Total Quality Management: The key to business improvement

This work considers the strategic aspects of the key management issues of the future - Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM is a philosophy of management that strives to make the best use of all available resources and opportunities by constant improvement. This book is intended for use as a reference manual. The intended readership is chief and senior executives who wish to understand and commit themselves to total quality as a vehicle for change, as well as those managers and staff who have the detailed task of implementing a TQM strategy. The objective of the book is to assist the reader to recognize the need for TQM, educate the reader on the tools and techniques available, and inform the reader as to how to develop a strategic plan and then implement a TQM programme. In content the book describes the concepts of Total Quality and provides guidance on how they can be applied to maximize an organization's operational efficiency and to provide a strategic, competitive edge to your business. An "Executive Encyclopedia" is featured, which explains the essential jargon and provides briefings on the major improvement tools and techniques. The editorial style of the book is reinforced by profiles of what major manufacturing and service organizations have achieved through adopting TQM and how they went about it. A bibliography and information on further resources of help completes the book. This book should be of interest to chief and senior executives and managers concerned with total quality in manufacturing and service-based industries, consultants, academic and professional researchers, and business school MBA students.