The essential concept of total quality management in administration can be reduced to three elements:
- Working with suppliers to ensure that the supplies utilized in the work processes are designed for your use.
- Continuous employee analysis of work processes to improve their functioning and reduce process variation.
- Close communication with customers to identify and understand what they want and how they define quality.
An Approach
Total quality management is an approach that an organization takes for improving its performance on a systematic and continuous basis.
This is achieved by involving all employees throughout the organization in satisfying all requirements of every customer, whether the customer may be external or internal.
Quality management is the basis for library management in general. Such principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) as meeting the customers’ needs, exact assessment, continuous improvement, teamwork, and enthusiasm of the leaders are typical for library service.
Etymology
Total – everyone in the organization is involved in creating and maintaining the quality of the services and products offered.
Quality – the organization through individual and collective actions focuses on meeting customer needs, recognizing that customer perception identifies quality.
Management – in managing the system, the emphasis lies on continuously improving the system in order to achieve the best results.
A Philosophy
TQM is a management philosophy embracing all activities through which the needs of the customer and the community, and the objectives of the organization, are satisfied in the most efficient and cost-effective way by maximizing the potential of all employees in a continuing drive for improvement.
A Distinct Feature
As Hopp and Spearman explain, “manufacturing is more than just machinery and logistics – it is people, too.” The people’s emphasis is arguably the most distinct feature of TQM. According to Deming, managers must “drive out fear from the workplace.”
By employing the principles of TQM, a public organization may be in a better position to shorten response time, reduce cost, and increase quality for the ultimate purpose of creating public value.
The Myth
Cohen and Brand (1993) clarify the misconception that TQM can only be used on factory production lines. In fact, quality improvement teams can be particularly useful in administrative settings, both m and out of government.
They do not, however, argue that the ideas m TQM are particularly new or revolutionary, nor is the emphasis on being customer-driven unique. Nevertheless, TQM does synthesize important management lessons, thereby creating a useful and consistent management paradigm.
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