What is the difference between TQM and traditional management?

Answer 1

Total quality management has changed the traditional management style forever. It was a very radical movement those days. Some of these changes are radical even today. Few of these changes are discussed below.

Traditional way of management focused on internal activities. Quality had a meaning which was totally internally defined. Products or services provided by organization were assumed to be good in quality, if this organization has done its best in producing that product or service. But in total quality management, focus is the customer. So that ultimate decider of the quality is the customer. Fitting to the customer requirement was the least requirement while delighting them is the ultimate goal.

Traditionally people thought bad quality products are due to the workers who do not perform their job correctly. One of the major differences between total quality management and traditional management style is the assignment of the responsibility of the quality to the management. Especially responsibility of the quality goes into the middle level management in the operational level.

Total quality management is an organization wide movement. All the organization has to be in unity to apply TQM principles. Total quality management, unlike traditional management calls for high amount of team working. Team building, specially cross functional teams are feature of TQM. These teams will provide the necessary momentum to the implementation process and will propel the system forward, with very less resistance.

TQM believes in quality assurance rather than checking. Quality is inbuilt to the system, so that products are assured to be in good quality. Some decision like narrowing down the supplier base is total quality management concepts used for this purpose, which is revolutionary still today.

Unlike in traditional management style, total quality management makes decisions on facts and figures. Therefore problems are identified correctly. Therefore solutions are well planned.

TQM depends on cyclic thinking. Also it is continuous. Therefore improvements are small, stable and continuous in nature. This is also known as Kaizen. These events are used in teambuilding, brain storming and decision making.

There are many other differences between the old or the traditional way of management to the total quality management. In the bigger picture, TQM has basically changed the culture and the thinking patterns of the organization.