Total quality management and ISO 9001

TQM principles and practices, the ideas of Deming, Juran, Crosby, Ishikawa and Feigenbaum, the ISO 9000 family, ISO 9001:2015 clause structure and PDCA, the seven quality management principles, certification and audits, with ppm and project-payback indicators.

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Why it matters

Statistical tools only work inside an organisation that wants to use them. Total Quality Management (TQM) is the management philosophy that makes quality everyone's job, and ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised standard for a quality management system (QMS) that customers, especially automotive, aerospace and export buyers, ask their suppliers to be certified against. Production engineers meet both from their first job: writing procedures, facing audits and running improvement projects.

Key ideas

TQM: the core principles

  • Customer focus: quality is defined by the customer, internal (the next process) as well as external.
  • Leadership and total involvement: top management sets policy and provides resources; every employee takes part (quality circles, suggestion schemes, cross-functional teams).
  • Process approach: work is managed as linked processes with inputs, outputs, owners and measures, rather than as departments.
  • Continual improvement (kaizen): small, steady improvements by everyone, using the PDCA cycle, plus occasional breakthrough projects.
  • Fact-based decisions: data, SPC and the seven QC tools rather than opinion.
  • Supplier partnership: fewer suppliers, long-term relationships, quality built in at source.

The quality pioneers

  • Deming: 14 points for management (constancy of purpose, cease dependence on mass inspection, end lowest-price buying, drive out fear, break down barriers between departments, and others); the PDCA (Plan–Do–Check–Act, which Deming called PDSA) cycle; most problems (he estimated about 85–94 %) belong to the system, which only management can change.
  • Juran: the quality trilogy (quality planning, quality control, quality improvement); the Pareto principle of the vital few and the useful many; project-by-project improvement.
  • Crosby: quality is conformance to requirements; the system is prevention; the standard is zero defects; the measure is the price of non-conformance.
  • Ishikawa: cause-and-effect diagram, quality circles, company-wide quality control.
  • Feigenbaum: total quality control across all functions.

Common TQM practices. PDCA, quality circles, 5S, kaizen events, poka-yoke (mistake-proofing), benchmarking, quality function deployment (QFD, translating the voice of the customer into design requirements), supplier quality assurance and TPM.

The ISO 9000 family

  • ISO 9000: fundamentals and vocabulary.
  • ISO 9001: requirements for a QMS. It is the only standard of the family against which an organisation can be certified. In India BIS publishes it as IS/ISO 9001.
  • ISO 9004: guidance for sustained success beyond the minimum requirements.
  • ISO 19011: guidelines for auditing management systems. Sector variants build on ISO 9001, for example IATF 16949 (automotive) and AS9100 (aerospace).

ISO 9001:2015 structure. It follows the common high-level structure of ISO management-system standards, with requirements in clauses 4–10: 4 context of the organisation (interested parties, scope, processes), 5 leadership (policy, roles, customer focus), 6 planning (risks and opportunities, quality objectives), 7 support (resources, competence, awareness, communication, documented information), 8 operation (planning, requirements, design, purchasing, production, release, control of nonconforming outputs), 9 performance evaluation (monitoring, customer satisfaction, internal audit, management review), 10 improvement (nonconformity, corrective action, continual improvement). Clauses 4–10 map onto PDCA: Plan (4–6), Do (7–8), Check (9), Act (10). Key ideas of the 2015 edition are the process approach and risk-based thinking. (The standard is periodically revised; check the edition your exam or employer refers to. The 2008 edition used terms such as "management responsibility" and "product realization".)

The seven quality management principles (ISO 9000:2015): customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvement, evidence-based decision making, relationship management.

Certification. Gap analysis → define processes and documented information → implement and train → internal audits and management review → certification audit by an accredited third-party certification body (stage 1 documentation review, stage 2 implementation audit) → certificate valid for three years with annual surveillance audits. Audits are first party (internal), second party (by a customer on its supplier) or third party (independent certification body). Findings are graded as major or minor nonconformities and require corrective action that removes the root cause.

TQM versus ISO 9001. ISO 9001 sets a minimum, auditable system that gives customers confidence of consistent conformity; it does not by itself guarantee excellent products. TQM is a broader culture of improvement that goes beyond the standard; a certified company without that culture can still make poor products consistently.

Formulas

TQM and ISO 9001 are management systems, not formulas, but their quality objectives are measured with simple indicators:

ppm = (Number nonconforming / Number supplied) × 10⁶

  • Parts per million defective, the usual supplier and customer-reject measure.

Percentage reduction = (Old − New) / Old × 100

  • For checking progress against a quality objective.

Annual saving = Δ(defect fraction) × Annual volume × Cost per defective, Payback = Project cost / Annual saving

  • For evaluating improvement (PDCA, kaizen) projects; costs in ₹, volume in parts per year, payback in years.

Worked examples

Example 1 (standard): checking a quality objective Given: under ISO 9001 clause 6.2, a supplier sets the objective "customer rejections ≤ 1000 ppm". Last year it supplied 250 000 parts and the customer rejected 375. Is the objective met, and by how much must rejections fall?

