Question 1

a) Briefly introduce to your audience what Total Quality Management entails.

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management approach that aims to improve the
quality of all products and services through the continuous involvement of all
employees. TQM is based on the belief that quality is everyone's responsibility, and that
it can be achieved through continuous improvement.

TQM is a holistic approach to quality management that encompasses all aspects of an

organization, from its suppliers to its customers. It focuses on preventing defects rather
than detecting and correcting them after they occur. TQM also emphasizes the
importance of employee empowerment and teamwork.

b) Outline six (6) basic concepts underlying Total Quality Management.

The six basic concepts underlying TQM are:

1. Customer focus: TQM is centered around meeting and exceeding the needs of
customers.
2. Employee empowerment: TQM empowers employees to identify and solve problems,
and to make continuous improvements.
3. Continuous improvement: TQM is based on the belief that there is always room for
improvement, and that organizations should continuously strive to improve their
products, services, and processes.
4. Process management: TQM focuses on understanding and managing the processes
that produce products and services.
5. Fact-based decision making: TQM emphasizes the importance of using data and
evidence to make decisions.
6. Teamwork: TQM recognizes that the best results are achieved when people work
together as a team.
c) Explain to your audience five (5) merits and five (5) implementation challenges which
are characteristic of TQM failures.
Five merits of TQM:
1. Improved customer satisfaction: TQM can lead to improved customer satisfaction by
delivering products and services that meet and exceed customer expectations.
2. Reduced costs: TQM can help organizations to reduce costs by preventing defects and
eliminating wasteful practices.
 3. Increased productivity: TQM can help organizations to increase productivity by improving
the efficiency of their processes.
4. Improved employee morale: TQM can help to improve employee morale by empowering
employees and creating a culture of continuous improvement.
5. Enhanced competitiveness: TQM can help organizations to become more competitive by
delivering high-quality products and services at competitive prices.
Five implementation challenges which are characteristic of TQM failures:
1. Resistance to change: TQM requires a significant change in organizational culture, and
some employees may resist change.
2. Lack of top management commitment: TQM must be supported by top management in
order to be successful.
3. Short-term focus: TQM is a long-term approach, but some organizations may focus on
short-term results at the expense of TQM implementation.
4. Lack of training and resources: TQM requires employees to have the training and
resources they need to be successful.
5. Failure to measure and track progress: It is important to measure and track progress in
order to ensure that TQM implementation is on track.

d) Explain to your audience the concept of benchmarking as a continuous improvement

tool.
Benchmarking is a continuous improvement tool that involves comparing an
organization's performance to that of other organizations, considered to be the best in
their class. The goal of benchmarking is to identify and adopt best practices from other
organizations in order to improve one's own performance.

Benchmarking can be used to improve any aspect of an organization's business,

including its products, services, processes, and systems. It can be done internally, by
comparing one division or department to another, or externally, by comparing the
organization to other organizations in the same industry or sector.

e) Explain why customer feedback is essential in Total Quality Management and explain
the various tools that can be used to collect information regarding your product
performance.
Customer feedback is essential in Total Quality Management because it helps
organizations to understand their customers' needs and expectations, and to identify
areas where they can improve their products and services. Customer feedback can be
collected in a variety of ways, including:
 Customer surveys: Customer surveys can be used to collect feedback on a variety of
topics, such as customer satisfaction, product quality, and service quality.
 Customer interviews: Customer interviews can be used to collect more in-depth
feedback on a particular topic.
 Focus groups: Focus groups can be used to gather feedback from a group of customers
on a particular topic.
 Customer complaints: Customer complaints can be used to identify areas where the
organization needs to improve.
 Social media: Social media can be used to monitor customer feedback and to identify
emerging trends.
f) Tell your audience four (4) dimensions of quality that are critical to clients in the
construction industry.

The four dimensions of quality that are critical to clients in the construction industry are:

1. Performance: The construction project must meet the client's performance requirements,
such as functionality, durability, and safety.
2. Features: The construction project must have the features that the client desires, such
as size, layout, and amenities.
3. Aesthetics: The construction project must meet the client's aesthetic requirements, such
as appearance, style, and finish.
4. Service: The construction company must provide good customer service to the client,
such as being responsive, communicative, and professional.
Question 2
a) i Enumerate nine (9) Total Quality Management principles that will guide your
commission.

The nine Total Quality Management principles that will guide your commission are:

1. Customer focus: Focus on meeting and exceeding the needs of customers.

2. Employee empowerment: Empower employees to identify and solve problems, and to
make continuous improvements.
3. Continuous improvement: Continuously strive to improve products, services, and
processes.
 4. Process management: Understand and manage the processes that produce products
and services.
5. Fact-based decision making: Use data and evidence to make decisions.
6. Teamwork: Encourage teamwork and collaboration.
7. Leadership: Provide strong leadership and support for TQM implementation.
8. Training and education: Provide employees with the training and education they need to
be successful in TQM.
9. Communication: Communicate effectively with employees and stakeholders about TQM.
ii Explain the role of organizational culture in your TQM adventure?

