Theory of total quality management

Does the organizational structure guarantee Total Quality?

The answer is given by authors such as:

Alvin Toffler

"The reorganizations are not only more frequent, but deeper."

"As long as no functional alternative to the existing structure is in sight, resistance to change will generally triumph" - "One wonders if in today's changing environment any corporation can be truly adaptable as long as it continues to act with yesterday's beliefs. ”(The Flexible Company, 1st edition, Plaza y Janés, Barcelona, 1990, Pages 29, 37 and 42)

Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus

“The problem with many organizations, especially those that are failing, is that they tend to be overmanaged, but they are under-managed… They can be excellent in their ability to handle the daily routine, but they never question that very routine. –For an organization to be integrated, it must have an identity, that is, a sense of what it is and what it should do… nothing is more important for modern organizations than its ability to successfully face change… an organization that anticipates the change will try to establish a new relationship between its internal environment and the expected external environment… ”(Source: Leaders, the four keys to effective leadership, Norma, Bogotá, 1995, page 114)

John naisbitt

"In the future, the institutions will be organized according to an administration system based on the working model of the networks" (Source: Macrotendencia, Edivisión, México, 1985, Págs. 215)

Peter Senge, who claims that

“Some think that the 'structure' of an organization is the organization chart. Others think that 'structure' refers to the design of workflow and business processes, but in systems thinking 'structure' is the configuration of interrelationships between the key components of the system. -This can include the hierarchy and the flow of the processes, but it also includes attitudes and perceptions, the quality of the products, the ways in which decisions are made, and certain other factors… ”(Source: The Fifth Discipline in Practice, Ediciones Granica SA Barcelona, 1.995 Pages. 94 and 95)

Instituto Tecnológico de Educación Superior de Monterrey, when it states that:

The quality of the products or services of any company is based on the ability to keep its work systems operating stably, and in order to achieve this, it is necessary to have motivated and trained people to do a good job ”(Source: www.gestiondelconocimiento. com The Human Resource in Productivity and Quality, Quality Center, ITESM. 1997)

Alberto León Betancourt, who in this regard considers that:

"The administrator must take into account, when determining the global objectives, the different actors to which the organization must respond…" For there to be successful organizations, they must: "Focusing on chains of effects, interdependencies and inter-relationships leads, in general, to better understanding, visualization, and to detect areas that were ignored; this can then, in turn, lead to better management. " (Organizations and Administration, Norma, Bogotá, 1985, pages 91 and 145, respectively)

Michael Porter, who agrees with the above quote, stating that:

"Companies will not be successful unless they base their strategies on improvement and innovation, on the determined will to compete, and on a realistic understanding of their national environment and how to improve it" (Source: La Ventaja Competitive of the Nations, Vergara, Buenos Aires, 1993, page 58)

www.terra.com.mx. On this website you will find that:

"Only vigorous quality management can overcome the inevitable resistance and inertia through the establishment of well-defined objectives and systems and methods to achieve those objectives" (Source:

If from the answers to the previous question it is inferred that:

"All theories in modern administration coincide in stating that major organizational changes are achieved through the commitment and participation of staff…" (Jorge Alirio Charry Rodríguez, Internal Control Management, Diké, 1995, page 61)

The question then arises:

How is Total Quality characterized?

The bibliographic consultation yielded the following theoretical contributions, as follows:

