Total Quality Principles - ISO 9000:2000 - Case Study Example

Name Tutor Course Date Total Quality Principles Introduction Organizational quality management involves overseeing the activities involved in the entire operation of the organization. Monitoring the activities of the organization aims at establishing and developing a desired standard of performance. Formulating quality policies, strategic planning and quality control are some of the involved quality management practices in an organization. To assess and evaluate quality management of business films, there exist a number of standards that guide the level of quality that should be maintained in the organization. Among the standards is the ISO 9000 standards series. This is one of the international standards set to guide the quality management and quality assurance for effective documentation of the organization quality system elements. The series define the principles that can be employed in any industry and in a firm of any size. ISO 9000:2000 defines the quality management that business firms are required to apply to gain the management quality standards recommended. This paper explores the bases of the standard and model as well as how ISO 9000:2000 and EFQM excellence model supportively link. Also, the paper seeks to identify ways through which an organization can leverage its capabilities and Quality Management System to achieve and sustain outstanding achievements. Review ISO 9000:2000 is applicable all firms for quality management system regardless of size and industry category. It describes the basis of quality management systems and specifies through eight quality management principles. Russell (657) that the fundamental principles of quality management system have been in use since 1990, employed to enhance business excellence. These principles are based on the areas such as quality management, management responsibilities, resources management achievement of product conformation, and the general measurement and improvement of the key performance (International Trade Centre, 5). Initially, the standards were applied in the military procurement activities during World War II when the introduction and application of ISO standards commenced (Monsted &Fons, 4). The argument position of the standard is that goods and services development in an organization is a result of a quality system. However, a quality system results from quality management. Therefore, the standards outline the guides and boundaries within which the strategies of quality management system should operate. The standard have underwent through evolution over the past century to the introduction on the EFQM excellence. The changes have made much focus on the principles and the need for innovation in management strategies, alongside the development of information power. Besides, ISO 9000:2000 standards focus on the effective documentation as a tool that facilitates the achievement of quality management system. ISO 9000:2000 and the EFQM excellence model compare with each other in a way that, while ISO 9000:2000 specifies the requirements for quality management system, the EFQM excellence model recognizes the approaches that leads towards the excellence performance of a firm. The development of EFQM excellence model backdates to 1988 during which the European firms first employed its approaches. Application of these approaches in Europe resulted in the establishment of European Quality Award, which was launched in 199. This was meant to assess and evaluate the management systems of different companies and rank them in order of quality (Monsted &Fons, 6). The basis of EFQM excellence model relies on the principles of total quality management (TQM) in an organization. These principles include quality leadership, customer-oriented practices, continuous improvement of the organization’s performance, and realities associated with the operations of the company, alongside the collaboration of every participant in the firm. Findings The two aspects of quality management system, ISO 9000:2000 and the EFQM excellence model, covers different scopes for their implementation in an organization. ISO 9000:2000 is an international standard that require a firm to demonstrate its capabilities of constant supply of goods and services that meet the set levels of customer satisfaction. Also, the standard requires the firm to effectively employ quality management system and processes that include continuous improvement and strategies to prevent discontinuity to address customer satisfaction. However, the EFQM excellence model requires a firm to apply different approaches to achieve sustainability and desired excellent performance. The criteria outlined by the model cover the activities and practices of all the relevant stakeholders of a firm that enhance the achievement of excellent performance. The strength of the standard is that, it provides a structure relevant to all firms with the limitations of size or nature. Therefore, it enables and ensures uniform and consistent guidelines that facilitate the development of a firm through quality management system. Additionally, the standard provides the elements, procedures and other related requirements to enhance the establishment and development of quality management system of a firm. Besides, ISO 9000:2000 is generic in nature. This characteristic provides the two criteria of application of this standard in companies. The standard is not quality-system specific, neither is it restrict its single utilization to every product in the company (Monsted &Fons, 7). Therefore, any relevant sub-standard can be utilized depending on the requirements per the product, and allow flexibility in a firm to employ only the necessary. Furthermore, Monsted &Fons (11) explains that the standard facilitate market expansion through registrations. Similarly, the excellence model, through its approaches, has multiple strengths. According to Monsted &Fons (13) and Russell (659), the model’s holistic approach is one the main strength, which focuses on incorporation of every aspect of the business, such all stakeholder of the firm. This criterion enhances the image of the company. Additionally, the relation to financial results also expresses the area of strength of the model. In this criterion, involvement of every shareholder in the strategies of the company results in improved satisfaction of customers and other involved parties. Conclusion The establishment and implementation of ISO 9000 standards and the EFQM excellence model backdates to centuries back. However, through a series of changes and modeling of their bases, the two aspects of quality management system development have enabled and facilitated the achievement of excellent performance in many firms. The ISO 9000:2000 is an improved series of the international standards that addresses the principles within which firms should be operating to improve the quality standards