requirements. TQM engages all divisions, departments and levels of the organization. Top management organizes all of its strategy and operations around customer needs and develops a culture with high employee participation. TQM companies are focused on the systematic management of data of all processes and practices to eliminate waste and pursue continuous improvement. "

TQM is cultural change, an ongoing dedication to continuous improvement in every aspect and corner of the business, and with all stakeholders. TQM is a philosophy of work-life, a business-oriented, almost religious striving to be the best one can be. TQM is not just tools, training programs, data collection systems, suggestion boxes, team meetings, advertising gimmicks, or a coveted award.

TQM is the way a firm gradually transforms its culture, business policies, processes and products to best serve its stakeholders -- and how it balances its quest for profit with a quest to delight its customers.

TQM cannot be purchased. It doesn't come in a box or a fixed set of steps. TQM must be homegrown. The seed has to be planted, take root, and be continually nurtured and sustained for the life of the firm. Quality vendors selling hardware, software, and brainware can provide needed tools. Consultants can help guide the development of TQM, but they can't "install" TQM. TQM, while appearing similar, differs markedly from company to company. Each company's culture shapes TQM's significant differences. Little success can be expected from a hodgepodge of the latest quality gadgets, computers, training programs, books, tapes, or consultations.

Top management must:

· Carefully explore the consequences of and commitment to TQM,

· Thoughtfully capture their vision and create a mission that will be

embraced throughout the firm,

· Carefully plan an integrated TQM implementation with appropriate

support systems, and

· Take primary, personal responsibility for nurturing and sustaining

TQM.

TQM must be practiced throughout the organization. To do less is to fragment the process. If it is fragmented, it isn't TQM. However, TQM need not be implemented all at once. A carefully phased rollout is most logical. A Steering Group and cross-functional teams ...

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Top management must:

· Carefully explore the consequences of and commitment to TQM,

· Thoughtfully capture their vision and create a mission that will be

embraced throughout the firm,

· Carefully plan an integrated TQM implementation with appropriate

support systems, and

· Take primary, personal responsibility for nurturing and sustaining

TQM.

After up-front planning, a first step might be to develop standards and bring processes into control, as part of the TQM plan. A company with no TQM mission and plan that installs SPC in the stamping department to address high scrap rates is taking a fragmented approach. The patch may help, but such piecemeal steps, repeated and uncoordinated over time can waste more money than they save, and contribute little to customer satisfaction and company profit. Also, some companies invest millions in the latest facilities and equipment and little in developing employees.

A TQM commitment is serious business. Plan seriously, implement thoughtfully, support it and improve continuously, and celebrate successes frequently.

Classification of Organizations in terms of TQM, BPR, and empowerment factors.Project management is divided into three management properties - managed empowerment, zero-defects management (TQM), and process engineering management (BPR). Managed empowerment refers to the ability of the IS project management team to facilitate employee empowerment and involvement in major project decisions. Zero-defects management refers to a specific strategy to increase total quality in products and services. A key strategy for zero-defects management is to place mechanisms along the process path to facilitate low defect rates. Process engineering management refers to an organization's strategic view of BPR. An organic view conceives BPR as a piecemeal improvement method to be activated as problems surface. A constructed view envisions BPR as a enterprise-wide strategy to improve quality and better serve customers.

User involvement is divided into three properties - championship, autonomy, and decision making involvement. Project championship is the influence the champion has on the success of the project. Team autonomy refers to the extent team members are empowered to carry out their jobs. Decision making involvement is the extent that individual teams members have input into the decision making process.

TQM Practical Application for

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Total = Quality involves everyone and all activities in the company.

Quality = Conformance to Requirements (Meeting Customer Requirements).

Management = Quality can and must be managed.

TQM = A process for managing quality; it must be a continuous way of life; a philosophy of perpetual improvement in everything we do.

When TQM is successful employees at every level participate in decisions affecting their work. The most common vehicle for employee participation is a team. Teams range in scope and responsibility from problem-solving groups to self-managed work teams that schedule work, assign jobs, hire members, and set the standards and volume of output. A participative work when quality becomes everybody's responsibility.

Suggestion Scheme

Program that elicits individual employee suggestions on improving work or the work environment.

Quality Circle

Group of employees that meet voluntarily in a structured environment to identify and suggest work-related improvements. The group's only power is to suggest changes.

COMPANY PROFILE

Indiatmes.com

Times Internet Limited, The Times of India Group

Indiatimes.com is an Internet venture of India’s largest media house - The Bennett Coleman and Company Limited. Times Internet Ltd is the holding company of indiatimes.com that made its foray into the world of Internet with a mission to create world-class web products and services. In a short span of time, the portal has established its presence as India’s most comprehensive web entity seamlessly integrating content, community and commerce. It has gradually grown into a prime destination for Indians and the Indian diaspora seeking information, entertainment and web-based products and today it is one of the fastest growing web sites in the world, with 590 million page views a month.

The prime draws for any user in the world: e-mail, clubs, shopping, news and entertainment are offered with an emphasis on interactivity, utility and community building. Indiatimes.com has been able to serve all the basic needs of its customers. And now has employed cutting edge technology and the best of knowledge resources to enrich and simplify the lives of its’ user by offering online city guides and their preceding offline version as Coffee-table paper back books on entertainment, lifestyle and services.

My Job Role:

Conclusion:

The concept of TQM is fantastic: involve the people, examine their work flow and develop ways to improve the output, thus eliminating waste. By including staff, team members and gathering input from everyone involved in a procedure, we were able to collectively examine the function (purpose) and flowchart the process (action taken). We were able to identify and eliminate wasted steps and duplication. And we are on the way to improving quality.