  1. ppm = 375 / 250 000 × 10⁶ = 1500 ppm.
  2. Objective 1000 ppm is not met.
  3. Required reduction = (1500 − 1000) / 1500 × 100 = 33.3 %.

Rejections are 1500 ppm; they must fall by one-third (to at most 250 parts on the same volume) to meet the objective. Under clause 10 this triggers corrective action on the main causes.

Example 2 (GATE level): evaluating a PDCA project Given: a PDCA project on a machining cell costs ₹4 lakh. Scrap falls from 4.0 % to 1.5 % on an annual volume of 120 000 parts. Each scrapped part costs ₹250 (no salvage value). Find the annual saving and the payback period.

  1. Reduction in scrap fraction = 0.040 − 0.015 = 0.025.
  2. Annual saving = 0.025 × 120 000 × 250 = ₹7 50 000.
  3. Payback = 4 00 000 / 7 50 000 = 0.533 year = 6.4 months.

Annual saving ₹7.5 lakh; payback about 6.4 months. In the PDCA cycle, the Check step confirms the scrap rate has really fallen, and the Act step standardises the new method (updated work instructions, control plan) so the gain is kept.

Common mistakes

  • Treating ISO 9001 certification as proof of product quality; it certifies the system, not each product.
  • Saying a company is "certified to ISO 9000"; certification is to ISO 9001.
  • Confusing correction (fixing the defective part) with corrective action (removing the cause).
  • Assigning the 14 points to Juran or the trilogy to Deming.
  • Thinking TQM is the quality department's job; it requires leadership and everyone's involvement.

For GATE PI

Questions are conceptual: matching pioneers to their ideas (14 points, trilogy, zero defects, fishbone), the PDCA cycle, TQM principles, the ISO 9000 family and which standard is certifiable, types of audit and the role of management review. Simple numericals may ask for ppm, percentage improvement or project payback.

Quick check

  1. Which standard of the ISO 9000 family can an organisation be certified to?
  2. Who proposed the quality trilogy?
  3. Which ISO 9001:2015 clauses correspond to the "Check" step of PDCA?
  4. A second-party audit is carried out by whom?

Answers: 1. ISO 9001. 2. Juran. 3. Clause 9 (performance evaluation). 4. A customer auditing its supplier.

Interview questions

All Metrology, Quality and Reliability interview questions

Try answering each one aloud before you open it.

  1. 1.What is Total Quality Management (TQM)?Concept

    Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management approach focused on improving the quality of an organization's outputs, including goods and services, through continuous improvement of internal practices. It involves all members of an organization in improving processes, products, services, and the culture in which they work. TQM aims to enhance customer satisfaction by integrating quality into every aspect of the business.

  2. 2.Explain the main principles of ISO 9001.Concept

    ISO 9001 is based on several quality management principles, including customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvement, evidence-based decision making, and relationship management. These principles guide organizations in improving their performance and achieving sustainable success. The standard emphasizes meeting customer requirements and enhancing customer satisfaction.

  3. 3.How does TQM differ from traditional quality management?Concept

    TQM differs from traditional quality management in that it involves all employees in the organization, from top management to front-line workers, in the quality improvement process. Traditional quality management often focuses on specific departments or processes, whereas TQM is a holistic approach that integrates quality into every aspect of the organization. TQM also emphasizes continuous improvement and customer satisfaction as key goals.

  4. 4.Why is customer focus important in ISO 9001?Application

    Customer focus is crucial in ISO 9001 because it ensures that the organization understands and meets customer needs and expectations. By prioritizing customer satisfaction, organizations can build trust, enhance customer loyalty, and improve their market position. A strong customer focus also drives continuous improvement and innovation, leading to better products and services.

  5. 5.What happens if an ISO 9001 certified organisation is found not to comply with the standard?Application

    Certification is voluntary, so there is no legal penalty, but audit findings have consequences. A minor nonconformity needs a correction and corrective action plan; a major nonconformity (a requirement not met at all, or a systemic failure) must be closed within a set time, usually verified by a follow-up audit, or the certification body can suspend or withdraw the certificate. Losing certification can mean losing customers whose purchasing rules require it, especially in automotive and export supply chains.

  6. 6.How can continuous improvement be implemented in TQM?Application

    Continuous improvement in TQM can be implemented through regular evaluation and analysis of processes, setting measurable goals, and using tools like Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycles. Organizations should encourage employee involvement and feedback to identify areas for improvement. Continuous training and development of staff also play a key role in fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

  7. 7.What role does leadership play in TQM?Application

    Leadership plays a critical role in TQM by setting the vision and direction for quality improvement. Leaders are responsible for creating a culture that values quality and encourages employee participation in quality initiatives. They must also allocate resources, provide training, and support continuous improvement efforts. Effective leadership ensures that quality objectives align with the organization's strategic goals.

  8. 8.Explain the importance of evidence-based decision making in ISO 9001.Application

    Evidence-based decision making is important in ISO 9001 because it ensures that decisions are made based on data and factual information rather than assumptions or intuition. This approach helps organizations to identify root causes of problems, evaluate the effectiveness of actions, and make informed improvements. It leads to more reliable and consistent outcomes, enhancing overall quality and efficiency.

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