Total Quality Management: Achieving Long-Term Success Through Customer Satisfaction - Essay Sample

Introduction

Total quality management refers to the management approach to a long term success through the customers' satisfaction (Ehigie, 2005). It involves a wide organizational philosophy with its important values centered on continually improving its products and services' quality as well as the quality of its processes in a bid to satisfy the expectations of the customers. Thus in every organization, both the employees and their respective management play a critical role in the provision of the quality of the customers' products and services. Besides, the customers and the suppliers are all part of the TQM (Ehigie, 2005). There are five essential principles involved in the TQM. These include; production of the quality work for the first time, focusing on the customer, having a given strategic approach to improvement, continuous improvement, and encouraging mutual respect and teamwork. In relation to the quality practice, the paper will focus on two main cases, i.e., the Toyota Corporation Ltd and the case of the shiny hills farms. The evaluation will be done in relation to the questions given.

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Case-1: Quality in Practice: Toyota Motor Corporation, Ltd.

What do Toyota's guiding principles mean for its management system? In particular, how do they reflect the principles of total quality?

The guiding principles in the Toyota Company have a critical meaning to its management system. First, it is important to note that the company is based on three major principles, which include the focus on the customers as well as their stakeholders, participation, and teamwork, which incorporates everyone within the organization. The final fundamental principles are the process focus, which is supported by continuous learning and improvement. The stated guiding principle would, therefore, means that there is a need for the application of the quality management standards in all the branches within the company. In many cases, the top management at Toyota Corporation has the responsibility rather than the employees and hence is their role in providing the commitment, leadership, and also support to the human as well as the technical processes (Yang, 2013). Whereas the initiative of the TQM is to succeed, there is a necessity for the management to foster workers' participation in quality improvement while creating a quality culture removing all the perceptions and attitudes towards culture. The business executive's commitment is one among the fundamental TQM implementation principle which enhances the organization's success. In the management of quality in all of the organization's management systems, the production system in the company incorporates various modernisms, for instance, strategy or even the use of the Kanri Hoshin, the just in time assembly as well as the overall value superposition.

The guiding principles in Toyota Company reflect all the five principles in total quality by actually basing its focus on both the external and internal customers across the world, including the cultures. The guiding principles, therefore, fosters employees in participating in teamwork where everybody gives a hand where they can do it best. By the fact that even the middle and the managers in the top getting in to help in the line of production is a great show of togetherness in the company's workforce. Through the adoption of about 99 percent of the suggestions which amounted to 650,000 which were submitted by its employees shows that Toyota has empowered their employees and hence reveals that all the thoughts from everyone are essential in one way or another. This is what facilitates growth within the company in its production system. The education system from its management provides a basis for the employees to be kept up to date and the training of the company's new heirs. Toyota has always implemented constant technological improvement, which is a critical factor in boosting their productivity. Through the company's adjustment to fit in the changes brought about within the society, it is possible that it will attain a competitive advantage globally.

We noted that SSM Health Care learned from manufacturing companies in their quality journey. What can non-manufacturing companies learn and apply from Toyota's philosophy and practices? Suggest specific things that education and government might learn.

There are some of the essential practices that the non-manufacturing companies can learn and apply from Toyota's philosophy and practices. First is lean thinking, which was developed by the company in the 1960s to improve on quality. The production systems in Toyota desires to minimize possible waste while increasing their efficiency. Thus from such initiative, Toyota managed in its goal of broadening its competitive edge by the few employees who were employed in car production with a small number of flaw products. The main reason behind this is to ensure the internal, as well as the external customers want, have been fulfilled. Through the aspect of lean thinking, some of the non-manufacturing companies can provide value to their customers, have used less resources, effort, and can also save time. This will maximize utilization of the company's additional capacity and resources hence improving their intended performance. Through lean thinking, the employees can be given a chance to bring in their ideas into the company. In this case, a system of creative suggestions will not only bring about continuous improvement but is also significant in identifying sources of problems while eliminating waste, which will, in turn, improve the performance of the organization.

The lean thinking principle also helps in detecting and dealing with various waste processes. This makes healthcare more streamlined for the patients and staff. Also, the organizations in healthcare need to forecast demand precisely, for example, in the areas of the psychiatric unit and the emergency care. Hence it is quite difficult sometimes when the processes available are specialty or departmentalized based. Many of the staff are apprehensive to the lean thinking principle since it is viewed to give priority to the cost-saving as well as staff reduction.

