Quality management is an important concept that businesses must embrace to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment. Quality management involves adopting a structured and systematic approach to managing quality within an organization to achieve consistent customer satisfaction. Total quality management (TQM) is one of the most widely recognized approaches to quality management, and it has gained immense popularity over the years. In this essay, we will focus on Philip Crosby’s approach to TQM, Absolute Quality Management (AQM), its 14 steps, and discuss its advantages and disadvantages.
Philip Crosby’s Absolute Quality Management: Philip Crosby is a renowned quality management guru who proposed the concept of Absolute Quality Management (AQM) in the early 1980s. Crosby’s approach to quality management is based on the principle of “zero defects,” which emphasizes that quality should be built into the product or service from the outset, and not as an afterthought.
According to Crosby, AQM is a philosophy that is aimed at achieving zero defects by identifying and eliminating the causes of defects. AQM is based on the principle that defects are not acceptable and that they can be prevented through a systematic approach to quality management. The main objective of AQM is to create a culture of quality within the organization by involving every employee in the process of quality management.
Crosby’s 14 Steps to Quality Improvement: To achieve zero defects, Crosby proposed a set of 14 steps to quality improvement. These steps are as follows:
1. Management commitment to quality: The first step in AQM is for the management to demonstrate their commitment to quality by establishing a quality policy and providing the necessary resources for its implementation.
2. Quality improvement team: A quality improvement team should be established to oversee the implementation of the quality improvement program.
3. Quality measurement: Quality should be measured and tracked to determine the extent of defects and identify areas for improvement.
4. Cost of quality: The cost of quality should be measured to identify the cost of preventing defects, the cost of non-conformance, and the cost of quality improvement.
5. Quality awareness: Quality awareness should be raised among all employees to create a culture of quality.
6. Corrective action: Corrective action should be taken to address identified defects and their causes.
7. Zero defects planning: The organization should plan for zero defects by identifying potential causes of defects and developing strategies to eliminate them.
8. Employee education and training: Employees should be trained on the principles of quality management and how to achieve zero defects.
9. Zero defects day: A zero defects day should be established to celebrate and reinforce the organization's commitment to quality.
10. Goal setting: Goals should be established for quality improvement and communicated to all employees.
11. Error cause removal: The organization should identify and remove the causes of errors to prevent defects from occurring.
12. Recognition: Recognition should be given to employees who contribute to the achievement of zero defects.
13. Quality councils: Quality councils should be established to oversee the quality improvement program and provide guidance to the quality improvement team.
14. Do it all over again: The organization should continuously improve its quality management system to achieve zero defects.
Advantages of AQM:
1. Focus on prevention: AQM focuses on preventing defects from occurring rather than detecting and correcting them after they have occurred. This helps to save time, money, and resources in the long run.
2. Culture of quality: AQM creates a culture of quality within the organization by involving every employee in the process of quality management. This leads to a sense of ownership and responsibility among employees, which can improve their motivation and commitment to the organization.
3. Continuous improvement: AQM emphasizes the need for continuous improvement, which ensures that the organization is always striving to improve its quality management system and achieve zero defects.
4. Customer satisfaction: AQM aims to achieve customer satisfaction by ensuring that products or services meet or exceed customer expectations. This helps to build customer loyalty and improve the organization's reputation.
5. Cost reduction: AQM helps to reduce costs by preventing defects, reducing the cost of non-conformance, and eliminating the need for rework and repair.
6. Clear and measurable goals: AQM provides clear and measurable goals for quality improvement, which helps to ensure that the organization is focused on achieving specific outcomes.
Disadvantages of AQM:
1. Costly implementation: The implementation of AQM requires significant resources, including time, money, and personnel. This can be a challenge for small businesses or those with limited resources.
2. Overemphasis on perfection: The focus on achieving zero defects can lead to an overemphasis on perfection, which may not always be achievable or necessary. This can lead to unrealistic expectations and increased pressure on employees.
3. Heavy reliance on data: AQM relies heavily on data to identify and eliminate defects. This can be a challenge for organizations that do not have a strong data culture or lack the necessary data collection and analysis tools.
4. Employee resistance: Employees may resist the implementation of AQM, especially if they perceive it as a threat to their job security or a significant change in the way they work.
5. Lack of flexibility: AQM may not be flexible enough to accommodate changing customer needs or market conditions. This can be a disadvantage for organizations that operate in dynamic and rapidly changing environments.
Conclusion: Philip Crosby’s Absolute Quality Management (AQM) is a quality management approach that aims to achieve zero defects by focusing on prevention, creating a culture of quality, and continuous improvement. AQM involves a set of 14 steps to quality improvement, which includes management commitment to quality, quality measurement, cost of quality, corrective action, employee education and training, and recognition. AQM has several advantages, including focus on prevention, culture of quality, continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, clear and measurable goals, and cost reduction. However, AQM also has several disadvantages, including costly implementation, overemphasis on perfection, heavy reliance on data, employee resistance, and lack of flexibility. It is essential for organizations to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of AQM before implementing it as a quality management approach.
Subcribe on Youtube - IGNOU SERVICE
For PDF copy of Solved Assignment
WhatsApp Us - 9113311883(Paid)
0 Comments
Please do not enter any Spam link in the comment box