A. Some Characteristics of Total Quality Management

“Customer satisfaction is essential to maintain a competitive position in the market. Ultimately, customer satisfaction, internally and externally, is the driving force behind quality efforts. Therefore, companies must determine what customer needs are and implement procedures to meet them "" Senior managers must act with determination to establish quality as a fundamental value that must be incorporated into the company's administrative standards "The concepts Quality standards must be clearly stated and fully integrated into all company activities. Senior managers must establish a business environment that allows all employees to participate to improve quality.Companies should direct their attention to staff participation, collective work, and training at all levels. This attention should reinforce the commitment of the staff to constantly improve quality Total Quality Management systems, to be successful, must be based on a continuous and systematic method of data collection, evaluation and management Suppliers must be associated fully to the Quality Administration. The close relationship between suppliers and producers is mutually beneficial.must be based on a continuous and systematic method of data collection, evaluation and management. Suppliers must be fully associated with Quality Management. The close relationship between suppliers and producers is mutually beneficial.must be based on a continuous and systematic method of data collection, evaluation and management. Suppliers must be fully associated with Quality Management. The close relationship between suppliers and producers is mutually beneficial.

(Source:

B. Factors that Satisfy Customer Expectations:

"Product and service quality" "Productivity in the value chain" "The effectiveness of the organizational system"

"The absence of any of these factors puts at risk the basic conditions of survival" (Source: Total Quality Center: guarantee for the survival of an organization, ITESM, Mexico, 2001, photocopied document)

C. Innovation

"The identification of activities in accordance with the needs of the clients and the requirements of the market" "the internal adjustment of compatibility of the actions that have been determined in response to the market, taking advantage of systemic synergies and creating motivational incentives for behaviors" "the balance that the activities designed among themselves and among the systemic group must have, a balance that avoids having dissatisfied customers, both external and internal. ”“ The hiring of personnel, which must be highly qualified, generating high productivity, with cultural work habits in team and effective management, with a global perspective, and multi-functional "" The modification of the organizational structure, without which the innovative strategy will have a negative effect "

(Source: Gestión Magazine, Volume 2, No. 6, December 1999 January 2000, page 109)

Located in the context of structure versus Total Quality and some of its characteristics, it is worth asking:

What is meant by Total Quality Management?

Here is the response of some authors:

