Total Quality Management
Total Quality Management, or TQM, was introduced in the middle of the twentieth century by a handful of American manufacturing consultants. After World War II, American manufacturing companies were booming, and took little notice of the principles laid out in TQM. Japanese companies, who were devastated by the effects of the war, took to the new concepts to rebuild their manufacturing capacity.
The basic concepts of this philosophy include such ideas as continuous improvement, total involvement from top to bottom of an organization, and ideals such as truth, integrity, and team building. Customer satisfaction becomes the main goal, and everyone in the organization is required to focus on how their role, however large or small, affects the customer.
These manufacturing methods lead to other concepts, such as just-in-time delivery, Kaizen method, and total-quality-loss systems. It wasn't until after the 1980's that the United States realized the extent that Japanese manufacturing was overtaking domestic manufacturing in terms of quality and customer satisfaction. There was a sudden willingness to learn and implement some of these methods in manufacturing in the United States.
The Lean Process
The first buzzword to come out of the new movement in manufacturing was "lean". Everyone was attempting to optimize by cutting out waste. The first lean process wasn't as structured as the modern practice. Simply reducing or cutting out waste was part of the solution, but it proved not to be the whole solution.
Today's lean methods include an organization-wide look at creating modules or "cells" that are a manageable size and are "movable" or able to be relocated within an organization. Process flow from one cell to another is another key so that transportation is minimized and inventories are minimized.
Six Sigma
The main difference to the previous process is that Six Sigma requires certification, and a required amount of experience. There is no standard for the type of training, although there is an agreement that a "black belt" requires the successful completion of two projects using the methods of manufacturing practices. Colleges and universities offer six sigma training, although the required experience has to be done in an industrial setting, either as employee or as an intern in manufacturing.
Six Sigma methods are generally used in design and implementation in the manufacturing departments. Lean methods can be applied in every part of the organization, including management, business, finance, purchasing, and other sectors not directly involved on the process line.
Manufacturing in the United States has evolved greatly in the past thirty years with the introduction of quality methods, equaling any other country in output quality and customer satisfaction.
How can this benefit my career? Consider the possibility of lean certification or looking at receiving Six Sigma black belt certification online. You will have put into place an opportunity for personal advancement in your existing job, or in a new position. Find out more today!
John Meyers+
0 comments:
Post a Comment