Quality Management

Abstract

Quality management is a system of ‘coordinated activities to direct and control an organization with regard to quality’ (ISO, 2015). Aiming at fulfilling requirements of an organization’s customers and other stakeholders, scientific quality management has been evolving since the 1920s from early forms of quality inspection, quality control and quality assurance to a holistic management philosophy known as total quality management (TQM). TQM comprises the tools and methods of earlier phases in the development of quality management theory. TQM stresses that merely inspecting, controlling or assuring quality is insufficient for achieving customer satisfaction, business excellence and competitive advantage. As a holistic, organization-wide philosophy that strives for excellence through continuous improvement, problem prevention and delighting customers, TQM requires adopting a systemic approach to managing quality and applying quality management principles and methods by everyone, in every process or function, and at every level within the organization as well as in relations with suppliers and other stakeholders.