“A total quality system is the functional structure of work agreed throughout the company and throughout the plant, documented with effective integrated technical and administrative procedures, to guide the coordinated actions of the workforce, machines and company information. and plant the best and most practical ways to ensure customer satisfaction with quality and economic costs of quality ”(Source: Armand V. Feigenbaum, cited in Quality and Quality Improvement. www.geocities.com/calidad - sundevil @ infosel.com./ “The only certainty is that companies that strive to achieve high levels of quality are above those that do not.Today's market can be characterized with the phrase "the big fish eats the little fish" and the big fish is the one that offers its customers the highest quality standards, not necessarily the big fish is a big company, the small ones Today's flexible and flexible companies are competing with the large and rigid corporations that have not yet adapted ”(Source: Quality Approach, www.gestiopolis.com)“ Education tends towards a uniform model based on the law of the market, of business nature where productivity, efficiency and competitiveness indicators must be managed. The management of time and resources are essential to generate maximum profitability, in other words, we seek to obtain the maximum returns in the shortest time and few resources while putting the quality of the product in advance "(Source:Economic Globalization and Education, Paper presented to the unschooling course, Centro Agropecuario La Salada -SENA-Regional Antioquia, page 7) “The problem of quality management is not in what people do not know about it, but in what they believe to know. Regarding quality, it establishes that everyone is in favor of it, everyone believes that they understand it, everyone thinks that to enjoy it it is enough to follow their own natural inclinations and, mainly, most people feel that all the problems in these areas are caused by other individuals ”(Source: Philip B. Crosby quoted in Quality and Quality Improvement. [email protected]./www.geocities.com/calidad)“ Quality is defined, controlled, improved. You cannot improve what is not being controlled,and you cannot control what has not been defined »(Source: rvh / certific.htm Sundevil. Certification)“ Modifying the organizational culture of a company and achieving its gradual strengthening implies a great effort that is difficult to face. all due to the resistance that occurs in any area of the company in which changes are intended. That is why it is necessary to design a Master Plan that serves as a guide to coordinate all the activities that must be developed for the implementation of the system, aimed firstly at initiating the change, and then consolidating and reaffirming the Total Quality approach within the organization ”(Source: Proposed Quality Assurance Model, www.geocities.com/sundevil/aseguramientocalidad/ [email protected].) “Total quality management (TQM) is a relatively new method in the art of management that seeks to improve the quality of a product and / or service and increase customer satisfaction by restructuring customary management practices "(Source:" Total Quality is a philosophy and a highly integrative management model, because it causes three simultaneous phenomena: a necessary and important degree of commitment from the members of the organization, a fundamental cultural change - which is at the same time a condition and the effect of the model - and it also incorporates - along with teamwork, empowerment and commitment - measurement systems that people self-manage and allow them to control by themselves the improvement of their own work… ”“ I see many companies that They have four groups doing TQ and I wonder:Who makes Total Quality, twenty people out of two thousand? Why don't they involve everyone? Because it is expensive, it takes time, it requires more commitment, it has no return - they believe. The usual question is how much time is spent on it, and the general answer is around 5%. There I asked myself: why not eat in Japan, which is 60%? Because there they understand that both training and the management model are competitive tools. " (Source: http://www.calidad.org/articles/dec97/1dec97.htm#Top, Total Quality, a question of Survival, Interview with Emilio Bertoni) “The level of quality that many consumers expect continues to increase as the main competitors raise their quality standards ”(Source:“…,Currently, total quality has taken on such relevance and its scope is distributed to all elements of the administrative system, from strategic planning to control of the operation and throughout all operational and support processes. For this reason, even though in its origin the total quality was oriented only to the control of the process to ensure compliance with the product specifications, the implementation of a total quality management system should now be associated with a review, and in its case to the modification of the organizational and human systems, and of all the essential processes that make up the value chain ”(Source: Total Quality Center: guarantee for the survival of an organization, ITESM, Mexico, 2001)up to the control of the operation and throughout all the operational and support processes. For this reason, even though in its origin the total quality was oriented only to the control of the process to ensure compliance with the product specifications, the implementation of a total quality management system should now be associated with a review, and in its case to the modification of the organizational and human systems, and of all the essential processes that make up the value chain ”(Source: Total Quality Center: guarantee for the survival of an organization, ITESM, Mexico, 2001)up to the control of the operation and throughout all the operational and support processes. For this reason, even though in its origin the total quality was oriented only to the control of the process to ensure compliance with the product specifications, the implementation of a total quality management system must now be associated with a review, and in its case to the modification of the organizational and human systems, and of all the essential processes that make up the value chain ”(Source: Total Quality Center: guarantee for the survival of an organization, ITESM, Mexico, 2001)the implementation of a total quality management system must now be associated with a review, and where appropriate, with the modification of the organizational and human systems, and of all the essential processes that make up the value chain ”(Source: Centro de Total Quality: guarantee for the survival of an organization, ITESM, Mexico, 2001)the implementation of a total quality management system must now be associated with a review, and where appropriate, with the modification of the organizational and human systems, and of all the essential processes that make up the value chain ”(Source: Centro de Total Quality: guarantee for the survival of an organization, ITESM, Mexico, 2001)

Faced with the previous conceptualizations about what is understood by Total Quality, it is pertinent to ask the theorists:

Whose responsibility is Quality and who qualifies it?

“The quality of the service is the responsibility of the entire organization. Employees, managers, leaders and all those people who (are or not) in contact with customers, must participate together in a vast organized search for errors, which will only achieve zero defects if everyone subscribes it with the same enthusiasm ”(Source: Horovitz, Jacques, The quality of the service, cited in A Training Policy for Indec Based on Knowledge Management, National Institute of Statistics and Censuses, Argentina Page 12)

“Quality is rated by the client, it is based on their real experience with the product or service, measured against their requirements (defined or tacit, conscious or only perceived, technically operational or completely subjective) and it always represents a moving target in the market competitive ”(Source: Armand V. Feigenbaum cited in Quality and Quality Improvement, www.geocities.com/calidad - [email protected]

