IMPLEMENTATION OF ‘’TOTAL QUALITY’’ IN COMPANIES AND ORGANISATIONS


For the successful administration and operation of a business, it is necessary to manage it in an integrated, systematic and transparent manner. Management guidance is based on eight quality management principles. These principles have been developed to be used by Top Management in order to direct the business to improve performance. These quality management principles are listed below:


a) Customer Focus

Businesses depend on their customers and therefore should understand their current and future needs, should satisfy customer requirements and should strive to exceed their expectations.


b) Leadership

Leaders establish the unity of purpose and direction of the business. They should create and maintain the internal environment within which staff can fully participate in achieving the business’s objectives.


c) Active participation of staff

The staff, at all levels, are the essence of an enterprise and their full active participation allows them to exploit their potential for the benefit of the enterprise.


d) Process approach

The desired result is achieved more efficiently when the related resources and activities constitute a process.


e) System management approach

The identification, understanding and management of interrelated processes as a System contributes to the effectiveness and efficiency of the enterprise, in order to achieve its objectives.


f) Continuous improvement

The permanent objective of the enterprise should be the continuous improvement of its overall performance.


g) Fact-based decision-making approach

Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information.


h) Mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers

The company and its suppliers are interdependent, and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to deliver value.


Successful use of the eight principles of quality management by a company yields benefits to stakeholders, such as improved financial returns, added value, and increased stability.


Leadership, commitment, and active involvement of Top Management are essential for developing and maintaining an effective and efficient Quality Management System to achieve benefits for stakeholders. To achieve these benefits, it is essential to achieve, support and increase customer satisfaction.


Top Management should consider actions such as defining a vision, policies and strategic objectives, consistent with the purpose of the business. Examples of such actions are:


-  guiding the company in order, for example, to develop trust among its personnel,


-  communicating the direction of the organization and the values regarding quality and the Quality Management System,


-  participating in improvement projects, searching for new methods, solutions and products,


-  receiving feedback directly from the effectiveness and efficiency of the Quality Management System,


-  identifying the product implementation processes that provide added value to the company,


-  identifying the support processes that affect the effectiveness and efficiency of the implementation processes,


-  creating an environment that encourages the active participation and development of personnel, and


-  providing structure and resources necessary to support the strategic plans of the enterprise.


Top Management should also establish methods for measuring the performance of the enterprise, in order to determine whether the planned objectives are being achieved. The methods include:


-  financial measurements,


-  measurement of the performance of processes throughout the enterprise-  ,


-  external measurements, such as benchmarking and third-party evaluation,


-  assessment of the satisfaction of customers, enterprise personnel and other interested parties,


-  assessment of the perception, of customers and other interested parties, of the performance of the products provided, and

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-  measurement of other success factors, which have been identified as such by Management.


NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS


The success of a business depends on understanding and meeting the current and future needs and expectations of existing and potential customers and end users, as well as understanding and considering those of other interested parties.


Every business has stakeholders, and each party has needs and expectations. The stakeholders of a business include:


-  customers and end users,

-  the business’s personnel,

-  owners/investors (such as shareholders, individuals or groups, including the public sector, who have a specific interest in the

   business),

-  suppliers and partners, and

-  society, understood as the community and public affected by the business or its products.


In order to satisfy the needs and expectations of customers and end users, the Management of a company should:


-  understand the needs and expectations of its customers, including the needs of "potential" customers,

-  identify the main characteristics of the product, with respect to its customers and end users,

-  identify and evaluate the competition in the respective Market, and

-  identify opportunities in the Market, weaknesses and future competitive advantages.


The enterprise, when considering its relations with society, should:


-  demonstrate responsibility for health and safety,


-  consider environmental impacts, including the conservation of energy and natural resources,


-  recognize applicable legal and regulatory requirements, be aware of the legal and regulatory requirements that apply to its products, processes and activities and should include such requirements as one of the elements of the Quality Management System and recognize the existing and potential impacts, on society in general and the local community in particular, of its products, processes and activities.


THE ROLE OF STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES


The use of statistical techniques can help to understand variability and thereby help businesses solve problems and improve efficiency and effectiveness. These techniques also facilitate the better use of available data to assist in decision-making.


Variability can be observed in the development and outcome of most activities, even under conditions of apparent stability. Such variability can be observed in measurable characteristics of products and processes and can exist at various stages of the product life cycle, from market research to customer service and final disposal.


Statistical techniques can help measure, describe, analyze, interpret, and model such variability, even with relatively limited amounts of data. Statistical analysis of such data can help provide a better understanding of the nature, extent, and causes of variability, thereby helping to resolve and even prevent problems that may arise from such variability, and promoting continuous improvement.


RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND EXCELLENCE MODELS


The approaches to Quality Management Systems, given in the ISO 9001 International Standard, and those of excellence models for businesses, are based on common principles. Both approaches:


a) enable a business to identify its strengths and weaknesses,

b) contain provisions for evaluation against generic models,

c) provide a basis for continuous improvement, and

d) contain provisions for external recognition.


The difference between the approaches to Quality Management Systems in the ISO 9001 standard and the excellence models lies in their scope. The ISO 9001 standard contains requirements for Quality Management Systems and guidance for improving performance. The assessment of Quality Management Systems determines whether these requirements are met. Excellence models contain criteria that enable the comparative assessment of business performance and this is applicable to all activities and all stakeholders of a business. The evaluation criteria in the case of excellence models provide a business with a basis for comparing its performance with that of other businesses.