What Is TQM (Total Quality Managment)?

TQM Total Quality Management is the management of total quality. We know that management consist of planning, organizing, directing, control and assurance. Then, one has to define "total quality". Total quality is called total because it consist of three qualities. 1)Quality of return: To satisfy the need of the shareholder. 2)Quality of product and services: To satisfy some specfic need of the consumer (end customer). 3) Quality of life, At work and out of work: To satisfy the need of the people in the organization.

This is achieved with the help of upstream and downstream partner of the enterprise. To this, we have to add the corporate citizenship i.e. the social technological, economical, political and ecological (STEPE) responsibility of the enterprise concerning its internal  (its people) and external (upstream and downstream) partners, and community. Therefore, Total Quality Management goes well beyond satisfying the customer or merely offering quality product (goods and/or services).

Note that I use the term consumer and end customer, the reason is that in a supply chain management approach, we don't have to satisfy our customer's need, but the needs of our customer all the way to the end customer, the consumer of a product and/or service.
By applying all above, an enterprise achieves Business Excellence.