“An essential attribute of ACT is the general understanding that the customer is the final arbiter of quality. The ACT is based on the premise that the customer is the one who imposes and defines quality. The quality of the product and of the service that the client notices will increase their satisfaction and, finally, the demand ”(Source:

The context of responsibility and the qualification of Quality induces to explore antecedents about the principles and philosophy of Total Quality, and what was worked theoretically by the following authors was found:

Authors who proclaim Principles of Total Quality

Ugo Ugly

The life of the company and the realization of the business are functions of the existence of a market.The market is not a technical term, but the sum of all the men-clients willing to buy our products or services to whom we must provide adequate products The most important man-client is the consolidated client who, by repeating the purchase of our brand, provides us with the best guarantees of business continuity.The client is consolidated when he achieves maximum satisfaction due to the quality of the product, the service that provides you when you need it and at the right price through cost minimization. These benefits are achieved with the flexibility and quality of the processes and their continuous control and improvement. This operation is feasible only by motivating and training the human factor.The quality of the product and the service is a direct function of the value that the weakest point of the transformation process has - from the raw material to the final product - for which reason suppliers and distributors must be considered integral and essential parts of the business. Continuous review of the standards achieved guarantees customer satisfaction and allows constant adaptation to their needs. The principles of quality must be applied dynamically to all company processes in order to achieve these results. Quality is, therefore, a way of being of the company.

“These principles follow a monolithic logic that is not applicable with a simple modification of the current management system or an application of the new methodologies. It requires a radical change in the very conception of the company that gives rise to the creation of intrinsic and automatic mechanisms that direct all its activity towards customer satisfaction. " (Source: Competitiveness is Total Quality, Alfa-Omega-Marcombo, Barcelona, 1993. Page Pages 119 and 120)

Joseph M. Juran

This author presents a Trilogy considered as the development activity of the products and processes required to satisfy the needs of customers and as a means of raising quality to unprecedented levels, as follows:

Quality planning.
1. Determine who the customers are Determine customer needs Develop product features that respond to customer needs Develop processes that are capable of producing those product features Transfer the resulting plans to operational forces
QA.
1. Evaluate actual quality performance Compare actual performance with quality objectives Act on differences
Quality improvement.
1. Establish the necessary infrastructure to achieve an annual quality improvement Identify the specific needs for improvement (improvement projects) Establish a team of people for each project with a clear responsibility to bring the project to a successful conclusion Provide the resources, the motivation and training necessary for teams to:
  - Diagnose the causes Promote the establishment of a remedy Establish the controls to maintain the benefits

(Source: Joseph M. Juran cited in Quality and Quality Improvement. [email protected]. /Www.geocities.com/calidad

Kaoru ishikawa

This author states that from the point of view of Quality it is necessary:

Use quality control as a basis Make comprehensive control of costs, prices and profits Control quantity (volume of production, sales and stocks), as well as delivery dates.

(Source: Kaoru Ishikawa cited in Quality and Quality Improvement. [email protected]./www.geocities.com/calidad)

Philip B. Crosby

For this author, if you want to ensure Quality you have to:

Go through 14 steps Have a "Master Plan for Quality Assurance" Be strategic, for which it provides the "Main strategies" that he considers pertinent

Quality Improvement Process in fourteen steps:

Commit management to quality improvement Training of Quality Improvement Team Measurement of current quality within the organization Quality cost assessment Quality awareness Corrective action Establish ad hoc committee for zero program Defects Supervisor training Zero defects day Setting goals Elimination of cause of errors Recognition Charged with improving quality Process feedback Do it again.