Organizational culture plays a critical role in TQM implementation. TQM is most

successful in organizations that have a culture of continuous improvement, employee
empowerment, and teamwork.

A culture of continuous improvement means that everyone in the organization is

encouraged to identify and solve problems, and to make continuous improvements. A
culture of employee empowerment means that employees are given the authority and
resources they need to make decisions and to take action. A culture of teamwork
means that employees are encouraged to work together to achieve common goals.

b) i In order to create a sound quality policy, you recommend the creation of a quality
council within the firm. What are the general duties of a quality council?

The general duties of a quality council are to:

 Develop and implement the organization's quality policy.

 Monitor and evaluate the organization's quality performance.

 Identify and recommend areas for improvement.

 Provide training and support to employees on quality management.

 Promote a culture of quality within the organization.

ii As part of your observation, one of the current challenges to the organization's poor
performance is in their production processes. Consequently, you have recommended to
the organization to re-engineer their processes. What is the meaning of Business
process re-engineering?

Business process re-engineering (BPR) is a management approach that involves the

fundamental rethinking and redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic

c) i Explain the relationships between:

a) Quality and cost: Quality and cost are often seen as having a trade-off relationship.
This means that as the quality of a product or service increases, the cost of producing it
also increases. However, this is not always the case. There are many ways to improve
quality without increasing costs, such as by reducing waste and improving efficiency.

b) Quality and productivity: Quality and productivity are positively correlated. This
means that as the quality of a product or service increases, productivity also increases.
This is because high-quality products and services are less likely to be defective, which
means that less time and resources are spent on fixing problems.

e) Quality and profit: Quality and profit are also positively correlated. This is because
high-quality products and services are more likely to satisfy customers, which leads to
repeat business and increased sales. Additionally, high-quality products and services
are less likely to be subject to liability claims, which can save money in the long run.

Question 3
a) What does a typical meeting agenda contain after establishing the TQM?

A typical meeting agenda for a TQM team might contain the following items:

 Review of previous meeting minutes

 Discussion of progress on current quality improvement projects

 Identification of new quality improvement opportunities

 Planning for upcoming quality improvement projects

 Review of customer feedback

  Discussion of training and education needs

 Communication and promotion of TQM throughout the organization

b) i. In a pictorial diagram, illustrate the house of quality.

ii Enumerate the various steps involved in building the house of quality.

The various steps involved in building the House of Quality are:

1. Identify the customer's requirements. This can be done through customer surveys,
interviews, and focus groups.
2. Identify the product or service characteristics that meet those requirements.
3. Prioritize the customer's requirements.
4. Assess the relationship between the customer's requirements and the product or service
characteristics.
 5. Identify the technical requirements that will need to be met in order to achieve the
desired product or service characteristics.
6. Prioritize the technical requirements.
7. Assess the relationship between the technical requirements.
8. Develop a plan for implementing the technical requirements.
9. Monitor and evaluate the results.

c) Give the Quality Hierarchy

The Quality Hierarchy is a model that shows the different levels of quality within an
organization. The four levels of the Quality Hierarchy are:
 1. Customer satisfaction: This is the highest level of quality and is achieved when the
organization consistently meets and exceeds the needs and expectations of its
customers.
2. Product or service quality: This is the quality of the organization's products or services
and is achieved when the organization produces products or services that meet the
needs and expectations of its customers.
3. Process quality: This is the quality of the organization's processes and is achieved when
the organization has processes that are efficient, effective, and repeatable.
4. System quality: This is the quality of the organization's systems and is achieved when
the organization has systems that support the production of high-quality products or
services.
Question 3
a) What does a typical meeting agenda contain after establishing the TQM?

A typical meeting agenda for a TQM team after establishing TQM might contain the
following items:

 Review of the TQM policy and objectives

 Discussion of progress on the TQM implementation plan

 Identification of new quality improvement opportunities

 Planning for upcoming quality improvement projects

 Review of customer feedback

 Discussion of training and education needs

 Communication and promotion of TQM throughout the organization

b) i. In a pictorial diagram, illustrate the house of quality.

ii Enumerate the various steps involved in building the house of quality.

The various steps involved in building the House of Quality are:

1. Identify the customer's requirements. This can be done through customer surveys,
interviews, and focus groups.
2. Identify the product or service characteristics that meet those requirements.
3. Prioritize the customer's requirements.
4. Assess the relationship between the customer's requirements and the product or service
characteristics.
5. Identify the technical requirements that will need to be met in order to achieve the
desired product or service characteristics.
6. Prioritize the technical requirements.
7. Assess the relationship between the technical requirements.
8. **Develop a plan