TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Leadership and Commitment 16 4.5. Application of Concepts 16 Figure 2: The Concept of TQM 16 16 4.6. Future of TQM 17 Section 5 – Implementation of TQM in the Operational Process of Chevrolet 18 5.1. Process/ Prevention 18 5.2. Training and Education 18 5.3. Empowerment/ Organisation 19 Figure 3: TQM Process of General Motors 19 Section 6 – Conclusion 20 20 References 21 Section 1 – Introduction With the increasing influence of globalisation, the business environment is becoming more complex and wider affecting almost every organisation irrespective of its organisational structure and operations. Consequently, the competition is also at a rise due to which the competitive firms are focussed on developing competitive strategies, such as differentiation strategies, diversification strategies among others. It is in this context that the organisations are also considering the aspect of Total Quality Management (TQM). From the managerial perspective, TQM refers to a p hilosophy and/or a paradigm which is emphasised on continuous improvements of products and/or services. It is often defined as a comprehensive management process which principally focuses on the aspect of continuous quality improvement. To be precise, the TQM approach intends to satisfy the customers’ and/or the owners’ needs with efficiency and is driven by the continuous improvement of the entire operation process (PHCC Educational Foundation, 1996). With this virtue, the objective of the paper is to study the TQM approach adapted by General Motors (GM) in order to provide quality services to the potential customers and/or owners of Chevrolet. Thereby, the discussion of the paper will intend to identify the various attributes of the operational process of GM. It shall also consider reviewing various literatures relevant to the topic in order to contextualise the findings comprehensively. Section 2 – Context: Company XYZ Logistics Chevrolet is a world renowned brand and is owned by GM, an American auto maker which is also recognised as one of the market leaders in the international automotive industry. Besides other brands owned by the company, Chevrolet happens to be one of the most popular and successful brands marketed by GM. It was first introduced in the market during early 1900s and since then it has gained a remarkable growth in the international platform. Notably, it is marketed in 130 different countries including UK and other major countries of the European region with average sales of 3.5 million vehicles annually (Chevrolet Europe, 2010). 2.1. Main Products, Services and Customers Chevrolet is a major brand manufactured and marketed under the policies of GM. There are also various sub-brands under the brand name of Chevrolet which are also marketed by GM. To be mentioned, the sub-brands of Chevrolet are Spark City, Cruze Sedan, Aveo, Captiva SUV, Epica, Corvette and others. Thus, it is quite apparent that the brand and its par ent company offer a wide range of products to its customers (Chevrolet Europe, 2010). The services rendered by the brand are also available at a wide range from marketing to after and before sales services. To be precise, the brand in Europe serves the customers to modify the design of the car according to their convenience as a before sales service. It also includes test drive services in the category of before sales services. On the other hand, as after sales services, the brand offers vehicle inspections by expert professionals and the