(Source: Philip B. Crosby quoted in Quality and Quality Improvement. [email protected]./www.geocities.com/calidad)

Quality Assurance Master Plan

According to Philip B. Crosby, there are three Total Quality approaches that make up the Master Plan for Total Quality assurance, they are:

Technical (Applicable technology) Administrative (Systematic actions applicable to resources to optimize their performance) Social (Take into account the importance of the human being in the performance of the system)

Main strategies for quality assurance:

Mr. Crosby raises in six main areas, with their respective topics, what he considers the main strategies for the assurance of Total Quality, as follows:

Analysis of the organizational climate in order to:
1. Know the attitudes of the staff towards their work and the company Train employees both in the tactical and operational areas Training of the Quality Council Make known the Quality Assurance System Maintain a constant interaction system - managers - workers during all the stages of the model Plan to define the activities aimed at improving quality in order to ensure the greatest congruence between all of them Evaluate and constantly review the model Raise the level of quality and ensure the development of personnel based on of the fundamental postulates of quality philosophies.
Improvement of quality and costs to improve the competitive position of the organization:
1. Track all areas of opportunity to optimize internal processes. Develop specific improvement plans. Study and periodic analysis of quality costs. Optimize the application of the resources available to the organization.
Recognition of the achievement of improvement teams for doing things well, such as:
1. Motivate the sense of accomplishment of teams and individuals: improvement of the company in general, also causing a series of attitudes in relation to work, such as apathy, unfair activities, ant theft, etc. Carry out activities for recognition. individual staff development and satisfaction.
Control, evaluation and feedback
1. Audit planning, Results measurement, Deviation analysis, System feedback.
Training to increase the quality level of the company's staff
1. Implementation of training programs related to the Quality Assurance System. Staff training.
Diffusion
1. Orient the communication in the company and the stimulation of its personnel towards the involvement with the Quality Assurance System. Increase the level of participation of the personnel in the System.

(Source: Philip B. Crosby cited in Quality and Quality Improvement. [email protected]. - www.geocities.com/calidad)

William Edwards Deming

Quality Philosophy

Create consistency in the purpose of improving the product and service, in order to become competitive and stay in business, and to provide jobs. Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic era. Different Western targets must be aware of the challenge, must learn their responsibilities and take over the leadership to change. Stop relying on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for mass inspection by incorporating quality into the product first End the practice of doing business on the basis of price Instead, minimize the total cost. Tend to have a single supplier for any item, with a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust.Constantly and always improve the production and service system, to improve quality and productivity, and thus continuously reduce costs Implement on-the-job training Implement leadership The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and apparatus to do a better job. Management's supervisory function needs overhaul as well as supervision of operators Dismiss fear so that everyone can work effectively for the company Break down barriers between departments People in research, design, sales and production must work as a team, to anticipate problems in production and during the use of the product that could arise, with the product or service Eliminate slogans,exhortations and goals to ask the workforce for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create more adverse relationships, since the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and therefore fall beyond the possibilities of the labor force.
1. Eliminate work standards (quotas) in the plant. Substitute for leadership Eliminate management by objectives. Eliminate management by numbers, by numerical objectives. Substitute for leadership.
1. Eliminate the barriers that deprive workers of their right to be proud of their work. Supervisors' responsibility must shift from mere numbers to quality, removing barriers that deprive management and engineering personnel of their right to take pride in their work. This means, among other things, the abolition of the annual or merit rating and of management by objectives.
Implement a vigorous program of education and self-improvement Put all company staff to work to achieve transformation. Transformation is everyone's job.

The seven deadly diseases that plague companies

Lack of consistency in the purpose of improving quality Emphasis on short-term profits, disregarding the permanence of the business in the market and long-term profits with a high probability of continuous improvement Merit or performance evaluations individual, which reward short-term actions, limit long-term planning, undermine teamwork and create competition between people in the same company, until achieving a company with donut bonuses and fiefdoms in constant struggle against each other Senior management mobility, preventing actions for long-term business permanence Manage the company based only on visible numbers Excessive medical costs High operating warranty costs

(Source: William Edward Deming, cited in Quality and Quality Improvement. [email protected]. Www.geocities.com/calidad)