THE FOUNDATION AND THE FOUR SIDES OF THE TQM
PYRAMID
The Quality Journey tears down outdated
management pyramids, arguing instead for
the need to build a whole new management
pyramid, the one which can live up to the
vision and challenges inherent in the
definition of TQM. Management at all levels
and in all departments just could not see that
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‘total quality’ can only be achieved with the active participation of
management. An apt name for this pyramid would be the TQM pyramid.
TQM pyramid allows for graphic representation of the basic principles of
TQM. TQM is characterized by five principles:
1. Management’s commitment (leadership);
2. Focus on the customer and the employee;
3. Focus on facts;
4. Continuous improvements (KAIZEN);
5. Everybody’s participation.
The above mentioned principles make up the four sides of the pyramid with
Leadership, or Management’s commitment, as its foundation. A vital task for
any management is to outline quality goals, quality policies and quality plans
in accordance with the four sides of the TQM pyramid.
This is extremely important. So important in fact that, in many firms, top
management (the board of directors) ought to review the firm’s quality goals
and policies and if necessary reformulate them so that they conform to the
four sides of the TQM pyramid.
The firm’s quality goals give all employees a clear indication of what is
going to be achieved concerning quality. The firm’s quality policies, on the
other hand, describe in more detail how employees are to achieve that goal.
The firm’s quality policies must also conform to the four sides of the TQM
pyramid.
Quality goals and quality policies must be followed by meaningful action
plans. Experience from firms which have understood and realized the TQM
vision shows that firms ought to concentrate on short-term plans (one-year
plans) and long-term plans, the latter often being three-year plans which are
revised annually in connection with an annual quality audit.
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The basic notions of TQM reflected in the pyramid are in accordance with
Deming’s seven principles:
1. Management must agree about goals, conditions and obstacles to
the introduction of TQM.
2. Management must have the courage to break with tradition.
3. In building up a new ‘quality organization’, management must
appoint a manager for quality improvements who has direct access to top
management.
4. Management must, as quickly as possible, build up an
organization to advise on the carrying out of continuous improvements
throughout the firm.
5. Management must explain to employees why changes are
necessary and that they will involve everybody in the company.
6. Management must explain that every activity and every job has its
own customers and suppliers.
7. Management must ensure that every employee in the company
participates actively in a team (work team, quality circle).
The above points implicitly include all four sides of the TQM pyramid.

ex 5. Scan the text to find the words that mean the following. State their part of
speech.
1. give reasons in support of the idea
2. something that is wanted or required
3. suitable in the circumstances
4. give opportunity for
5. state of being dedicated to a cause, activity
6. without interruption
7. absolutely necessary, essential
8. define the shape of
9. principle of action adopted by an organization
10. practical contact with and observation of facts and events
11. conduct a systematic review of
12. a thing that blocks one’s way or hinders progress
13. the ability to do something that frightens one