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Continuous improvement from high level strategic planning and decision-making to in-depth execution of work elements are the major concerns of total quality management. The basic idea behind this phenomenon is that mistakes can be avoided and defects can be stopped. Continuously improving processes, people, capabilities, technology, system capabilities etc. lead to continuously improving results.
Continuous improvement not only deals with improving results but significantly with improving capabilities to produce better results. Demand generation, operations, supply generation, technology and people capability are the five major areas to lay stress upon for capability improvement.
Total quality management revolves around the principle that may be mistakes are made by people but mostly they are caused or permitted by defective processes and systems. This shows that the basic cause of these mistakes can be identified and eradicated and changing the process can avoid repetition.
Three major means of anticipation are as follows:
1. Mistake proofing: Anticipating defects from occurring.
2. Inspection at source or by next operation: If defects can not be fully avoided, identify them early to stop them being passed down the value added chain.
3. Stop in time: On recurrence of mistakes, stop the production until the process can be modified to stop the production of more defects.