Another issue which the non-companies can learn from Toyota is the art of teamwork. For instance, at the Toyota company, everyone is available to help whenever they can. Even the managers are well known for getting their hands dirty by assisting their employees on the line of production where necessary. In some of the healthcare organizations, teams are created to enhance and also monitor the process related to the patients with the emergency care unit. There is a target projection concerning the acuity categorization. In addition, there is a continuous effort in the minimization of the time treatment basing on all the categories in the acuity. The turnaround time has been used as a benchmark for the measure of quality effectiveness. This is meant to enhance the satisfaction of the service to the patients by giving speedy attention to their demands and attending to them with no delay.

A vision towards quality achievement can also be drawn from Toyota by the non-manufacturing companies. Regarding the healthcare organization, it is essential to develop strategic plans as well as a clear vision for the patient care focus to be at par with the processes within the organizations that are conducted on a daily and operational basis.

The non-manufacturing companies can also learn from Toyota for having a supportive working environment for its employees in healthcare. The healthcare system needs to have the proper training for its workforce, just like Toyota Company. Toyota is well known for training its employees extensively, not only in the job skills but also in the aspects of personal development, which focuses on the positive attitude as well as the sense of responsibility. In addition, the company has also implemented a direct monitoring system that helps the workers in ensuring product quality. This is a lesson to be adopted by the healthcare sectors to utilize creativity and provide all the supportive systems needed by the healthcare workers in their service, which will hence create a supportive working environment.

Case-2- Shiny Hill Farms

Describe the scope of quality efforts in this organization

In relation to the scope of quality in this organization, the company has a quality assurance department that is primarily concerned in trying to prevent any kind of defective products from getting to the consumer. Their main aim involves keeping a check on the weight of the products, appearance, as well as the shelf life throughout the operations within the manufacturing sector. Besides, the QA has been put in place to check on all the operations from the killing of the hogs through packaging. Hence quality in the Shiny Hills Farm is taken seriously. The company officials check on the scales every day to ascertain the required weights have been provided. Most of the personnel in the QA check on the weights of the packaged boxes, which ensures that they meet the underlined standards. Also, the QA personnel have been equipped to analyze on the yields' graphs and also carrying out weekly packaging of the waste. With the sanitation department, they sanitize the machines in the manufacturing as well as the work surfaces just before the start of the operations each day.

In the shiny hills farm, the production operators are always held accountable for their cuts on some of the meat products. The cuts need to be done in relation to the quality assurance specifications to attain higher yields. The company's operators may need to make about ten cuts per minute within the conveyor line. In the farm, they have placed a Japanese practice, which is essential in enhancing the neatness and cleanliness of the firm at all times, and this can lead to effectiveness in the process control as well as improvement. An important issue within the process control involves the maintenance of the process capability to attain the needs of production. The capability study of the process gives a foundation on the determination and is related to the issuing of the parts the facilities which can maintain the needs. The process of quality comes from the production process improvement and not from just inspection.

What is the role of the quality assurance department at Shiny Hill Farms? Does it promote the concept of total quality?

The quality assurance department in the shiny Hills Farm plays a critical role. First is that they control the weights of the products, appearance as well as the shelf life. They are also involved in the monitoring of the killing of the hogs all through to the packaging. The QA participates in the inspection of the incoming animals by working with the inspectors in the USDA while also monitoring the cooking temperature. They perform daily checks on the scales to ensure that correct weights are provided by the scales. Most of the personnel in the QA check on the weights of the packaged boxes, which ensures that they meet the underlined standards. Also, the QA personnel have been equipped to analyze on the yields' graphs and also carrying out weekly packaging of the waste. Finally, the quality assurance department ensures that there are no defects in the packages.

What suggestions do you have for improving Shiny Hill Farms' quality effort?

Some of the suggestions that I would give to the Shiny Hills farm for improving their quality is that they need to install some of the automated machines for measuring on the weights. This will help in reducing the workloads to the QA department. More of the personnel in the section of the production line needs to be added to ascertain the food quality within the p...