My ContentTotal Quality Management (TQM)Total Quality Management Principles (8 Primary Elements of TQM) Customer-focused Total employee involvement Process - contered Integrated System Strategic and Systematic approach Continual improvement Fact-based decision making Communication(Libsis)TQM in Library and Information ScienceNeed of TQMAreas of Application of TQM in Library Laws of Library Science Library Services Library Products Marketing of Library Services and productsWays of Achieving the TQM Competence Credibility Responsiveness Communication Courtesy Tangible Reliable Security Access Feedback EvaluationSix SigmaKey Concepts of Six Sigma Critical to Quality Defects Process Capability Stable operationMethods of Six Sigma (process) Define Measure Analyze Improve Control
Total Quality Management (TQM)
Concepts, Principles and Techniques, Six Sigma, Evaluation of services of Libraries and Information Centres.
Total Quality Management (TQM)
Total Quality Management is a philosophy and not a technique. It is a based on two basic concepts : quality control and employee participation. The concept has gradually evolved from the management theories such as Management by objective quality circles, strategic planning etc. To understand the concept it is better first to understand the three word constituting the concept i.e. Total, Quality and Management.
Total :
Everyone in the organisation is involved in creating and maintaining, the quality of the services and products offered by the organisation. It is a comprehensive way of dealing with complex sets of interacting issues involving everyone at all levels and addressing all major issues.
Quality :
The organisation through individual and collective actions focuses on meeting customer's (agreed) needs, at lowest cost, first time and every time and hence recognising that it is the customers perception that identifies quality. Total quality therefore, refers to the fact that everyone, at all levels are involved in achieving quality according to some requirements or laid down standards for everything they do.
Management :
While managing the system the emphasis should be towards continuous improvement and not on quick fixes. Then only Total Quality can be achieved. This requires everyone in the organisation to be responsible for managing their own job. TQM portrays a whole systems view for quality management. TQM builds on the idea that an organisation is an interactive network of communication and control.
(Book)
A core definition of Total Quality Management (TQM) describes a management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction. In a TQM effort, all members of an organization participate in improving processes, products, services and the culture in which they work.
In the spring of 1984, an arm of the united states navy asked some of its civilian researchers to assess statistical process control and the work of several prominent quality consultants and to make recommendations as to how to apply their approaches to improve the Navy's operational effectiveness. The recommendation was to adopt the teaching. of W. Edwards Deming. The Navy branded the effort "Total Quality Management" 1985.
The key concepts in TQM effort undertaken by the Nevy in the 1980 include.
• Quality is defined by customers requirements.
• Top management has direct responsibility for quality improvement.
• Increased quality comes from systematic analysis and improvement of work processes.
• Quality improvement is a continuous effort and conducted throughout the organization.
Total Quality Management Principles (8 Primary Elements of TQM)
Total quality management can be summarised as a management system for a customer focused organization that involves all employees in continual improvement. It uses strategy, data and effective communications to integrate the quality discipline into the culture and activities of the organization. Many of these concepts are, present in modern Quality Management systems, the successor to TQM. Here are the 8 principles of total quality management.
i. Customer-focused :
The customer ultimately determines the level of quality. No matter what on organization does to foster quality improvement -training employees, integrating quality into the design process, upgrading computers or software, or buying new measuring tools the customer determines whether the efforts were worth while.
ii. Total employee involvement :
An employee participate in working toward common goals. Total employee commitment can only be obtained ofter fear has been driven from the workplace, when empowerment has occurred and management has provided the proper environment. High performance work systems integrate continuous improvement efforts with normal business operations. Self managed work teams are one form of empowerment.
iii. Process - contered :
A fundamental part of TQM is a focus on process thinking. A process is a series of steps that take inputs from suppliers (internal or external) and transforms them into outputs that are delivered to customers (again, either internal or external). The steps required to carry out the process are defined, and performance measures are continuously monitored in order to defect unexpected variations.
iv. Integrated System :
Although an organization may consist of many different functional specialties often organized into vertically structured departments, it is the horizontal processes interconnecting these functions that are the focus of TQM.
v. Strategic and Systematic approach :
A critical part of the management of quality is the strategic and systematic approach to achieving an organization's vision, mission and goals. This process, celled strategic planning or strategic management, includes the formulation of a strategic plan that integrates quality as a core component.
vi. Continual improvement :
A major thrust of TQM is continual process improvement. Continual improvement drives an organization to be both analystical and creative in finding ways to become more competitive and more effective at meeting stakeholder expectations.
vii. Fact-based decision making :
In order to know how well an organisation is performing, date on performance measures are necessary. TQM requires that an organization continually collect and analysis data in order to improve decision making accuracy, achieve consensus and allow prediction based on past history.
viii. Communication :
During times of organizational change, as well as part of day-to-day operation, effective communication plays a large part in maintaining morale, and in motivating employees at all levels. Communications involve strategies, method.
(Libsis)
Quality means conforming to specication and standard. It means customer satisfaction, competitive cost, timely delivery etc. The quality means it functions well. It not only meet to our expectation but even exceeds them by providing it, attractively, employing frindly means in a welcoming atmosphere.
According to Ross, TQM is the integration of all function and processes within an organization in order to achieve continuous, improvement of the quality of goods and services. The goal is customer satisfaction.
