Quality Management

Quality Management System
Quality management systems are elaborate management systems that can be used by any organization to develop and achieve its quality objectives.

Quality management systems include quality planning and improvement activities, in addition to quality control and assurance activities.

These systems are intended to provide a company with the capability to meet all quality requirements.

Total Quality Management
During the mid 1980s, the term total quality management (TQM) was introduced in North America.

The term was associated with the management approach to quality improvement used in Japan for achieving long term success.

The TQM approach embodies both management principles and quality concepts, including customer focus, empowerment of people, leadership, strategic planning, improvement and process management.

These principles and concepts evolved during the second half of the twentieth century with substantial contribution from several recognized experts in the field of quality management.

During the 1980s and 1990s many North American businesses adopted quality management systems, with the objective of achieving competitive advantage in the global marketplace.