Difference between Quality Control & Total Quality Management

Why are we always on a search of five stars nowadays?

Because it’s all about quality! If you are not providing the quality of service, you can forget about getting customers. And that’s pretty natural too, don’t you think? If you were at the receiving end of any service, would you have liked being served with an average quality product?

But, how would you decide what can be defined as the “Quality” for your product? Also, this blog title points towards Total Quality Management Vs Quality Control. But, what they actually are?

Today we are going to elaborate on Quality, Total Quality Management, Quality Control, and the reasons Total Quality Management differs from Quality Control. So, let’s start with the definition of quality. Shall we?

What Is Quality?

If you are aware of the ways project management works, then you must know that project management depends on 3 main components: Quality, Cost, and Time.

Among these 3 factors, the quality most surely captures a lot of space. According to Project Management Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK), Quality can be defined as a degree to which the project meets its requirements.

Dr. Edward Deming is the one who talked about quality management first in 1950. In Deming’s language, “Good quality means a predictable degree of uniformity and dependability with a quality standard suited to the customer.

The underlying philosophy of all definitions is the same – consistency of conformance and performance, and keeping the customer in mind.” Although it’s the actual definition of quality, the understanding of quality varies from person to person. 

Well, let us explain it to you with some examples. We all have eaten Pizza. Right? Now, we will say a pizza is of good quality only when the following pointers are checked:

• The pizza dough is good
• The amount of cheese is sufficient
• The toppings complement each other
• The freshness of the toppings

Now, if you are selling pizza, some customers will judge the by dough, some will judge it by the number of toppings you are using. Customers may concentrate on the particular nature of an item. They would contrast it with rivals in the commercial center.

Makers may gauge the conformance quality or degree to which the item/administration was created effectively. Bolster faculty may quantify quality in wording that an item is solid, viable, or manageable.

But for a software product, quality means its feature and functionality and its capacity for serving up to the needs of the customer base. For coders, a software product is of good quality if it is producing lesser bugs. 

We guess now you are clear about what quality means? Now, let’s move to the quality control part. 

What is Quality Control?

Quality Control or QC is a process of reviewing each and every factor involved in the production. Quality Control makes sure that the product is meeting all the prescribed technical standards of quality along with meeting the customer needs.

It includes the physical checking of exercises at each predefined phase of creation. This spreads cycles from accepting materials and assembling to testing, packing, and shipping. Along these lines, quality control is item situated and centers around defect identification.

So let’s get back to our Pizza example. So what is the Quality Control of a Pizza? On the Pizza manufacture’s side, there can be some testing to see:

• Pizza materials are fresh 
• The toppings should have the desired taste
• The Cheese is spread evenly 
• The blend of the ingredients doesn’t cause discomfort to the consumers
• The packaging is proper

The manufacturer will decide upon the sample sizes and there can be many tastes like that which aim to identify the defective pizza pieces. 

Now, what is quality control for a software product? It includes defects in codes, bugs, errors, etc.

There is another concept called Quality Assurance or QA that involves the processes of preventing a defect. By doing this, it makes the operations more effective and efficient. Now in this line only comes Total quality Management. Let’s have a look at what it actually is.

What is Total Quality Management?

Total quality management (TQM) consists of organization-wide efforts to “install and make permanent climate where employees continuously improve their ability to provide on-demand products and services that customers will find of particular value.

“Total” emphasizes that departments in addition to production (for example sales and marketing, accounting and finance, engineering and design) are obligated to improve their operations; “management” emphasizes that executives are obligated to actively manage quality through funding, training, staffing, and goal setting.

While there is no widely agreed-upon approach, TQM efforts typically draw heavily on the previously developed tools and techniques of quality control. TQM enjoyed widespread attention during the late 1980s and early 1990s before being overshadowed by ISO 9000, Lean manufacturing, and Six Sigma.

 Total Quality Management is built on 6 Cs:

• Commitment
• Culture
• Continuous improvement
• Cooperation
• Customer focus
• Control

The end goal of Total Quality Management is usually 3 things:

1. Maintaining the  system that includes all persons of all divisions at every level
2. The method runs itself with the management method and analytical method
3. Purpose absorbs the quality, cost, environment, delivery, and safety

Differences Between Total Quality Management and Quality Control:

1. TQM focuses on continuous improvement QC focuses on ensuring that the product meets the customer needs 
2. Casual research that analyses the effects of the independent variable on the dependent variables. It helps to find the effectiveness of TQM implementation.
3. Experiments related to inspections, review, determine where to set the inputs to get the desired output.
4. Design Of Experiments (DOE) that focuses on continuous improvement can be used in Total Quality Management.
5. Design Of Experiments (DOE) that focuses on products can be used here.

Total Quality Management is built on 6 C’s:

• Commitment
• Culture
• Continuous improvement
• Cooperation
• Customer focus
• Control

Quality Control is built on 7 Quality Control Tools:

• Cause and effect diagram
• Check sheet
• Control chart
• Histogram
• Pareto chart
• Scatter Diagram
• Stratification

To choose a career in Total Quality Management, you need to be Six Sigma certified.

To choose a career in Quality Control, you need to grab the Quality Assurance certification or Quality Control certification.

Conclusion

Total Quality Management is a way of thinking that has faith in a far-reaching duty toward quality. It encourages a quality culture all through the association. It includes persistent improvement in the nature of the work of all representatives so as to best gathering the necessities of clients. And what is necessary to handle the Total Quality Management of an organization? Of course, a Six Sigma Certification. What are you waiting for then? Apply for one right away!

Also read our previous blog on 5 Reasons Why Lean Six Sigma Certification Makes Your CV Shine