Benefits and Challenges of Tqm and Iso

Benefits and Challenges of TQM and ISO

Top Quality Management can be beneficial in improving an organization due to its fundamental goals of satisfying the customer with quality. This focus on customer satisfaction can lead to repeat and continued business. In addition to a concentration on customer satisfaction, TQM also ensures a business empowers its workers. This will aid in employee skills being used effectively in the business and provide the employees with engagement in the success of the organization. Other advantages of TQM, are a reduction in defects, due to its emphasis on ensuring quality within processes, and a reduction in costs, due to less rework and scrap parts or processes causing extraneous costs (Kelchner, n.d.). However, some disadvantages exist with TQM. These include extra time needed to train employees, loss of effectiveness as employees are trained, and adverse reactions from staff to the changes being implemented.

While TQM centers attention on customer satisfaction and worker effectiveness in order to increase business and cut costs, ISO focuses on meeting specific standards that are designed to for running a business effectively. ISO can improve an organization because it assists in preventing defects. Through planning, application, and documentation of best practices, the business can meet quality standards that drive efficiencies. This also helps reduce costs associated with wasteful actions or processes. Furthermore, ISO is beneficial because it is globally accepted and, therefore, can open a business to new markets. Some disadvantages exist in regards to time and cost, however. ISO relies on heavy documentation of practices and this can be time consuming (Kurtus, 2001). Resources must be made available to complete documentation in accordance with ISO standards which increases costs for the business. In addition, ISO certification