products and customer satisfaction. Whereas the standard if focusing on the principle of obtaining quality management system, the EFQM model incorporates every aspect of a firm to facilitate the achievement of excellence performance of a firm and improved relation of the firm and all the involved parties. Therefore, it is evident that the two aspects focus on different criteria of achieving success in a company. However, the supportive link-up between them can result in constructive approaches and criteria that facilitate and enhance the desired achievement, alongside capabilities and quality management system to sustain the achievements. The following recommendations justify the application of ISO 9000:2000 and the EFQM excellence model in a firm and how they support each other. Also, the recommendations discuss the ways through which a company can leverage capabilities and quality management system to achieve and substance the desired excellence. Recommendations The scope of the ISO 9000:200 and the EFQM Model covers two different areas of achieving and sustaining desired success through leveraging the capabilities and quality management system. These two areas involve practices and activities oriented towards the enablers of performances and the result desired. The enablers include good leadership, quality policies and strategies, the people involved, partnership and resources, and the processes involved. On the other hand, the result oriented activities and practices involve formulating measures that focus on customers, people involved, society around the company, and key performances results. As one of the enablers, ISO 9000:2000 requires the management of a company to be responsible for formulation and development of quality policies and objectives for the company, as outline in the sections 5.1 and 5.3. Similarly, the same responsibilities of the management are also recommended by EFQM model, arguing that leaders should act as role models in accompany, alongside developing the mission, vision, and values of the company (Monsted &Fons, 21; Russell, 661). According to the second criterion of the EFQM model, an organization should establish and implement strategies that are clearly defined and supported by relevant policies governing the operations of the firm. According to Monsted &Fons (23), these strategies should focus on the current and future customer expectations. This criterion of EFQM is also supported by ISO 9000:2000 in section 5.2. Russell (661) explains that the standard recommends firms to employ strategies defined within the specifications of the relevant policies to be able attain the desired quality management system in the company. Also, ISO 9000:2000 recommends that organizations should ensure that the people involved in the general operations of the firm, such as employees, should hold competence and experiences in education, training and skills. This involves proper planning of human resources to be able to this this requirement of quality management system towards achieving and sustaining outstanding achievements. Supportively, the EFQM excellence model recommends that organizations should train and educate their employees towards achieving and sustain the desired excellence in the firm (Monsted &Fons, 24; Russell, 662). It is also recommended that an organization identify, provide and maintain the resources needed for the conformity of the goods and services. ISO 9000:2000 standards required this practice of meeting the resource requirements of an organization to be in a timely manner (Russell, 662). Similarly, the EFQM model requires an organization to identify and establish constructive partnership with the sources of resources. Monsted &Fons (25) explain that constructive partnership ensures steady, continuous, and timely supply of resources required for the conformation of the products. Therefore, this criterion ensures that the capabilities and quality management system of the company are leveraged and discontinuity in production is prevented. Furthermore, both the excellence model and the standard require organizations to design their own processes, manage, and improve them. These processes are meant to support the policies strategies in place for the achievement of the intended excellence. As stated by the standard, an organization is purported to establish process management system that enables efficient and effective control of the key processes involved in the activities towards achieving the intents, alongside delivering the policies (Monsted &Fons, 26). The criteria towards the results desired by the EFQM model and the ISO 9000:2000 are based on the abilities of an organization to gather and analyses information about the intended customers, involved people, the society, and the key performances. By acquiring enough information about the characteristics and expectations of the customers, people and society, an organization can identify and evaluate the key performance requirements, alongside the ways to incorporate and collaborate with the involved parties and the society. Consequently, this results in better people and customer satisfaction. Also, it results in construction of positive image and relations in the society, which leads to the achievement and sustainment of the desired excellence. While pursuing total quality management or quality management system, companies adopt internationally accepted policies and standards that allow market expansion and international recognition. These standards and the approaches towards them are set by models such as EFQM excellence model and standards such as ISO 9000. Within these standards and through their approaches, organizations maximize their potentials in strategizing and policing towards the intended goals. They also maximize resources utilization, alongside the ability to enable product conforming and continuity. Moreover, companies enhance their relations with other involved parties and consequently improve their image in the society. Therefore, implementing quality management system in accompany associate the company with the benefits such as improved customer and process orientation, decision-making, management commitment, working environment, and motivation of the involved people. Also, the intended customer builds trust and confidence on the company and its products, which indicates good relation with the society (International Trade Centre, 11). Consequently, the market expands and the profitability increases. Works Cited International Trade Centre. “An Introduction to ISO 9000:2000”. Export Quality, No. 70. (2001): Print. Monsted, Mikael & Fons, Thorben. “A comparative assessment of the EFQN Excellence model and the ISO 9001: 2000”. Institute of Information Science, Aarhus School of Business. (2002): Print. Russell, Steve. “ISO 9000: 2000 and the EFQM Excellence Model: competition or co-operation?” Total Quality Management, Vol. 11, No. 4/5&6, 657-665. (2000): Print. Read More