In other words, TQM is basically a philosophy or concept or approach aiming of satisfying customer/user need on a continuous basis (quality first time every time, all the time) by involving each and every (total) in the system and a lower cost (management).
A. TQM in Library and Information Science
Library and information science centres generally exist in relation to their parent organization. They are viewed as a subsystem of the main system. Hence TQM will find its way in the subsystem only when there is such an orientation in the main systems itself. Within the subsystem, the approach has to be accepted by all the library and information science staff involved rather than leaving it to the domain of any public relation staff like circulation and reference.
B. Need of TQM
The Need of TQM is felt due to the following reasons.
i. User expectation from library is rising constantly which demands for even more sophisticated high quality information product and services,
ii. Library and information science professional are stiff challenges from the increasing information industy.
iii. Library and information science are now asked to become self sufficient if they are to survive in cost conscious and competition oriented social environmental setup.
C. Areas of Application of TQM in Library
The library and information centres are basically service organization. so, they can effectively apply the TQM concept in each and every field. Some of the possible areas are -
i. Laws of Library Science :
Five laws of library science have so many implications similar to what is advocated in TQM that it is often advocated as a refined and modern version of five laws of library science. The first law advocated changing the conservative attitude of the LIS personal. The second law and third law indicate the marketing approach underlying in TQM. It advocated for the survey of and feedback from the user and to design and render library services so that it meets their actual need. Fourth law points out that information should be pin pointed exhaustive and expeditions. Organization and retrieval of information is what the sum and substance of the TQM approach is.
ii. Library Services :
TQM can be effectively used in providing services to user. In rendering CAS/SDI interlibrary loan, access to national and international databases through internet or other network, attending reference queries and reference service over phone, fax or personal contact etc.
iii. Library Products :
Library and information. centres produce catalogue card, indexing and abstracting periodicals, newsletter database of their collection, subject bibliographies, etc. all of which can be enrich by TQM.
iv. Marketing of Library Services and products
TQM can be used in creating information awareness and consciousness among the user and reaching out to the potential users. It can be used in identification of the user group, determination of needs. wants and demand of each user group. fulfillment of the same through designing and delivering appropriate information product and services.
D. Ways of Achieving the TQM
TQM can be achieved by way of the following :
i. Competence
The employees must possess the required skill and knowledge about the product and services.
ii. Credibility
The organization and employees must be trustworthy.
iii. Responsiveness
The employee must respond quickly and creatively to customer request and problem. The employee should make an effort to understand the customer need and provide individual attention.
iv. Communication
The service on product should be described accurately in customer language.
v. Courtesy
The employee should be friendly. respectful and considerate.
vi. Tangible
The service and product should correctly project the quality on readers centered.
vii. Reliable
The service and product should be reliable and performance. should be consistence.
viii. Security
The service and product should be free from danger, rish and doubt.
ix. Access
The service or product and the library staff should be accessible in convenient location, at convenient times with little or no waiting period.
x. Feedback
There should be a continuous policy to collect the feedback from the users.
xi. Evaluation
The service and product should be continuously evaluated to meet the charging needs.
Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a set of techniques and tools for process improvement. It was introduced by engineers Bill smith and Mikel J Harry while working at Motorola in 1986.
Six sigma is a methodology and set of tools used to improve quality. Six sigma is uniquely driven by close understanding of customer needs, disciplined use of facts, data, and statistical analysis, and diligent attention to managing, improving and re-inventing.
Six sigma stands for six Standard Deviations (sigma is the Greeck letter used to represent standard deviation in statistics) from mean. It is statistically based methodology for improving product quality to meet the users needs.
Six sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes. It uses a set of quality management method, including statistical methods, and creates a special infrastructure of people within the organization ("Black Belts", "Green Belts" etc.) who are exports in these methods. Each six sigma project carried out within an opganization follows a defined sequence of steps and has quantified targets. These targets can be financial (cast reduction on profit increase) or whatever is critical to the customer of that process (Cycle time, safely, delivery etc.)
In general six sigma has few concepts such as critical to Quality. Defects, process capability and stable operations.
Key Concepts of Six Sigma
In general six signa has few concepts such as critical to quality, Defects, process capability and stable operations.
Critical to Quality : This is one of the concepts of six sigma which insists to have attachment with customers. In general if you have close relationship and contact with customers you may easily come to know their needs, demands and complaints. The base for the quality is to know the important and significant need of the customers.
Defects : This process helps you to overcome the failures at the same it will help you to minimize the defects. When you climinate the defects simultaneously you can reach the point of what the customer wants.
Process Capability : This step helps you to analyze yourself to know the capability and capacity to process the delivery. Through this course you can analyze and improve the procedure to deliver your goods to customers.
Stable operation : Every action has its own reaction. Likewise if you follow the above methods you can develop the consistency, can predict, can process and can improve what exactly customer sees and feeds. The above all concepts will guide you to meet customer needs in an easiest way.
Methods of Six Sigma (process)
Define
• who are the customers and what are their requirements.
• Identify key characteristics important to the customer.
Measure
• Categorize key imput and output characteristics, verify measurement systems.
• Collect data and establish the baseline performance.
Analyze
• Convert raw data into information to provide insights into the process.
Improve
• Develop solutions to improve process capability and compare the results to the baseline performance.
Control
* Monitor the process to assure no unexpected changes occur.
No comments:
Post a Comment